Moving right along...

You can go see my even newer blog at http://shanknits.typepad.com/

Okay, revelaing one of my guilty pleasures....

To be honest it wouldn't even be a guilty pleasure if it wasn't on Sundays, a day that I beleive should be dedicated to doing good in the world (my interior counts as being in the world), not just mindless entertainemnt, but I think I pass it off as being at least mindful entertainment. (What is she going on about?) Six Feet Under.

I have been meaning to blog again (is it really a verb?) since Wednesday and promised myself that I would on Sunday night for sure, but then I watched Six Feet under and it had me so tense and entranced that I couldn't step away even once during the hour. And it's odd because it was such a sort of typical soap opera device, a car jacking (soap opera-ish being somthing that could happen but hasn't happened to anyone I know or anyone they know,) but it was so incredibly effective. Michael C. Hall is an absolutely incredible actor. Just truly incredible.

What made me think of all of this, besides a twinge of guilt about not having written, was a quote from the week-before-last's show. Russell, whose sexuality has always been a little questionable, (this is paraphrased, btw) is sitting in the cafeteria knitting and Claire's friend looks over at him and says, incredulously, "Is he knitting?!?" And Claire responds, "Yeah, it's like the new thing. Like 'Look, I'm so straight I can knit.'"

Today I was in charge of the preschool storytime, and tomorrow, the school age story time. I was going to do something on pioneers or Native Americans, but since I don't have a craft and am subbing for our children's librarian, I may let her do whatever she planned for the Native Americans and instead do something on illness, because I know of a few great books, or maybe something on water, because a lot of them are swimming a lot right now.

I got some denim yarn, though not the Rowan Denim, at the Wool Cabin's Christmas in July sale and now I'm thinking of things to do with it. I have about 700 yards which isn't enough for a sweater, but could do a cute t-shirt or maybe a really fancy bag, but it seems a waste to use that much on something as small as a bag. Plus I've got another marsupial going as well as a french market bag and that should really kill the new bag urge for a little while, right?

SnB was fun tonight. I was tempted not to go, forgetting that my brother would be here to let out the dog because his girlfriend's dog was neutered today and they were hanging out. But I'm so glad I went. Laurie gave Margene a brilliant button that said "I read banned books." I must find something like it for myself.

Margene, who is a total sweetie, gave me some leftover yarn athat I will have lots of fun with it, and also, did I mention, bought me a sandwich last week.

Mom and Dad are in Vancouver, BC right now. Mom said that she would pick up a copy of Men with Brooms for me on DVD, as I do love that movie. It's not even the Paul Gross thing, lovely as he is. Or even the James Allodi thing, even though he gets points for being handsome, funny, and having played a really funny librarian on TV. It's just a sweet movie.

I also told Mom to keep an eye out for White Buffalo Yarn for me, because after reading the review on Knitter's Review I think it would be incredibly fun and I didn't know what other Canadian yarns to have them look for. Obviously I hadn't realized at the time that Koigu is Canandian. Probably a good thing because I would be tempted to throw soemting insane like a Charlotte on the big pile o' WIPs and that's the last thing I need. Oddly of the colorways on this page the one that pleases me most of the browns and I am not much of a brown girl.

I am going to try to wake up for a few minutes at 3:30 and see who's on World News Now these days. My favorite newscast. Err, except for Anderson Cooper 360, of course.

It's 0600 hours. What does the "O" stand for? O my God, it's early!

(Quote from Good Morning Vietnam)  A 7:30 meeting. It's obscene. Okay, so in the grand scheme of things it's not that early, my folks leave for work before 6am every day, but I, unlike my people, am not of the morning tribe. But it's not my fault, it's genetic. See?
 
On the happy news, I was educated about finding consumer health information online, and, most interesting to me, perhaps, was the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. I have been hoping for ages that I could find a legitimate and scientific site that would support the use of Alternative Medicine. Now I'm not saying that this site supports much right now as they only began clinical trials in 2002, but it's fascinating and gives me hope that people will start looking at kinder, gentler methods of healing to compliment or replace traditional western medicine.
 
Staying on the bright side for the moment, my first paycheck will be here tomorrow or Saturday, so I can finally buy the pattern for the Dale Sweater (page 12, on the left) that I've been working on, as well as buy the rest of the yarn. I can't wait to get it as I am really enjoying this yarn   and want to keep progressing on it.
 
On the slightly less bright side, Phildar has brought out the new Tendances for autumn/winter, and there's not a Phildar to be found! I shoudl probably not travel, I want all LYSs to be MY LYS.
 
I have started another Marsupial with a spare skeing of periwinkle Bulky Lamb's Pride that I had lying around. I think I might do it in thirds, purple on the bottom, and then pink, and then... orange? Blue? A nice bright blue might be just the ticket, now that I think about it.

  

 

Quizilla Results...

You are Merino Wool.
You are very easygoing and sweet. People like to
keep you close because you are so softhearted.
You love to be comfortable and warm from your
head to your toes.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Despite the fact that a little behind has always been one of my goals...

I'm a week out right now. So, quickie update. Still knitting the cotton string bag... and the Dale Sweater. That Svale yarn is so lovely, and the green is so pleasant. Our SnB was small last night, just Valerie, Erin, Steph, Barb, and me. Sometimes there are up to 20 of us. For any of my non-SnB friends who read this, stop by the Jitterbug Coffee Hop on 7th east and 1855 South one of these days. Bruce is a total sweetheart and the chicken sandwiches are wicked good. (Though next week I'm trying the California melt.)

I have an truly obscene number of books checked out right now... 20 to be exact, and that's just from the library where I work. I'm having a hard time getting into the books on tape I've been checking out. It's just hard to give them enough attention while driving. (Suggestions anyone?)

Thing is it's just so incredibly easy to pull any interesting books while I'm checking them in or covering them and just "take it home for the evening." Like I read. I watch the Simpsons, make some dinner, hopefully talk to a friend or two, catch up on blogs, and exercise on a good night. (Already I'm up too late.)

Anyway, my goal was the tell about my 4th of July weekend. I know that many found the Utah-specific splitting of the 4th of July this year to the two days around the 4th instead of on the day to be upsetting, but I rather enjoyed it, being that it meant two nights of fireworks for one holiday, and to me that's about as good as it gets. (I am such a fireworks girl.) Saturday night I just watched them from the back porch and enjoyed the Murray to Riverton panorama, and Monday night we went down to Thanksgiving Point and enjoyed the display there. That was actually great, the fireworks were quite low in the sky but we were just across the freeway so we still had a great view.

Oh, because someone asked, to leave me a comment on my blog you can click on the link at the bottom of each post that says how many comments I have and that will take you to a page where you'll have a link to do so.

An a side note, I'm desperately homesick for France. it wasn't so bad today until I made a baked apple and then I mentally flashed to the wonderful compotes (pureed fruits like applesauce) that I would eat there. And I don't have any new yarn from the Droguerie. I love my LYS's (local yarn shops), but there's nothing like buying yarn in Paris.

The Random Anne Lamott Quote of the Day

I hardly know what to feel most days, except for grief and bug-eyed paranoia. But my faith tells me that God has larger cojones than Bush or Condi or Saddam or bin Laden, and that he has skills, ploys and grace adequate to bring light into the present darkness.

Outside of a dog, a book is a man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read.

Good old Groucho Marx.

The commissioned bag for my mom is coming a long, the bottom and almost half of the sides done. It's the Oregon tote so it's got a really interesting I-cord bind of on the top edges which I'd never seen before and am anxious to try. And then the handles. It was really cute as we were leaving Black Sheep after buying the yarn and my mom said to me "Now, do you have a spool? Those handles were done on a spool, do you want me to pick one up for you" I explained that I could do that on double-pointed needles and she was astounded.

As for the new job... it's good. Not super hard, but pleasant and steady. Everyone's really nice and the space is quite pleasant. Great view! Always something to do but I've managed to check my e-mail right before lunch the past few days. Everyone's really nice. Monday after my appointment with HR in Coalville they sent me to Kamas to train. Kamas... wow that place is small. But it was pleasant, the people at the library know all of their patrons by name. It was sweet in a gosh-I'd-be-bored-if-I-lived-here kind of way.

I did have to work last night so I missed my SnB. I really missed it. Such good company.

This might be the only person who will get me out of bed before 8am jsut to see what's happening in the world. Plus I keep checking to see if Soledad O'Brien (who is way too little and cute to be pregnant) has popped yet. Bill Hemmer

This is my lesson for Enrichment tomorrow night (the topic for the lesson is service): http://www.salon.com/weekly/lamott961007.html

Before I forget...

I forgot one important thing about the Harry Potter movie. The Dementors. I consider the dementors among the creepiest creatures in all of literature (read as: all of the literature that I have read). Really really bone-chillingly creepy. And they were one of my main concerns about how the book would translate to the big screen. And I must say that in my humble opinion... they were really well done. The effect of what they do wasn't the way I would have envisioned it, but it was effective, and they were truly.. well, icky.

One of my favorite you-know-a-woman-wrote-this touches in the book was also that the cure for a visit from the dementors, what amounts to some serious existential dread, is chocolate. I guess it had to be, didn't it?