Anniessa Rambles ...

Indoor Gardening: Let's Give It a Try

2011-11-12T10:39:00.001-08:00

A friend of mine recently began working as a rep for a company that produces some really great self-watering pots. I was so inspired by her winter garden that I've decided to start an indoor garden and grow some of my own food.

The tricky part? I live in an apartment with no real outdoor space. Our patio is almost completely enclosed by overhang, solid railing, and a sturdy concrete floor. And if that weren't enough, we have cloud cover to block out any remaining sun.

My first attempt at growing will be a twist on hydroponics with a soil base so that I don't need to run a filtration system for the growth solution. This is where the self-watering plants come in, filled with a very light soil mix and organic fertilizers.

The next addition will be fluorescent grow lights. Thanks to all of the pioneers in the illegal growing industry, these are now readily available in various sizes and fairly inexpensively. And you thought the pot smokers weren't doing anything ...

Step One: Clear out this under-utilized space in the dining room.

Forks and Knives? Whaaaat?

2011-09-29T13:34:00.000-07:00

More knitting pics soon but in the meantime, here's a fantastic movie about food and its effect upon our health.

Watch it - Steve Nash did.

Let your food be your medicine!

Kumquat Marmalade

2011-04-09T16:57:00.000-07:00

We have a beautiful tree loaded with ripe kumquats that are begging to become marmalade. I found this recipe and decided to give it a try.

So far I have learned that cutting up teeny weeny little citrus fruits and getting "some" of the seeds out is quite a chore!

This recipe evolves over several days so I have a little time to find my perfect canning jars. I think I will head to City Farmers Nursery for them - they have everything there!

Hmmm... Just Imagine...

2011-02-18T20:33:00.001-08:00

Mortgage Interest Tax Break No Longer Sacred?

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Land of the Midnight Sun

2010-08-15T09:09:00.001-07:00

We just got back to Palmer after a quick trip to Fairbanks. That is roughly San Diego to San Francisco and back again.
Fairbanks isn't quite to the Arctic Circle but I am pretty sure Sarah Palin can see it from there. What that meant for us is long summer nights; I fell asleep after 11 and it was still full light.
What didn't look so fun is that everywhere you go: university parking lot, hotel and restaurant, even the Super WalMart, there are electrical outlets at each parking space. These are for your engine block warmer. Just get out of your vehicle, grab your cord, plug in. Everywhere. Everytime. Because if you don't, your engine will freeze. Solid. Sounds like fun, eh?

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Vacation Readiness

2010-08-06T21:34:00.001-07:00

It seems as if we have been getting ready for this trip forever! I have thought about going to Alaska for years but wasn't properly inspired until Becky, April, and Amber were here last summer for the rabbit show. (see archives for bunnies!)
The rabbit show was at the Del Mar Fairgrounds which led to mention of fairs which led to April regaling us with stories of the Alaska State Fair in Palmer, AK.
Darn if that didn't make me homesick for the Bonner County Fair, small town summers, and great friends like Becky and her family!
So now we're almost ready for take off. We have our warm clothes out, jackets ready (for our wimpy San Diego blood) and reservations in hand.
We will keep you posted - please comment so we'll know we're still connected to home!
Tuesday is take off- stay tuned!

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Air and Space Museum

2010-07-29T08:42:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the Air and Space Museum to see their Science of Aliens display. Even better was the flight simulator. This is the video displayed on the monitor for us watching. Here's Olivia getting used to the machine:

Hmm. That wasn't too hard ... let's try some barrel rolls:

I love how her hair, necklace, seat belt and ticket all fly around!
Then it's Noah's turn. He takes this stuff pretty seriously!

And just for grins (and to test your high-speed connections) here is what they saw on the inside while flying:

Whew! It's a big video day!

Orange Butter Lip Balm

2010-07-23T14:32:00.000-07:00

Several months ago, one of my favorite suppliers sent a sample of a recipe they had created: Orange Butter Lip Balm. I knew as soon as I tried it that I was going to have to get their recipe and learn to make lip balm - it's that good!

Now, with their recipe and a few bits of my own knowledge, the Orange Butter Lip Balm is here!

I wish I could say that I was graceful and practiced and captured every moment on camera but the truth is that the balm is a bit tricky: it is a wax that firms up quickly and you have only seconds to get it from the heat to the tube, all the while making sure it isn't too hot which would melt the tube.

So you get to see tubed, tubed with labels, and ...

... tubed, relaxing in a bowl.

Try a tube today. These full-sized 0.15 ounce tubes are selling for a special price of only $2 each or I will toss one in free with your order of 2 bars of soap while they last.

Soap For Sale! Nice, New Soap For Sale!

2010-07-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

5 batches are wrapped and ready to go! Here are some shots, first with them wrapped in shrink wrap. We use Biolefin, a biodegradable, compostable plastic that has a soft feel and allows the scent to come through.

A quick zap with the heat gun and look how orderly they are!

If you're wondering what happened to that 6th batch, Humboldt Herbal is being re-batched because I am not satisfied with how it turned out. I'll let you know when it is ready - it has been quite a trial with fragrance and formula.

Wedding Soaps: The Finale

2010-07-13T09:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I didn't post more finished pictures of Pamela and Charlies wedding soaps! Here we go:

I Love Canada!!

2010-07-03T13:30:00.000-07:00

And I love my Harlot!

Enjoy!

Soap of the Week: Acai Mangosteen

2010-06-21T15:48:00.000-07:00

This fragrance captured my attention at first sniff! Fresh, fruity, but not too sweet; complex but not over-complicated. It might make the perfect friend!
Everyone keeps asking: What is a mangosteen?

Yes. That's what they look like. Wikipedia offers a wealth of information on this wonderful fruit. They describe the fruit as "fragrant edible flesh can be described as sweet and tangy, citrusy with peach flavor and texture." I'll take two!

The soap breaks right into a frothy lather. The fruit-inspired color is a delight to (be)hold!
Superfruit your senses with Acai-Mangotsteen.

So, I went to the doctor today ...

2010-06-15T12:54:00.000-07:00

It's not too much medication as long as your kid can still carry it, right??

Knitting Lace

2010-06-07T07:38:00.000-07:00

Knitting lace is rather magical. You begin with hours and hours of knitting two togethers and yarn overs to make the thoughtfully-placed holes that give the design. There's a lot of stitch counting, chart readign, and general mystery.
Knitters talk about lace "blooming" and I was hoping I could capture a bit of that with this project when I took this picture:

The knitting is done, the ends sewn in, and I gently pinned it to a bath towel for perspective. Here's a bit of the detail:

Then the little beauty jumped into the bath. Suddenly the yarn was slipping and sliding and stretching the way knits do when they're wet. I gave it a quick rinse and ...

See how it stretched out? It now reaches beyond the towel - and I didn't even block it very hard (that's knitter lingo for "I didn't even yank it to the end of it's limits!")
And look at the detail now:

That, my friends, is how it's done!

Knitting and Soaping and Making a Play!

2010-06-05T18:50:00.000-07:00

Soap of the Week is coming, I promise! It's been really busy around here with knitting a shawl (photos soon), making 450 soaps for a wedding, an experiment, and a play (photos soon!) and keeping up with the happenings at the Coronado Playhouse with the production of Sven's play "Actions Most Ridiculous."

And Noah started swim team this week!!

Soap of the Week: Island Baby

2010-05-24T18:41:00.000-07:00

Island Baby is a delicate soap, specifically formulated for baby's delicate skin.

Babies in a Pot: They'll need a bath after this!

Why do we care about pH? Human skin is protected by a "mantle" of essential fatty acids. Soap and other cleansers remove this protective later as they clean. Your body then gets busy replacing the oils and restoring natural balance to our skin.
Baby's skin is slightly more acidic (i.e. has a lower pH) than adult skin. Island Baby is formulated to have a lower pH, closer to baby's own skin so that this balance is disrupted as little as possible while cleaning. Gentle soaps such as Island Baby clean gently without over-drying the skin.
On a simpler note, Island Baby is made with numerous fabulous oils and butters. Avocado oil has a particularly small molecule, allowing it to penetrate and nourish the skin; shea butter and sweet almond oils are delightful additions to a base of coconut and palm oils.

Supermodels Already!

Island Baby is a wonderful facial cleansing bar. I use it daily to remove dirt, grime, and make-up. It cleans gently, never over-drying.
For adult faces or the youngest babies, Island Baby is a rich, luxurious way to clean!

**Free Shipping through June 10, 2010**

Party Favors: Part 3

2010-05-18T10:21:00.000-07:00

For the assembly photos, I am switching to the samples for the Little Black Box es. I thought you might like a change of color!
Citrus Shoreline is a customer favorite: Bergamot, Chamomile, Coconut, and Lemongrass with Lemongrass added to the soap for gentle exfoliation.

To assemble, we take the lovely, labeled soaps:

Add a touch of crinkle paper for even more color:

Add Free Shipping as a special thanks:

Then wrap it all up in a cellophane bag (which refuses to photograph well!)

Repeat 50 times ...

... and we are ready to party!

Party Favors: Part 2

2010-05-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

Please forgive me: this is a very photo-heavy blog. I wish you could see the "flip-show" that I have in my Photoshop when I roll through the photos of the mold filling - I could flip through those for hours!

When we left off, the black pieces were cut and shaped and curing. Today we pick up with the body of the soap and the careful placement of the pieces in the soap base. Enjoy!

Creamy, raw soap ready to fill the mold. It's about the consistency of pudding but not nearly as nice: it is caustic and requires gloves and safety goggles even now.

Note that the spirals are carefully placed for maximum exposure when the soaps are cut! There's a lot of planning that goes into this. Finally I get to the final layer:

... and there is nothing to do but cover it and wait 24 hours for cutting time!

Luckily, I won't keep you in suspense!

The finished loaf came out just like this:

Then the first cut gives us towers:

Which is cut into bars:

Which make me happy!!

My First Shawl

2010-05-11T11:19:00.000-07:00

Lest you think I'm all about soap these days ... may I introduce my Travelling Woman shawl? (I may have to call it a "wrap".)

Take a moment to follow that link - you'll see where I'm headed with this!

Party Favors: Part 1

2010-05-04T11:33:00.000-07:00

Otherwise known as: When You Really Like Your Wedding Guests ...
We have a family wedding coming up and the beautiful bride will be remembered for her thoughtfulness and good taste, I'm sure! Jordan almond party favors are being replaced by soap favors. Here's a quick look at how they're made.

The Gray Batter:

Which is blended then unceremoniously poured into a makeshift mold and allowed to set over night:

The next day is when the real work occurs. This isn't particularly fun - I don't know of any short cut to getting round shapes other than just rolling, rolling, rolling them by hand.

Slowly but surely, progress is made and the loaf transforms and (thankfully!) disappears!

Now the shapes will cure for a day or two. It turns out that the amount of curing time required is exactly the same amount of time that it takes for me to be in the mood to mix another batch of soap. I love soap that way!

Soap of the Week: DazzleBerry Disco

2010-05-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

Grab a bar and lather up - the first thing you will notice is the bubbles! Big bubbles come from the Coconut oil; the denser, foamy bubbles are a gift from the Castor Bean oil.

Lather up with this scent and you might agree: it could just as well be called "Midnight Summer Sangria" or "Sultry Summer Night. The fragrance is light and fruity but its the spicy under-notes that are intriguing and complex.

With a light, exuberant lather, a complex scent that doesn't take itself too seriously, DazzleBerry Disco is the perfect soap to kick off summer!

Citrus Shoreline Returns to Center Stage!

2010-04-28T09:37:00.000-07:00

The real Citrus Shoreline is back and on the shelves curing! This batch might even be prettier than the first!

This soap will be wonderful for summer, too. It has a lot of shea butter for moisture, and the lemongrass pieces add just a bit of "grab" to gently exfoliate.

Lively History

2010-04-26T22:56:00.000-07:00

As part of a school project, my daughter recently had to write yet another family tree. This time I finally convinced (and drove, literally) her to ask my grandmother about her history. I washed the dishes, cleaned, and eavesdropped as Talen conducted her interview. Here are some highlights - I hope you find them as interesting as I did!

My great-grandmother Asta (pronounced "ous-ta") was born in Iceland. She grew and she grew ...

She traveled to Europe to earn her certificate as a house painter. She and Karen Hansen used the following as their business card:

It must have been effective because she was seen working:

Grandma does report that the women did encounter some trouble - from other women - who didn't like that these two were working and taking jobs away from the men. A pioneer of women's lib!

Here she is later with my great-great-uncle Magnus on the left, little Grandma front and center, and tiny baby great-uncle Pudge as a baby on the right. The gentleman holding Pudge is my grandmother's stepfather (her father died when she was 9 months old.) The snazzy dresser in the beautiful knitted sweater is Halldor Laxness, who won the Nobel Prize in Literature. Can you imagine how interesting conversations must have been?

(and let me point out to those that know my dad ... never mind ... you see it too, don't you??)

All photos are pictures from a book published about Asta's life:

The tapestry featured on the cover was created by another family member (I think it as Asta's sister but I'm not positive) and the figures each represent one of the siblings ... Asta is third from the left, Mangus third from the right.)

Antibacterial Soaps and You

2010-04-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Don't forget to bookmark my new "professional" blog! Here's a quick copy of today's post:

Yesterday on my morning rounds, I heard yet another advertisement (please pronounce it the British way - it sounds so much more clever. Clev-ah.) encouraging me to get vaccinated against H1N1. Is that thing even around anymore? Just saying ...
I took just enough Biology in college to know that killing germs can be a bad thing: you never get them all and only the toughest survive. These tough survivors pass on their toughness to their offspring times two because it took TWO tough germs to make a little baby germ. We are breeding super bacteria when we could simply have washed them down the drain!
Taking the argument further is the point made by Dr. Sarah Janssen in a recent article posted at simplesteps.org. She refers to antibacterial cleansers as "hormone disrupting hand cleaners." Not soap, because it isn't soap. Not antibacterial, because it merely promotes stronger bacteria.
She writes, in part:
Triclosan and triclocarban are chemicals added to personal care products, such as liquid and bar soaps, body washes, toothpaste and other personal care products for their so-called “antibacterial” properties. Triclosan is found in 75 percent of liquid hand soaps and triclocarban is used primarily in deodorant bar soaps. The widespread use of triclosan has resulted in the widespread exposure of the U.S. population—almost three-quarters of Americans carry residues of this chemical in their bodies. Triclosan and triclocarban are hormone disrupting chemicals and we are concerned that exposure to these chemicals could be causing harmful effects in humans.

Both of these chemicals are hormone disrupting chemicals, but they interfere with different hormone systems and though their toxicity is not fully understood, what we do know about these chemicals is deeply concerning. Triclosan interferes with thyroid hormone. We know that other thyroid disrupting chemicals have been shown to alter development of the brain and nervous system causing problems with learning or behavior later in life and we are concerned that triclosan could have similar effects.
Triclocarban is a unique type of hormone disrupting chemical which has not been found to have any hormone disrupting properties on its own but has been shown to enhance the activity of other hormones, such as the sex hormones, estrogen and testosterone. Boosting your sex hormones isn’t necessarily a good thing! For someone with a hormonally dependent cancer, that could mean more hormonal stimulation of cancer cell growth.
Furthermore, within our homes, there are many chemicals that interfere with both thyroid and sex hormones including flame retardants, BPA, and phthalates.

As if I didn't support plain old soap and water enough before: I think I have a few new reasons to go natural!

We've Moved!!!

2010-01-21T13:46:00.001-08:00

... blogs, that is!

Come visit me: http://coronadosoap.wordpress.com/ for the latest knitting projects!

Soap Has Taken Over My Life!

2010-01-19T14:20:00.001-08:00

Come visit the soap blog to see the newest recipe. It smells divine!!!

Coronado Soap

2010-01-10T15:44:00.000-08:00

Word is getting out quickly but I wanted to let you know Coronado Soap has it's own blog. I will be updating that one regularly but will be saving this blog for the really dumb things I do that I don't want to make QUITE so public!!

Come visit!!

Coronado Soap at Etsy
Coronado Soap's Blog

Subtle Hints ...

2009-12-19T14:35:00.000-08:00

Let me just tell you it is NOT easy to blog during the holiday season!! Between Christmas sweaters and holiday handmade gifts, there's not much left over to write about.

At the risk of spoiling everyone's surprise:

Turns out soap isn't exactly easy to make but the challenge sure is fun! I have made a coconut-palm (the oils came pre-measured in a kit) soap with Tangerine and Calendula and my very own Avocado-Olive oil soap with Eskimo Kisses fragrance. Still in the pre-labeling phase is a third batch of Hemp Oil soap with a wonderful cedar-patchouli fragrance.

I sure hope everyone likes their presents - this doesn't send a message that they smell, does it?

Soap Making - Not as Glamorous As You Might Think

2009-12-02T10:01:00.000-08:00

The search began this morning with a jaunt down the grocery aisles only to discover that no one (Read: NO ONE. Not one company.) sends their juice to the Vons of Coronado in glass bottles. Plastic bottles filled the shelves from one end to the other. The next store was closed and the third had exactly one choice in glass bottle of minimum 40 ounce capacity. One. So I bought that and a gallon of distilled water and was on my way. Oh, and a doughnut. Yum!

After emptying the juice bottle, rinsing it, and recruiting my fine husband to drill the appropriate holes in the lid, I donned my safety glasses and measured the distilled water into my Lye Jar.

The next step involves convincing highly toxic sodium hydroxide it wants to join the water in the jar. The soap shop thoughtfully provided the NaHO in the shape of large, hard, flat chunks of white stuff. Like salt flats only burn-ier. And not at all excited about getting into the bath.

One learns that not only should ones eyes be covered but a mask for breathing is not at all nerdy at this point, it's a luxury.

A quick stir and here we go:

Fascinating Fact: The lye solution heats up to 200 degrees Farenheit just by mixing it. That's hot - and it happens FAST!

Now it sits overnight - or until tomorrow in my world. Then we can mix the soap and pour it into the mold.

Fuzzy Faces

2009-11-30T07:52:00.000-08:00

Finally, something I can blog about! I have been thinking I would have to resort to blogging with FCC-style beeps to keep from exposing Christmas Knitting Secrets. Something like this: Today I worked on [beep] for [beep]. It's really coming along nicely. I took a picture and it looks like this: [No Photo Available.] See how dull it would have been?

But instead I went to A Simpler Time Alpaca's and Mill and was amazed at their machinery. Which I didn't take a single picture of - it's hard to describe the 15-or so step process, let alone capture in photos. I did take a picture of a great hairdo and some babies:

And I love that white face ... what'choo lookin at?

Temptation's Accessories ...

2009-11-20T15:39:00.000-08:00

It's the secret time of the year - everything on my needles is a gift that I don't want to post and all I'm doing is knitting to meet December 24th deadlines!

Here's one current swatch:

It really wants to grow up into a silky-alpaca-merino scarf. It's a wee bit tricky but seems to grow quickly - I will have to see if I can manage a few for Christmas!

Ski Bunnies

2009-11-09T12:47:00.000-08:00

Talen and her classmates are heading to Mammoth for intersession this year. What's the first thing they arrange? Why accessories, of course!!

Here's the beginning of an ear flap hat - all the rage in San Diego this year!

And that's an original painting by Talen in the

background ... will post that when it's finished.

Can't wait to see how this turns out!

I Love San Diego, I Love San Diego ...

2009-11-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Excuse me whiule I step outside (in my slippers, but barefoot would work, too) and try to appreciate the weather that is San Diego in November.

Look:

No, look closer:

Yes. Downtown San Diego. Thursday November 5th at 8:34 a.m. People are outside in shorts. That's it folks - that's what we get. We might get a splash or two of rain in March - stay tuned and I'll be sure to let you know. But you are looking at our weather.

But on the upside this week, our friends were down from Alaska winning right and left at the ARBA Endless Summer Rabbit Convention - "In Search of the Perfect Rabbit." Let me tell you, if they didn't find it here...

Or here...

(Yes. That's one big angora bunny, my knitting friends.)

... then I truly don't believe they were looking very hard!!

It was great to spend time with all of our friends who were down from Alaska. They were a breath of fresh air in the midst of a city that sometimes loses it's freshness.

Christmas Knitting ...

2009-10-20T16:38:00.000-07:00

Yes, it's Grandma Betty's sweater. Yes, of course Talen gets to wear it first. She always gets to do EVERYTHING!!!

And even though it was acrylic and I tried not to like the yarn as I was knitting, it really wasn't bad at all. Best of all, I have a finished product almost as warm as wool, worked up in a jiffy, and machine washable!

Talen even said she wants one for herself ... that's quite a compliment!

Temptation's Progress

2009-09-29T10:11:00.000-07:00

Bwah-ha-ha-ha ... the evil mother trades lunch money for sweater modeling!

And doesn't she look fine in her brother's boxers?

Beyond Me

2009-09-23T09:48:00.000-07:00

It is simply beyond my abilites to collect. Anything. I used to tell myself that if I were to collect anything, it would be teapots. Now I am the proud owner of this beautiful (astounding, actually) set:

and all I see when I look at those tiny cups and saucers is clutter. And a possible lead poisoning hazard. So I packed them away, because containers are the answer to all clutter, yes? As long as it's in a color-coordinated container, I can bear their existence.

Hand-painted vase, anyone? I have one somewhere, in one of these boxes ...

Ode to Temptation

2009-09-22T17:43:00.000-07:00

I love this sweater.

Love.

If this sweater belonged to some else, I would covet it and want it for my own; but it is mine, all mine.

Lovely, silken hand, gentle drape, wonderful tomato sauce with flecks of tweedish sludge color, shapely shoulders, subtle neckline.

If only my blog had feel-o-vision, you too would be tempted, I assure you.

Noah: The Real Story

2009-09-22T17:39:00.000-07:00

As has been mentioned, my Noah is one of the cutest beings ever! He's also a bit of a clown and I think I owe him this:

That's right. One afternoon we were on our way to swim lessons (about 100 yards to the right of this photo spot) and I asked him to put on a 100% wool sweater, despite the 80+ degree weather. He didn't put up a bit of fuss and struck this silly, 100% Noah-Style pose. And then I fiddled with the sweater, made him put his hands out of the sleeves, etc. and snapped the photo I used in the "Ready for Arcata" entry. But this folks, THIS is the real Noah.

Ready for Arcata

2009-09-18T21:05:00.000-07:00

It's My Birthday and I'll Block If I Want To!

2009-09-14T09:26:00.001-07:00

Tobin's sweater is off the needles and ready for a wash 'n block:
Here it is just daintily dipping it's little toes into the cool water:

And a more enthusiastic plunge:
(Sometimes you have to give wool a little push)
Then, finally, after a bit of splashing about,
there's a rather icky little bit of wool gunk left in the water:After some gentle squishing, being rolled in a towel, and a few hours laying flat in front of the fan, we have a soft, almost sweet-smelling sweater ready to snuggle.
I'll have Noah model it after school so you can see!

Knitting Until My Eyes Cross ...

2009-09-06T17:32:00.001-07:00

And I'm just beginning to think up Christmas knitting projects ... my fingers are twitching in fear!

Temptation

2009-09-04T13:34:00.000-07:00

Call me crazy (I know you will anyway! but even though it is baking hot outside, once I saw this pattern:

( Simple Summer Tweed Top Down V-Neck by Heidi Kirrmaier

and this yarn (City Tweed DK , a silk-merino blend in Romance)
(both photos used without permission but credit to the links above)

I abandoned all thoughts of holiday knitting and ordered up 1200 yards or so of this fabulous yarn to make myself yet another sweater.

Folks, you'd better act now and put your requests in REPEATEDLY if you want anything hand knit for Christmas! This is some fierce competition for my knitting time!

P.S Tobin's sweater IS still proceeding nicely ... the body is at least half done and then I get to join the arms to it and make some shoulders for it. NOT forgotten!

Knitter's Progress

2009-08-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

Here I am, all rested up and ready to return to work. I have been busy the past few days trying to make headway on my baby brother's sweater, Here's the latest:I am hoping that if you squint your eyes up and look carefully, you can fill in the blanks between waistband and armpits, then again for the shoulders, neckline ... OK, I'll admit, there's a long way to go!

And just in case a sweater wasn't daunting enough (and for THIS knitter, it isn't! I scoff at danger like this!) just take a look at the body I am knitting it for:
Yes, the gangly one on the right. The one standing next to my 5'8" tall daughter. The one with the 21" long arms. The one who was sick with the flu yesterday and battling his first big ick in the town of Arcata, home to Humboldt State University.

I caved when he asked me for a wool sweater to combat the cool, damp weather in Arcata. But looking at that photo, I can safely say I will refuse if he asks me to knit him leggings!

Vacation 2009: The Beginning

2009-08-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

And our vacation begins to take shape ...

Day One we will leave San Diego and drive 440.40 mile north to Morgan Hill, Ca. We'll be staying the night there so we can leave for San Francisco well rested.

Day Two: A bit of exploring around San Francisco. I still haven't decided if we will stop at the Aquarium of the Bay in San Francisco. I know Noah would love it but I am kind of "attractioned-out." There are so many attractions (Zoo, Sea World, Legoland, etc. in San Diego that I don't really feel the need to travel to see more! I would rather see more of the city.

Then it's across the Golden Gate and north to Eureka to see Tobin and his new school. I can't wait to poke around hippie-town Arcata. After all of the big city, So-Cal living I've done, I am ready for a bit of the Natural Folk. We are sure to get our fill of them this trip!

(Gray. The Color of My Childhood Home.)

Wait until you see all of the fun little things there are to do in Arcata: a little zoo, the Natural History Museum at Humboldt State. Somehow if the whole group gets in for under $10 it's more worthy of a quick peek!

After Eureka? Well that is not quite ready yet ... stay tuned!

Sharon Kay Penman Books

2009-07-31T09:34:00.000-07:00

Because I am a dork and I want to be able to remember this:

1101-1154 - When Christ and His Saints Slept (Volume 1 of a trilogy)
1156-1171 - Time and Space (Volume 2 of a trilogy)
12th century - Devil's Brood (Volume 3 of a trilogy)
1192-1193 - The Queen's Man
1193 - Cruel as the Grave
1183-1232 - Here Be Dragons (Volume 1 of the Welsh Trilogy)
1231-1267 - Falls the Shadow (Volume 2 of the Welsh Trilogy)
1271-1283 - The Reckoning (Volume 3 of the Welsh Trilogy)
1459-1492 - The Sunne in Splendour

Yes, that is all of them, in chronological order. What a relief! : )

And for good measure:

My lovely Talen taking a moment to beautify with a Lavish clay and kelp mask ... complete with SD Pride-inspired Rainbow manicure!

In Response to Two Certain Someones

2009-07-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Taunting? Hey, I pay an outrageous amount to live here ... how about if I do some dollar-cost averaging by sharing?
Outdoor dining ... with excellent wine:

Appropriate attire: short sleeves (no sweat stains), shorts, and sandals for all! (Thank you, Random Family, for walking by right when I needed you!)

And the Burger Lounge ... a green restaurant serving grass-fed beef alongside quinoa burgers and Classic Coke (Mexico style - the BEST!) Sometimes I really love California!Also source of said Calypso-salsa-kind of confused music. And more outdoor dining space. Wish you guys could be here to savor it ... it really is delightful!

Farming: City Style

2009-07-06T18:49:00.001-07:00

Today I mailed off our subscription form for our first Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) plan. I chose J R Organics Farm because they seem just right - not too big, not too small, and reasonably priced.I can't wait to see what we get in our boxes throughout the summer!!

Eating Eco

2009-06-18T10:45:00.000-07:00

With the coming of Food, Inc. and a sick son on the mend, we've been inspired to eat more healthy food. We are striving to eat - food. Just food. Not processed food, not something that resembles food. Just food.

We started at the Mercato in Little Italy.

Enjoying a conversation with the farmers who grow this produce; the farmers who raise the chickens. How else would I know that of all the egg-layers at San Pasqual Academy, none have fallen ill with the tragic chicken sicknesses so common in commercial layers. Why important? Because if your chickens aren't crammed together and making each other sick, they don't need to be injected with antibiotics. Hmmm.

Some familiar faces are also at the Mercato. Here we have what might just be Bread and Cie - although I'm not sure and there are several artisan bread vendors.

And is that Venissimo behind there? Noah sampled his first pecorino cheese and enjoyed an imported goat gouda at that very booth. Delicious!

The Mercato is every Saturday morning from 9 to 1. Come enjoy some sustainably farmed produce, imported cheeses and fresh breads. Your tastebuds will thank you!

Noah's First Cake

2009-06-13T10:04:00.000-07:00

Heavenly Apple Cake from epicurious.com.

The full photo album here.

Soooo yummy ... moist and appley with just a touch of cinnamon!

Great work, Noah!

My Little Pretty ...

2009-06-06T23:39:00.000-07:00

After not knitting (*gasp*!!) for a week I worked through the "empire" row and beyond today. This yarn is a cotton/acrylic blend that is butter soft and delightful.

I do hope that this doesn't "bloom" like a lace. What work a sweater is to be such a mystery at the end! To the Whims of Blocking Fate ... Be Kind.

2009-06-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

Ahh... nothing more than an update to catch everyone up on the goings on around here. May '09 shall be summed up with "The Month Noah Was Sick." On to June ...

Noah has been out of school since ... well, way back in May. At least 5 weeks with a virus, Bells Palsy, and migraines. It's been spectacular. After 2 1/2 years of struggling to keep up between bouts of what we thought was IBS but now seems to be abdominal migraines, I have just given up. It's a wonderfully freeing feeling!

We are going to the pediatric neurologist next week to find out exactly what causes all of these (By "all" I mean daily. Every day. Without fail.) headaches. His doctor and his current school director have both recommended home schooling or a variation thereon for a while and I'm starting to think it might just be a good idea. A pain in the butt, but a good idea. More on homeschooling in the near future ...

And at work .. well. I have been working so hard and thinking so hard the past few weeks my trainer probably saw smoke coming from my ears. I was about ready to give up and head for phones when we started; I thought I was at the end of my learning curve. But Kristina busted me right through. And how you ask??

Like this:

By completely overwhelming me with 100's of pages of Mobile Field Force, SWAT, and Critical Response Team data. By scaring me to death with endless maps of our divisions, long lists of beat responsibilities ... an overload of information. So much information that suddenly *poof* telling two officers to point their cars toward a bad guy and do their thing seemed SIMPLE.

See why I am so difficult? Do you see?

That was all going so well that we signed up at the Y. We've been doing cardio on the bikes, lifting weights, and swimming. The swimming is fun time but today I think Noah swam 6 laps or so ... not bad for a sick kid. He might recover yet!

And in anticipation of Food, Inc, and all it brings ...

... we round out the week with Organic Chocolate Chip Cookies. Mmm... Those are fair trade, organic chocolate chips you see there - and tasty!!

Hot Fashion Tip

2009-05-12T18:27:00.000-07:00

Anyone can tell you I am one of the least fashionable people in town - and I rather like it that way - but I am about to stand tall and belt out a bit of fashion advice.

If you are over 30 years old; if you are strolling the streets of cozy Little Italy hand-in-hand with your girlfriend; if your hair is thinning and you have rather the look of middle management about you ... you are simply past the age when it is appropriate for your trousers to expose more than 2 inches of your undergarments.

It looked silly in high school. It looks ridiculous on the misbegotten young hoodlums who wear their pants entirely beneath their 'cheeks'. (Image mercifully withheld.)

It becomes an absurdity (although somewhat amusing) when I see your Ralph Lauren boxer briefs peeking from your Rock & Republic jeans. Did you not know there are people available to help you better fit your jeans when you shop the great Republic of Bloomies?Rather something how those jeans fit, isn't it? Just saying ...

The Steeking Hangover ...

2009-04-13T18:55:00.000-07:00

Nah, things are going just fine. For those of you who are wondering how this whole thing is working out, here's a photo of the new edge:

It's not much so far but I not only had to go to work today (sigh) but also had to put down the sweater to work on the baby sweater for Katie who is due in TWO WEEKS.

Knitting Emergency!

The Steek

2009-04-12T16:58:00.000-07:00

What better way to celebrate Easter than by spending the day outside in the sun, cutting up 6 weeks worth of knitting? My Grandma was by my side (I didn't look, but I think she closed her eyes!) and ... I just did it.

Big shout to my dad for the play-by play of the cutting.

Here is my mark. I sewed (machine stitched - almost made me want to make something) a seam next to my red yarn marker. That's the outer edge of my 10-stitch steek zone. Rating: Easy.

I have my very sharp scissors (borrowed from Talen who sews and has good stuff like this!)

I size it up. Kind of makes you nervous just looking, doesn't it? My Granny was squirming by now!

I am the Sweater Moyel.

True to form, once I get going, I just keep on keeping on ...

That was the easy part ... next comes picking up stitches, making a button band, choosing buttons (Hello, Heartstone Ceramics!) and sewing up the 9 stitches in the armpits. Finish work - it's not my specialty!

Happy Spring Holiday Season!

Steek In Progress

2009-04-12T07:55:00.001-07:00

Few words this morning, just wanted to let you see the set-up:

i put an extra 10 stitches up the middle of my pullover as i was knitting, then marked the row just inside where I am going to stitch with some chunky red acrylic yarn (had to get SOME use out of that stuff!)

Closer look:
I will machine stitch in the channel of the row outside of the red marker, then I will cut right up the middle between the markers. For this great to-do, I am taking the sweater to my Grandma Lisali - I need a knitter present to fully appreciate the madness! What better Easter activity could there be??

Quite Possibly the Cutest Thing You'll See Today

2009-04-11T07:07:00.000-07:00

There is a certain someone at work who is expecting her third child in a few weeks. Rather than cast on and get busy knitting her a little something for this little newcomer, I busily THOUGHT about what I might make.

I also had my keen eye peeled for IDEAS of what to make for a teeny baby girl, which is how i noticed this on a friends Ravelry page:

Pretty cute, yes? But it pales when you see the complete ensemble:

And this is how I came to buy yet more yarn even though my stash box seems to be full!

Credits:
Kimono Pattern
Hat Pattern
These pieces were made by yarnvista for the Ravelers out there.

I Love My "Sisters"!

2009-03-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, you might know that I don't have any sisters at all and just two pesky little brothers to my name. But Friday night was Ladies Night at Two Sisters and Ewe, my favorite yarn shop. It was a fabulously fun time with wool, beautiful pastries, and some beautiful works in progress.

I won a skein of fan-tabulous cotton in the raffle. It is heavenly soft; I am thinking of working it into a summery top ... I'll keep you posted! And best of all, the thing for which the spectacular ladies at Sisters win LYS of the Year ... they helped me wind the hemp into beautiful, (somewhat) workable balls:

Unfortunately, they told me AFTER we wound it that I could have soaked the hanks in water and conditioner to soften them up and remove the starch. Live and learn ... it's the little things that we share that make knitters so special!

Back to work ...

A Sweater's Progress ...

2009-03-30T19:55:00.000-07:00

It's starting to resemble a sweater ... the sleeves have been attached and I'm about to pick up the seed stitch pattern for the yoke.

For all of the novelty and buss this has created in MY life, it really doesn't look much different from a standard sweater. The only exception is that 10 stitch-wide gap that is in straight stockinette stitch across the bottom ... I will end up cutting right up the middle of that swath when it's steeking time. You'll be able to see more when I pick up the pattern stitch again.

Handmade Treasure

2009-03-19T12:50:00.000-07:00

I refer a lot of people to etsy.com and have spent a lot of time ogling the handmade goods on their site. I have taken The Handmade Pledge and done absolutely nothing about it (except knitting, which I was doing anyway.)

Until now. I just purchased the most beautiful buttons in all of the land:

Jealous? Just head to etsy.com and find your own treasure! Trust me, WalMart doesn't need any more of your money!

Steeking: So Far So Good

2009-03-19T11:53:00.001-07:00

That last sweater went so well that I'm even more excited about my next Lesson in Knitting Sweaters, "The Steeked Sweater."

Creativity is my delight in knitting. I'd rather make something and really, really mess it up than to plug along following a pattern, miss some little "and at the SAME TIME" do " THIS VITAL BIT" ... really, really messing up the designer's lovely pattern.

Just me, but I'm OK with the fact that I don't follow directions all that well. : )

So here' the idea with this sweater: I am making a standard, Knit by the Numbers sweater in this fabulous deep coral Shetland wool:
I'll knit the tube with 10 extra stitches right up the front, sew those down (possibly a few times - OCD can't be wrong, eh?) Then I will take a chug of stiff drink (highly recommended in all of the tutorials) and - EEK! - cut that piece of work from stem to stern.

So far, it's not all that exciting and/ or pretty:
And for those of you who think I might be utterly mad - or at least criminally careless, making plans to cut this simple and defenseless piece of wool, let this allay your fears...

I worked up a small swatch of 40 stitches in the round (about 1/2 of what EZ would have done - and she would have ended up with a swatch hat to boot.) I plugged in the sewing machine , used that green thread you see to sew a few crooked lines of very small stitches down the midline of this thing, then ZIP cut it right in half. See - I'm not working entirely without a net!

This worked fine and I just this minute tried picking up stitches from behind the Green Line of Safety and look how well it worked! (The line of stitches still on the needle up there ... that would be the edge of my cardigan button band if this were a real thing instead of a mangled piece of hurried experiment.

Therefore, based on this small experiment of less than 1000 stitches, I continue working on that rather dull tube you see above.

Remarkable, isn' it? You'll laugh with me if it stinks in the end, won't you?

Bless My Stars - I Made This!

2009-03-18T12:38:00.000-07:00

I knit because I love it - like breathing and walking in the sunshine. It feels good, it gives me something to do while I'm doing something else (no book is so good that it can't be improved with knitting!)

But every once in a while I am astonished by what knitting can bring forth. Witness today's miracle, the February Ladies Sweater.

It's humble beginnings as a rather awkward creature with wing-like shoulders. (The 80's were good for music - not so much for the shoulder thing!) And these are terribly uneven wings that don't really like to do anything pleasant.

But I'll admit I'm a bit intrigued by the lace pattern:
You might notice that it resembles a sweater enough that one can actually try it on and see if one likes it. Do not get me wrong. I do not like it. I like the yarn and the color. I like the lace pattern. I dislike greatly the garter stitch pattern up top and the overall fit.

Notice how there aren't any fitting pictures? I really don't' like it.

So I finished it up quickly with little regard to, well, much of anything. It's not a favorite but MIGHT live up to being a precursor to something I like. I cast off the final sleeve stitches, wove in the ends, and tossed my newborn sweater into a sink of bubbles so that I could wash and block (it's a knitting thing - the first ever "re-shape and lay flat to dry" instructions.)

Wash. Rinse. Squish gently. (I might not like this sweater but I refuse to abuse good wool.)

I rolled this bad boy up in a towel to get the excess water out. Unrolled and ...

Bless. My. Stars.

It's light. It's airy. You can see the lace pattern. It's softer and lighter. It smells good.

This might be love! A little more fiddling and shaping and I have a real piece of work ...

Bag Frenzy

2009-02-08T08:43:00.000-08:00

I am feeling a little love for the World of Knitted Bags. They work up so quickly and then you get to mash them in the sink to felt them. What more could one ask for in an amusing hobby??In the meantime, I've been watching the construction go on and on here. Pictures are on their way ... I wonder where the people are coming from to live in all of these new buildings?

I Should Have Called; I Should Have Written ...

2008-11-30T21:15:00.000-08:00

... but I have been incapable of doing anything but knit. Knit. Knit. Knit.

But what glorious results. I have a real sweater.

Onyx Heather. That's a fancy way of saying "charcoal gray ALMOST boring enough to make you want to cry but just enough specks of lighter gray to keep you marginally sane." Especially when you are fantasically proud of yourself for producing such a fine example of knitted woolen wear in a particularly adult size.

Really. It WILL be adult size when complete. Really. I hope.

I knitted 770 yards of worsted weight Onyx Heather over the course of a week.

Child added for scale.

I knit at home.

I knit on the trolley. I knit in the movie theater.

Now I'm out of yarn. And you all know why I've been so quiet. I've been besotted with myself. And my very fine sweater.

Get Me Out of the City - Quick!!

2008-11-14T09:45:00.000-08:00

Knitting is a very tactile craft. It's amazing how a thin little wisp of yarn being drawn across you finger and knit into the fabric of your piece can feel so different one yarn to the next. This is no secret to knitters who pay sometimes exorbitant prices for particular silks, cashmere ... and the new favorite: alpaca.

Alpaca is divine the way it floats, softer than cashmere, warmer than wool.

And pricey. So I figure: why not just go straight to the source:

That's right. I will cure my desire to get out of the city and my hunger for yummy yarn all in one fell swoop. I'll be an alpaca farmer.

Of course I'll need to move out of the city, find a job to support my habit, wait until the kids are done with school ... there's lots of planning involved. but doesn't it sound marvelous??

I think I need a vacation.

Sweater Saga

2008-11-13T08:06:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, inspiration strikes and I decide to continue down the Path of Crazed Knitting. Could be the wee hours between 2 and 5 and all of the books I drag to work with me. Could be the chill in the air, begging for turtlenecks and cozy wool sweater. It might even be the yearning for the quiet, rural, farm-like atmosphere of my childhood (am I really old enough to have "way back when" memories?) Whatever it is, working yarn into wearable shapes

Over the past few weeks, I have made several "model" sweaters to experiment with styles. I quickly decided that knitting a sweater in pieces and then sewing them together is a fairly silly idea. I embarked upon my first sweater knit upon circular needles. I scaled it down so that if i didn't like it, I wouldn't have to spend the rest of my Useful Knitting Life discovering this fact. So I cast on a lower-than-normal number of stitches and knit away ...

Finally I had something resembling a sweater with 2 sleeves which I proudly posted on facebook:

To which a Friend posted, "Well, dear, at least you tried."

Apparently she didn't know it was not yet finished. So I posted a finished photo.

I did NOT at this point receive any messages saying, "Well, NOW that looks remarkable." I am completely aware that the sleeves are different lengths and of slightly different construction. I am, after all, the one who knit them all cattawampus.

Now we get to the part where we discuss scaling. I have clearly posted that this is a small sweater. I do this without fear because my cousin reminded me that she learned from sewing Barbie clothes that "smaller" does not mean "easier."

But folks were apparently shocked at the actual appearance of "small" when I posted a shot for scale:

Yes. This was not a "size small"; it is "small."

This sweater was worked on my breaks at work and the ladies at work were kind enough to humor me with a few bits of attention. Without fail, they would pick it up, put it on their hand, and kindly try to think of something I could do with it. Stuffed animal. Doll. Really small doll. Ummm. They were baffled at the concept of knitting something with absolutely no purpose (other than figuring out how to do those should decreases.)

I assured them I was perfectly happy to put it on the shelf with my Class Sock (also useless.)

But the really cool thing about THIS sock is it's Universal Appeal:

At least Noah knew enough to not try to make it any more useful than this!

P.S. Coming up: The Virtual Yarn Shop returns!

Look, Kids - Bigotry IS Alive and Well!

2008-10-31T13:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, we have had a processional of "Yes on 8" proponents; those people who would choose to violate our constitutional rights to Equality for All.

I didn't have any rotten tomatoes and I wasn't about to waste even a single organic egg (especially after my expensive vote FOR Prop 2 ... those things are PRECIOUS!) so I didn't throw anything, as tempted as I was to indulge in a little freedom of expression.

(Especially good - that's one of my co-workers there, keeping the peace ... and one of our squad cars there on the right side of the photo!)

Didn't we decide after a bloody civil war that Constitutional rights should apply to "people of color" as well as whites? Then a not so bloody revolution and we figured out women were people, too? Are we so dim-witted as a whole that we need to "test" each group? Can we please just efficiently settle on "human" rights?

Besides, as my dear Crazy Aunt Purl put it:

"Everyone should have the legal right to fall in love and get married and spend twenty grand on a divorce which has to be stipulated three years later to include custody of the dentist! EVERYONE."

Happiest Dog on Earth!

2008-10-03T19:12:00.000-07:00

We couldn't find a puppy sitter in time for our trip to Disneyland so we just took Lily along!!

She was GREAT - didn't knock over any small children, didn't puke on anyone ... even went potty where she was supposed to!!

Look - someone's happy to see Lily!

Ready for her first ride:

And her second:

She even rode on ...

The Pirates. In a boat. In the dark. Thunder Mountain, here we come!!

Followed by a break at the Exercise Run at the Kennel Club.

Ever Wonder?

2008-10-01T20:27:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I wonder what my camera does when I'm not around. It doesn't look like it's moved a bit and then I download the picture (of knitting, which no one needed to see, anyway) I just took ... and it's newfound friends who have appeared from nowhere.

What's that she's wearing??? Dont' worry, Camera had the same question ...

Oh! Must have been Bath Day!!

Something's Just Not Right Here ...

2008-10-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

There is something terribly wrong with this sock.

Don't get me wrong - knitted goods rarely look GREAT right off the needles but this is horrid! (Lily didn't mind, though.)

I jumped up from the computer thinking, "I know! I'll take a picture of that sock I finally finished - my Blog-Friends will be so proud to see that it's done. Not so much. But I am not too proud to show you all my pathetic attempts!

Awww, Mama!

General Life Update ...

2008-09-11T07:14:00.001-07:00

Oy. So very tired. The only reason you're getting this little tidbit is that I desperately need something to do to keep me awake long enough to drop the kids off at school!

Work is fun .. there's always so much to learn and think about! I've also kept busy in my off hours ...

I've been to yoga every week except the one I was sick.

Oh yeah. Got frightfully sick with a migraine ... my doctor invited me to go to the hospital but I politely declined. I did however accept an invite for a shot of torpadol the next day. Ahh. Relief.

I've also picked up my knitting and am kicking myself yet again for beginning these two at a time socks in a size intended for Sven. I'm working my way to the toes but often wonder if they will EEEVVVVVERRRR end???! That pretty self-striping yarn is begging me to cast on a new pair but I'm getting to be pretty tough up against the soft little pleas of wool blends. I really want to knit a sweater ... I'll wait for that urge to pass before go near a yarn shop.

Last but not least, I've had the MannersMinder out again and have been trying to get some obedience practice in with Lily. She's all in favor of anything food related so that's been easy ... if only there were more hours in the day.

Fascinating Facts ... And MORE

2008-07-31T20:17:00.001-07:00

First, a simple thing I always forget: What does i.e. really stand for??

ie: (id est) That is (to say)", "in other words", or sometimes "in this case", depending on the context. Never equivalent to exempli gratia (e.g.), although frequently so used.Id est, i.e., "that is", is commonly abbreviated "i.e."; in this usage it is sometimes followed by a comma, depending on style

And how was my day, you ask?

Well today I took my first live calls at SDPD. That's right, I just un-muted myself and started taking calls. "San Diego Police, this is Anniessa." and answered a few questions. Cancelled a call, etc. Yep. I am a real rock star now!

I'm happy to report that I'm still at the stage of looking forward to going to work each day. I don't feel the need to struggle to the next outpost. I don't need to: earn a degree, secure a teaching position, earn a paralegal certificate, or sell more ads than the whole department put together.

I just go to work, learn my job, and do my job. Does this mean I've finally found my fit? I look forward to seeing where this path leads. I happen to think it will be one of the more calm periods in my life!

But for now, the Ultimate Prize for any dispatcher:

Sleep.

2008-07-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

Aaah, a day at the beach! Lily and I went to Cornado dog Beach today and had a wonderful time. I packed up our lunches, forgot all of her toys, and we were off!

We met Judy, Rina, and Ricochet there (I wasn't great with the camera, but that's them down there, next to my beach chair!)

And the worst part about having to go back to work tomorrow? The fact that I don't get to spend the day in MY department. Three of us have New Employee Orientation and will be at the City offices all day.

Apparently these people don't know how experienced I am at being a new employee ... they'd probably let me stay home! : ) Truth is, the City of San Diego has a fantastically complicated HR/ benefits / retirement system and it will take at least a day to figure out how best to manage it.

I think I will leave the knitting needles at home, just in case it turns out to be as dull as Notary class!

Choose Your Crime

2008-07-26T17:14:00.000-07:00

It's my Friday and I'm about to collapse! This week we learned more type codes, played "What's My Crime" and generally discussed ... crime.

It shouldn't really come as a surprise that when I go to work at the Police Department we are a little crime-obsessed - but it does! Sometimes I want to ask, "Can't we just go out there and help the woman?"

The answer is no. We have to poke and pry and try to find out if a crime has been committed. Stalking is about the only thing we'll dispatch on before the crime occurs - but only because stalking in itself is a crime.

I understand now the jokes our neighbors made about how the Sheriff's Deputy had better be married to a DA ... criminal defense would NOT work! Because all day, every day when these officers take to the streets they are focused upon crime, criminals, and preserving the peace so that normal, everyday folks like you and I (do I belong in "everyday" anymore? It doesn't feel like it.) can go about our days, safe and oblivious.

On a funnier note, I was told yesterday that I can go up to Crime Analysis and they will provide me with a map of criminal incidents in the City. Then I can use that information to decide which crimes I want to live near ... a game we play called "Choose Your Crime." It's lovely!

Lil-Leeee!! Don't Eat the Table!

2008-07-25T20:03:00.001-07:00

Is there anything more I might need to say? Good grief. TG for IKEA!

Cookies!

2008-07-25T19:29:00.000-07:00

Yes. Lily lives a good life. I was worried about how to stick to our home-cooked diet AND get kibble-sized yummies to fit into the MannersMinder when ... I decided it would be faster to just cut out a kabillion little cookies than to think any longer.

It was actually much easier than I first expected. This was the second batch ... a little boring and definitely not as tasty as our first batch of Peanut Butter Pumpkin yummies.
We now return to our regularly scheduled obsessions...

Criminals - Again

2008-07-21T08:24:00.000-07:00

I have been super-duper busy trying to keep track of day and night and up and down since beginning work at the Police Department. It is fascinating and stressful (not getting enough sleep is the easy part - spending the day thinking like a criminal is HARD!) but the days fly by and I'm having a lot of fun.

Criminal Intent

2008-06-12T18:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know this involves knitting but I promise not to be too esoteric. Today is for the tale of where knitting has taken me ...

I had to appear in court this morning. I packed accordingly: about 5 pages of case-related documents, a puppy training book, my knitting work in progress (WIP) and, of course, a knitting book. Court days can be long and dull.

I was looking forward to a morning of knitting as my needles have been untouched the last week or two with Miss Lil to occupy my time. I even took some little scissors with me in case I finished the socks and needed to cast off. I was enthusiastic!

So I settled into my seat in the court room and started untangling my yarn. (This is the downside of working two socks at one time - you have two working yarns that stick to one another like super glue.) Within just a moment, the bailiff (a nice woman with beautiful red hair - she's been bailiff in that courtroom as long as I've been going there) came over to me, approaching me in kind of a crouch.

"Oh." I thought. "Does she knit, too? It looks like she's coming to chat about socks on circulars."

Oh yeah. That's what she was thinking all right.

"I have to see your needles."

For your benefit, Dear Reader, they look like this only with two giant black socks hanging from them:

"OK. They're ..." What I didn't get out is : nickel plated circulars - 2.5 millimeters in diameter with a 47" cable connecting them. I'm doing two at a time socks. It's my first time and I messed them up at the gusset ...

"I'll need to hold those for you."

"??!!??!?"

"Did you happen to see who was screening at the door?" she asks.

Ruh-roh - they all look like this:

Minus the logo. They sometimes step away from the logo.

"As if." My smart-aleck, now deprived of a morning of knitting brain chimes in silently, "As if I could stand here in the courtroom and WHISPER a description of this negligent screener to you so you could march down there are report her to the Screening Authorities. She already took my scissors!"

Oh. I forgot about that part. That darned screener - to whom I now felt somehow faithful because I KNEW the scissors were iffy and took my ready-to-toss travel ones on purpose - took my Fiskars kids scissors! I should have known I looked like trouble when they wouldn't let me through security with 3" safety scissors!

I was very brave, all things considered. I put my knitting back in the bag, handed it over to the bailiff and started in on my puppy book. I put it back. crossed my legs. Went to the bathroom. Took a drink of water in front of the "No Eating or Drinking Sign", reworked my calendar for the summer. Then I gave up all hope and just listened to the attorney's stumble through their morning.

As soon as the attorney's were done, the Commissioner went back to the Department list. I was #4 on the list but I figured that due to my little delay in security I'd probably get pushed to the bottom.

Imagine my surprise when I heard my name NEXT!? Yep, it's my turn - apparently they let those suspected of "criminal intent" go first!

So I took care of business. When I got up to leave, the bailiff was holding open the gate. I glanced at her desk and my knitting bag WAS NOT there. She motions toward the door and says, "Deputy Really Cool Black Hair will carry it for you to the door." (That wasn't a direct quote, but the Deputy DID have great hair!)

I had an ARMED (with a GUN) escort to the doorway of the courthouse. Where, for some reason, they must have decided that I was no longer a danger to myself or others because they handed me my socks and sent me on my way. In public. With my needles.

AAACCCKKKK!!!

In public. With knitting needles. Where I am still At Large.

You know, they really don't look all that dangerous after all ...

Nachos Flambe

2008-05-29T16:15:00.000-07:00

My dear cousin Lisa (who never seems to learn where these things get you) asked:

"What? I need to know about the Nacho Fire Incident! Sounds… eventful!

Do tell."

So I had no choice but to respond:

Oh ... it was a doooosey!

We had my friends' daughter with us - Talen was babysitting .... We went to Fallbrook and played and played ... thought we'd heat up a pizza when we got home. Then it turns out Sven had eaten the pizza we thought was in the freezer so we settled on nachos.

A big, 9x13 inch pan chock full of nachos ...

So I put the nachos in under the broiler about the same second that Bella asked for help with the knitting she was trying to get started ... (yes, cue ominous music) I went to help her and of course it had to be completely re-done ...

After only a few minutes (I swear!) of undoing, I asked Noah to check on the nachos.

"Mom. They're on fire."

"What?"

"On fire, mom. Like with flames."

Crap! I jumped up and ran for the kitchen to find, sure enough, a 9x13-shaped fire in our oven. The chips were completely engulfed and had flames about 6-8" high curling up and out of the oven. Our really high-tech fire alarm starts blaring. I realize we have about a dozen sprinklers in our apartment about to go off and destroy everything we own.

I thought, "Fire needs air." and shut the oven door.

I opened the door to check. Apparently our oven isn't really airtight (especially with the door open) because that fire was burning along merrily.

So I grabbed a dish towel and thought to smother said fire. I also thought, "This isn't very smart. What if the towel catches on fire?"

THEN it occurred to me that we have fire extinguishers in the hallway. So I pull it together like a crisis-trained lifeguard: "Noah, run down the hall and get a fire extinguisher." Yep, assign a task to an individual (Do I have to ask Talen to call 911? No, not yet.) and get them on their way. It's the Lifeguard Way.

Talen arrived in the kitchen a moment later. I say in my most authoritative voice, "Talen, you go with Noah. Help him hurry." She runs.

As the door shut behind her, another thought crosses my mind: "Water puts out some fires."

So I grab a 2-Quart Batter Bowl (God Bless the Pampered Chef) and head for the sink. As it starts to fill (rather slowly, I think to myself over the rather incessant screeching of the fire alarm) I realize that if I toss this bowl of water onto the nachos that are burning away quite happily in my Pampered Chef 9x13 Stoneware Baking Dish (the one with the fabulous French Vanilla finish on the outside) it will probably break.

Now, that wouldn't do.

But we have spray bottles under the sink. I open the cupboard and try to recall which of them are empty, which are filled with (flammable) cleaners, and which might have water. Luckily I had my plant water spray bottle right there with it's happy little green and yellow top. And it had water in it. So I picked it up, turned around, and spritzed a few squirts of water onto the by now burnt-out wreckage of cheese and tortilla chips.

Ahh. I pause a moment.

Oh yes.

The kids.

I open the door to the sight of Talen running frantically down the hallway, fire extinguisher in hand, Noah right behind.

And I yell, "Water! WATER puts out fires!"

Talen stopped, turned quietly, and returned the fire extinguisher to it's cubby.

Crisis well-managed, I'd say.

Wrappity Towels!

2008-05-23T20:39:00.000-07:00

Laying it all out and making patterns ...

Results in - well - patterns.

See that one that looks like a bib? It's just about right for Ricochet, Kalani, and the other babies. This week at least ... then they'll be ready to upsize! (The other ones are folded in half so they just LOOK smaller!)

A few quick zips around with the serger and here we go ... ready for a fitting!

Legal Advice

2008-05-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

Ha! Not really ... I am NOT a licensed attorney!

I think this page does a good job really outlining some different perspectives on legal careers.

Even in a saturated market, there is a demand for quality attorneys with specific experience: patent, medical malpractice, and bankruptcy are always in demand. I can't imagine working BK, but that's just me.

Then it's easy enough to run the mathematical calculations: Most law students and beginning attorney's I have worked with graduate with $120k in loans. They aren't really able to work much to offset their loans because the internship requirements are so stringent. Starting pay for our superstars ranged from that $30k average (that's the CA stat: first year attorney starting wage) up to $72k ... but that $72 k took a year to come along, and in the meantime he was clerking for $20 an hour. So you're also looking at 3 years of school plus up to a year for a decent job offer.

Paralegal programs run about $6500 and take 14 - 16 weeks. You can graduate, work in legal field for $45k - $60k (I have received offers in that range so know it's reasonable in today's market.) Paralegals are in high demand. Working as a paralegal not only gives one experience in the legal field but also will help you get the better jobs after law school, allowing one to rise to the top of the new market field.

I suppose it's worth mentioning that law school does NOTHING to prepare one as to how to be an attorney. It doesn't even get you ready for the bar exam. It simply marks you as qualifed to take the exam ... just about everyone takes a Bar Exam Prep Course in order to actually pass the thing (chalk up another $5k.) In Jim's office, he took 3rd year law students who were the top of their classes and taught them how to actually get the work done as an attorney must. Students who graduate with a less spectacular intern experience are simply not ready to practice - that's why that starting salary is so low ... they simply aren't able to do much of anything that first year without proper experience!

You can see how that paralegal experience would certainly help increase employability ... as man have said, it's how they learned to practice law because paralegal programs are oriented to teach HOW TO ... law school focuses more upon the historical WHY.

How To Knit: The Beginning

2008-05-14T14:55:00.001-07:00

If you want to try knitting, might I suggest borrowing a good beginners book from the library: Teach Yourself Visually: Knitting or Knitting for Dummies are good.

Then get some basic needles and some worsted weight yarn in a light color. Don't get too caught up in choosing - your local craft store should have Lion Brand Wool-Ease or Paton's Classic Moreno. Get needles in a size 8 or 9 ... either will work. Also, don't worry about wood vs. metal ... it's all personal preference. They should be around $5 per set ... if you're really curious, then buy one of each. If you're not only curious but also clever, buy them in different sizes so you can see the difference it creates in gauge.

Then just follow the book, cast on 20 stitches, and knit back and forth until you are ending up with an even product. Then throw in the purl stitch and go until it's comfy and even.

Then start looking at projects, because you're on your way!

Happy Knitting!

Brilliant Girl!

2008-04-15T15:00:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have been following the Puppy Prodigies as instructed, here's a quick shot of the glory they grow into!

Super Dog!

Ooops!
Yay, Ricochet! Good girl!

Sven's Puppy

2008-04-14T09:34:00.001-07:00

Apparently Sven misplaced his puppy:

I found her lounging at the Humane Society's mobile adoption event yesterday.

She was getting lots of attention

The light was bad - it was so hot and bright! I'm sure you can get some idea of how cute she is!

And we thought he was organized! Just leaving his dog like that!

I Am a Miracle Worker!

2008-04-12T22:15:00.000-07:00

Undaunted, fearless knitter that I am ... I decided this morning to try to figure out how to knit a sock on circular needles ...

I scrounged through the stash, dug up some needles, cast on and ... put it down.

I cleaned the bathrooms, walked to the library (took the long way home), went to Costco, got my haircut.... And then picked it up again.

It didn't take me long to figure out this was working up quickly ... So I planted my flowers and wrote up that last blog entry. I am a masterful procrastinator!

Finally I knew I just had to finish this thing. It isn't pretty .... it is a pattern that's meant to be a practice pattern, not a wearable sock. It just so happens that I was using such huge needles and yarn that when I followed this recipe:

I ended up with this sock:

Yes, that' my giant foot in there, fully ensconced within the sock I knit TODAY. And the next time a pattern says "Be sure to check your gauge." I will pay attention. Size DOES matter!

Farming - City Style

2008-04-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Well gollee! It's bustin' out like springtime out there. I oughta get to plantin'.

Where's the dirt again? Ah, there it is!

Proper farming tools always ensure the job is done right.

All done!!

Is it wrong that I spent more time blogging than planting?

Now where is my dog? I obviously need more to do!

P.S. The ficus - already upset that we went on vacation and it's outside - is going to HATE this!

We may have found the culprit ...

2008-04-11T18:52:00.000-07:00

I checked just now ... you know, to see how the stalker is doing ... It looks like he may be sweating a bit with all of this surveillance ... desperate for fresh air ...

Or perhaps he's joined his friends (as IF a stalker would have friends!) down at Sushi Fix for a quick bite ...

Or maybe we might just want to pinpoint the suspicious-looking unit here ...

Don't let the pink flowers create a false sense of security.

They warn about that kind of stuff ALL the TIME at self-defense school.

Thanks to all of you who have been stalking-back. Don't let your mom tell you you're being sassy ... it just needs to be done.

I May Have Found the Problem ...

2008-04-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

Go ahead. Click here. Time yourself. How long does it take an average person to find the Communications department of the San Diego Police Department?

My poor file has to makes it from someone's desk that isn't even on the map and has to make it's way all of the way to Karen Butler's desk for the final hiring OK. THEN it will have to step back down a step - back off of the map - to the person who will actually make the call.

Wee, lost little file.

The Great Stalk-Back

2008-04-08T08:20:00.001-07:00

We all know my Stalker now. I've decided we should do a little Stalk-Back.

He's over there somewhere ...

Just stare a little bit, would you? Not too obvious, just peek in those windows to see if you see him.

One Dark Night ...

2008-03-30T16:37:00.000-07:00

Quickly, before I begin this story, I have to shut the blinds ... Because something really bizarre has happened.

Not long ago, I was walking at night (on my way home from voting, it was that long ago) through our great little neighborhood. There were lots of folks out - it was election day and ours is a walking type of community anyway.

I was completely spaced out (as is quite normal for me!) and walking across a street - in the middle of the crosswalk, in the middle of the street, and I passed a man who was walking the other direction.

I wasn't quite so spaced out that I didn't notice that he looked at me, did a double take, then stopped, thought a second, and turned around.

Ruh-roh.

This gentleman then says to me, "I know this might seem strange, but we're neighbors."

"Cool." I think. "Why doesn't he look familiar?"

Aloud, I say, "Do you live on the 3rd floor?" (That's local speak for "Surely I don't recognize you because I'm on the 4th floor and most of the people live down on 3.")

"No." he replies. "I live across the street."

Wait for it.

Yep. Across the street as in this guy lives ACROSS THE STREET AND RECOGNIZES ME FROM LOOKING ACROSS THE STREET TO MY APARTMENT! 'Friends' Naked Guy flashbacks anyone?

Later that night I told Talen this story (hoping that perhaps this would be the thing to keep her from wandering the apartment in her underwear) and she said, "Cool, mom. We have a stalker."
Yes. We have our very own, very yuppie, stalker. Don't worry, the blinds are closed so he won't know we're talking about him. He's very nice, you know. For a stalker.

Cool Money Tool

2008-03-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Check this out! You can even get a free trial.

Click: Who is this Laura person anyway?

Help Where It Counts Most

2008-03-27T16:25:00.000-07:00

I will be walking for the animals at the Escondido Humane Society this Sunday. Any donation will be gratefully accepted!

Thanks in advance for your support!

Name Dropping ...

2008-03-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

Quick, before I forget ...

Rosie and Kelli

Broadway Belters: Shoshana Bean (pictured here)

Quinn, Kevin Chamberlin (Horton!), Julia-Elpheba

Sam Harris Here's Sam's recount of the cruise.

Cyndi, of course. You have to love a woman who walks with a dulcimer!

ANT - He survived a plane crash.

Kent and Vixen from the Amazing Race - Colorful!!
Danny Noriega from American Idol -such a nice guy!
The Daddy Machine cast, including Patty and Rayme!
Ross the Intern from the Tonight Show

the winner of Survivor China,
... and I'll try to remember more!

Best Product Tip of Cruise ...

2008-03-22T18:51:00.000-07:00

Lavish Aromatic Botanical Products definitely wins! I wish I could upload an aroma ...

The singers on board were rubbing cold/flu remedy on their necks and chests to fight off "ship lung". It smelled heavenly and I can't wait to go try some of the aromatherapy products!

P.S. Steve, I promise to never again leave home without a pouf for body wash!

rFamily Vacations

2008-03-22T13:40:00.001-07:00

Give me a few minutes, folks ... I am trying to think of how best to recount and reocrd this amazing week! rFamily did a great job - what a fun cruise!

Cyndi Lauper did a great show ... chatted with us, her good friends.

Pictures are posted on myspace ... the first three nights we had: Rosie's Broadway Belters, Cyndi Lauper, and The Daddy Machine ... and those were just the headliners! It was like spending a week at a celebrity schmooze-fest!

And we even made it to Puerto Vallarta ... good thing someone else was driving!

Severe weather rocks the South

2008-03-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

For those of you who may have missed it, apparently there have been storms ... tornados, even ... in Atlanta.

What do I care? Usually wouldn't care at all. After all, those folks all CHOSE to live there, right? We have earthquakes and wildfires, they have ... well, icky weather all of the time.

Today, however, happens to be the day my 14 year-old daughter is flying into atlanta on her way to Washington DC....

Heaven help them ... if they thought tornados were tough, they have some learning to do! They'd better hope for good weather so that Tornado Talen can pass right through ...

... and leave them in peace.

Folks, My Ship Is Coming In ...

2008-03-15T06:16:00.000-07:00

It's not everyday that people can actually SEE their ship coming in but TODAY is my day ...

Yep, right there, just past the roof and the red Hampton Inn sign ... that's our ship!

It's hard to take a night photo (this was at 5:45 a.m. after dropping Talen off at the airport ... more on that later) but there she is, still blurry but really there.

BTW, Sven was NOT excited when I ran in to tell him our ship was coming in. He mumbled something about, "Don't talk here." He SO needs to learn about coffee!

Mexico Spring 2008

2008-03-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

We are leaving today on an rFamily Cruise.

Why?

Well ...

Sven was in The Daddy Machine, an "LGBT-friendly" musical show that is AWESOME. r Family sent their people to see our people and WHAM! they invited us to perform Daddy on the cruise!

So now we're off to Mexico with Kelli, Rosie, Cyndi Lauper (!!!!!), Ross the Intern rom the Tonight Show .... and many more!

Sven's already packed the camera, batteries, and charger. I'll post pics as soon as we get back ... early next Saturday.

In the meantime, you can amuse yourself with thoughts of a shipload of gay and lesbian folks singing Broadway showtunes and "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun"!

Learning to Knit ...

2008-03-12T09:05:00.000-07:00

Ok, I know they're just humoring me, but people do occasionally ask me how they might get started knitting. I'm going to post this now but I promise to modify it and clean it up a bit ...

Here's a bit from a Yahoo Answer I wrote. She asked how to learn to knit a scarf, specifically. I agree with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee that scarves require a lot of patience and might not be the best project for beginners but they are certainly achievable!

Scarves can be as simple as gathering needles and yarn, casting on some stitches, knitting them until it's scarf length, then casting off.

How to? Well, there are many great sites but I like Lion Brand Yarns because:
- Their yarns are readily available at the big chain stores - great for beginners.
- They provide volumes of help ... here's "Learn to Knit"

Might I suggest that you do a bit of practice with a worsted weight wool (that's just kind of a regular weight, it will have a number 4 on the weight part of the label) Something like this
in a light color so you can see your stitches easily. Use #8 or #9 needles ... they're about $5 so you may want to try wood and metal to see which you like best.

Just cast on 20 stitches or so, knit, turn, knit ... count your stitches at the end of each row to make sure you're not adding or dropping any stitches ... when it's coming out relatively even, you're ready for the scarf.

I would suggest a chunky yarn for your first scarf ... like Lion's Thick & Quick with either #13 or #15 needles. It can be a bit unwieldy to work with BUT it works up quickly. Don't forget that 5 or 6 feet of scarf is not a tiny project. You'll be glad about the 3 or 4 foot mark that you've chosen a bigger yarn/ needles!

Goldens Retrievers

2008-03-11T10:28:00.000-07:00

And they tell me apartments might not be the best place for a golden?

At least we avoid this ...

Knitting Socks

2008-02-21T14:43:00.000-08:00

After about a year of knitting, which involved some waffling back and forth between crocheting and knitting, I had had just about enough of knitting scarves and blankets (note: rectangular shape) and I decided to branch out.

I walked into the fabulous Infinite Yarns in Farmingdale, NY with visions of sweaters - bulky, warm, cozy sweaters - dancing in my head. I saw some fabulous samples in the shop, I eyed and eyed them ... and then I asked Anne, the owner, what she would recommend for my next project.

Yes, I'm sure you've guessed: Socks. She then showed me the sock she was working on, showed me the fabulously tiny needles she was using, and set me on my way.

Here's where I began:

Sensational Knitted Socks This is an "infinite recipe for super-duper socks book. However, I ended up doing my first real sock in a 2x2 rib - not a single one of those fabulous patterns!

Lantern Moon Sox Stix, Size 3 (try them - they're divine!)

And Araucania Ranco Sock Yarn in #302. Splendid!

Ultimately I also added "Getting Started Knitting Socks" to my library to have a reference on hand for a few points. However, the whole "way of doing" is so different from "Sensational" that I'd probably choose one or the other, not both, if I were to do it again.

And, the next cool thing I added to the sock collection comes from knitpicks.com ... the nickel-plated DPNs are super.

Happy Knitting!