it's alive!

I always thought I had the least green thumb ever; I almost always kill every single houseplant I bring home, unless I can manage to bring it to my parents' house in time so that my father can nurse it back to health (and ultimately keep it). However, of all things, I have somehow managed to cultivate what people say is one of the most difficult houseplants to keep alive -- an orchid. It's just started budding again:


Maybe there's something to that whole "labor of love" thing -- Dan brought it home for me last Valentine's Day, so it could be that I have some kind of subconcious desire to really keep it thriving. But, with that superstition in mind, I dread the day that the plant starts dying! :(

I'll just keep my fingers crossed (and my plant watered). xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio

yummy

This weekend was pretty quiet; I spent several hours on Friday stress-testing Lord of the Rings Online, but I can't really say much about that (confidentiality agreements & whatnot).

On Saturday, my sister Bethany & I went to the BPL to help set up for the book sale (held every few months) that will be taking place next week (10-4 at Copley!). We had a great time going through old books (especially cookbooks), and we even picked up some treasures to take home for ourselves (I got a beautiful copy of The Two Towers, and a vegetable cookbook). I spent the rest of the day not doing much of anything (knitting & watching movies & reading, mostly, with a bit of LotRO beta-testing again), until I ran out to meet Sally for a cup of coffee, and then Dan & I went to see Children of Men. (I couldn't get over how packed it still was; it's been out for a month! But it is a good movie, even on a repeat viewing, so I guess the crowd makes sense.)


On Sunday, I finally got to spend some time with Karen again! We don't get to see each other nearly as often as we should, but luckily we both had a free day yesterday & managed to get together. Karen came to the North End & we spent the afternoon baking delicious cookies (recipe here) with loads of chocolate on top (we went a bit crazy with the drizzling, hehe), talking lots, and eating Chinese. It was such a fun day! We had a ton to catch up on.

Now, it's back to the grind of the normal work week. I don't have much planned for this week's evenings, but I do love my quiet nights at home (at least, for the time being), so I am not complaining. xoxo

p.s. Duh, I almost completely forgot: I finished another scarf this morning! This one was made for my sister Sarah, requested after she saw the one I knitted Tanya:


pattern: Knit Star Scarf
yarn: Bernat Satin in Crimson & Ebony

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio

people of the sun

Dan & I are now the proud owners of a pair of 3-day passes to Coachella! I've always wanted to go, but in the past that's been because Tool was playing. This year, they aren't expected (I'm very disappointed), but Dan is thrilled to see that Rage Against the Machine is playing their first set together in years! I'm excited for several other performances, too: Against Me!, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Willie Nelson, Air, the Roots, Crowded House, Jose Gonzalez, etc., etc., etc.!

Now, we just have to make our travel plans: flights, hotels, etc. Lots to get settled & only about 90 days to do it! Eep. But, I think it will be well worth it (despite the cost I cannot afford right now; this will largely be Dan's trip, with me pitching in as I can, sigh).

I just wish we were going to be at all close to the few people I know out in California...xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio
	TITLE: The Dirty Girls Social Club AUTHOR: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

Mr. Penguin

Dear Marsha,

I love it!!!


So adorable. Thank you so much.

love & kisses,
Arianna

p.s. For those of you who aren't Marsha, that's a clever Harry & David "tower" filled with yummy goodies. Yay!

p.p.s. I suppose I should have taken the tape off the top of his head before snapping a picture, but oh well. He's still great.

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio
	TITLE: The Dirty Girls Social Club AUTHOR: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

rah rah FHS

I stole this from Jess, although she did it as a MySpace post. I am afraid, because of the level of detail, that this might not be interesting to anyone that didn't go to high school with me...and even then, maybe still not! Feel free to skip it.

Fill this out about your YEARS of high school:

1. Who was your best friend?
Jen, Marsha, Chandra, Steph, JB.

2. What sports did you play?
Volleyball.

3. What kind of car did you drive?
The Tercel from Hell (red, with a sunflower painted on the gas door, courtesy of Bethany) until it broke on me (several times, in the middle of intersections!), then my lovely grey Honda Accord, after learning to drive standard (I'll never go back).

4. It's Friday night, where were you?
Oh, probably either at one of Kasia's infamous co-ed sleepover parties, or hanging out with the girls.

5. Were you a party animal?
Hah! No.

6. Were you considered a flirt?
Apparently I grew into that role because I was told in college that I was the flirtiest person my friends knew, but I never ever felt comfortable being that way...I think I just tried to be friendly to everyone, but when it came to the boys I actually liked, I would clam up & get all anxious! Lame.

7. Ever skip school?
No, although because I was "good", I was able to leave school early at times, especially if I had to do something like run errands for Student Council (yes, THAT is the kind of high schooler I was!).

8. Were you a nerd?
I liked computers at the time, but I didn't live them (not like now, heh). I wasn't on the popular end of the spectrum (not by a long shot), but I had my friends & had my fun. But I definitely did take the nerdy AP classes & stuff, so yeah. Although I didn't spend nearly as much time studying as I probably should have.

9. Did you get suspended/expelled?
Nope, worst I got was detention! And that was only once or twice....

10. Can you sing the fight song?
Ugh, yes, thanks to our volleyball bus rides requiring we sing that & "three cheers for the bus driver" on the way back from every away game.

"Dear old Farmington High School,
We'll be true to thee.
Maroon and grey our colors,
May they always float to the sky.
Praise our sweet victories,
And may they always say
(HEY HEY HEY!)
Forever we'll be loyal,
To dear old Farmington Hi-i-igh!"

Hey, I said I knew how to sing it, I never said I liked it! In fact, I find it pretty ridiculous.

11. Who was your favorite teacher?
Mr. Nelson & Bart (I can't spell his full last name, but that is what we called him!). Both by leaps and bounds, I think because they treated us much more like college students than high schoolers. Mr. Brewster (art) was pretty great, too. And Ms. Antonio was a fantastic yearbook advisor, although I can't vouch for her teaching skills!

12. Favorite class?
Every English class, no question. I also liked Computer Science when I was allowed to do extra credit projects (because they wouldn't let me automatically enter AP Computer Science, even though I knew what I was doing in regular CS!). And I have good memories of art class.

13. What was your school's full name?
Farmington (Senior?) High School.

14. School mascot?
The Indian...so not PC.

15. Did you go to Prom?
Yes, my senior & the senior when I was a junior, but not my own junior prom.

16. If you could go back and do it over, would you?
I don't think I want to go BACK, but I wouldn't mind being able to "redo" with the perspective & knowledge I have now...would be so interesting to see...but then again, I do (now) think the learning experience was worthwhile. So, probably no.

17. What do you remember most about graduation?
Hugging Andrew's mom (she was the board of ed. president) onstage, because I was just that happy about graduating! Haha.

18. Who was your high school sweetheart?
There's a difference between my high school crush (that I harbored for 4 years, including one after I had graduated) vs. sweetheart, isn't there? I didn't have the typical "sweetheart", although at various times I would have considered the boys I dated (Ryan, James, another Ryan, Jon) to be that.

19. Where were you on senior skip day?
Did we have one? I was probably at school, then....

20. Did you have a job your Senior year?
I did right after I graduated, but that probably doesn't count. I didn't have time between all my activities, especially yearbook editing, which kept me & Renee after school at times until 8 or 9 at night! (And I was lucky enough not to have to get one.)

21. Where did you go most often for lunch?
Well, that changed a lot because our cafeteria had a complete overhaul after my sophomore year, but in general it was the same table everyday, with the people I knew the best (I wouldn't say "friends" because while I think they were now, I was too shy & self-effacing to allow myself to consider them that, then. And my closest friends were never in the same lunch wave as me!).

22. Have you gained weight since then?
I don't think so -- I think I can still fit into any of the clothes I wore. In fact, I might have lost a bit (but I don't know for sure).

23. What did you do after graduation?
That night? The chem-free grad party, then breakfast at the Apple-something Diner with a big group (they hated us there). Then...? Who knows. Probably tried to spend a lot of time with my friends.

24. When did you graduate?
1999!

25. Who was your Senior prom date?
Jon; he didn't go to my school. We met at YAG. So I had to ask him. :) (And even though we were dating, he didn't take me to his own, because his stupid best friend Kathleen didn't have a date because her older boyfriend thought proms were stupid! Which I generally agree with, but still.)

26. Are you going to your 10 year class reunion?
Meh, probably, although I'm not really looking forward to it. Our 5 year one (a gathering in a local bar, basically) was just kind of weird.

27. Who was your home room teacher?
Um, it changed every year, but...I remember it being Bart when I was a sophomore, and then that cute little grey-haired lady who taught sociology for my junior or senior year...? Hmm. I am bad at this. I do remember my junior year homeroom was in a new wing that hadn't yet been connected, so during the wintertime when we had to go to our lockers, I was bitching nonstop about having to freeze just to get our books! Oh, and freshman year my homeroom was upstairs, so I had some language teacher or another for homeroom...maybe Mme Christolini?

28. Who will repost this after you?
Will anyone? This isn't the best meme, but it was interesting to remember all this.

POST THIS WITH YOUR SCHOOL NAME

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio
	TITLE: The Dirty Girls Social Club AUTHOR: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

adieu, my dear NHC...

Oh nooo; it makes me so very sad to see institutions such as the New Haven Coliseum being taken down. I saw my first real concert there: the Smashing Pumpkins (♥), in 1995. I don't so much remember the Coliseum itself, but I'll definitely never forget that night.

The systematic removal-of-my-teenage-institutions continues, following the shutdown of the El N Gee (although they did revive that), and the loss of Radio 104, to name but a few. Le sigh.

Well, I'll soldier on. Hopefully this bittersweetly nostalgiac moment isn't indicative of the rest of the weekend! xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Everything Bad Is Good For You AUTHOR: Steven Johnson
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio
	TITLE: The Dirty Girls Social Club AUTHOR: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

restart

Yesterday, while Bethany & I watched (and were thoroughly enchanted by) The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill, I worked on a sweater I had just started earlier that day.


I'm trying to use up stash yarn, so I'm knitting the very basic Hourglass pattern in a not-so-good yarn, but it'll do -- I mostly just wanted a semi-mindless project to work on, so that I can zone out while doing stockinette. In any case, I did some gauge swatches but on straight needles; for some reason when I realized I only had circulars in a needle size bigger than the one I had gotten gauge in, I figured what the hell, and cast on. Everything seemed to be actually going swimmingly, but then again I have difficulty getting a handle on how something is turning out in the beginning. So I got about 30 mindless rows into it (after a certain point, I just didn't even think to check!), before I realized that I was knitting a sweater that was at least 1/3 too big (wide) for me. Oops! :) I guess I will have to frog that & restart. Good thing I'm not itching for the final product -- I mostly just want to knit. Tomorrow, I'll have to run out & get myself the smaller circ. :)

In the meantime, I've got some fun socks I am working on! So it's all good.

Tonight, apparently I am joining Hrithik & Kirsten in Brighton for a karaoke party! Not sure if I will stick around for the actual karaoke part (they're getting a room at Do Re Mi later in the evening), but I am at least looking forward to seeing them: for some reason, every time they have a gathering, I always seem to be out of town for when it is scheduled! So I am finally going to see them after about a year...whew. I am glad they still even like me, since last time Kyle drew on their hallway wall. But, luckily they don't blame me for that....

Anyway, I hope all of you have a great weekend! I am looking forward to some downtime. And, hopefully finally Freecycling those chairs that are cluttering up my living room! xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Everything Bad Is Good For You AUTHOR: Steven Johnson
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio
	TITLE: The Dirty Girls Social Club AUTHOR: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez

we are family

Had a great but busy past weekend; my cousin Daniel drove up to Boston to hang out, as he is currently on winter break from school. He's awesome, so I figured we wouldn't have trouble finding fun things to do, and I was right: technically, we didn't really do anything, but I still had so much fun (despite a bout of grumpiness that struck on Saturday night).

Friday evening, cuz & I hung out and ate Hickory Farms cheese & crackers (courtesy of Dan's "Cheese Grandparents", as Bethany's dubbed them) until Dan came home, all excited about making a trip out to Micro Center! Since the 3 of us are big geeks, we thought it would be such a fun thing to do on a Friday night, so we headed up to Cambridge. We had quite the time wandering the aisles (my Dan was building a server), although I was terribly disappointed that they no longer carry Game Developer magazine (not that I am one, but it's always been a pipe dream of mine...). Anyway, everything was successfully purchased (or so we thought; some components turned out to be problematic, but that's another story), so we went back to the North End to drop everything off & meet Bethany for dinner.

Another disappointment quickly cropped up, when I realized that our favorite Chinatown restaurant, Gourmet Seafood, looks like it is no longer! :( I was so upset; I was really looking forward to their spicy green beans, calamari, and bok choy. We don't know what is up; there was scaffolding all over the place, and it looks like renovations are being done on the building that housed it, but we're not sure if it is temporarily out of service, or permanently! Sigh. In any case, we ended up across the street at a perfectly fine (but not nearly as good) substitute, where we shared an entire duck, among other things. Needless to say, we were stuffed as we left.

The 4 of us returned to the apartment, where I tried to both help build the new machine and hang out with Bethany; I ended up not getting to work much on the computer, but it was a nice night. We were all exhausted when we finally went to bed.

Saturday when we all finally woke up, I ran out quickly to pick up some supplies and then cousin Dan made us all orange medallion pancakes, yum!


Cousin Daniel's awesome pancakes
We had a long breakfast, and then Bethany, cuz, and I headed out to do some more errands: Haymarket & the local small grocery store to pick up ingredients for the dinner we were planning that evening. My cousin wowed us again with his culinary skills, making both an artichoke dip and an unbelievably good pumpkin cake! He & Bethany (with some crust help from my Dan) made a couple of strange-but-good pizzas for dinner, as well, and then we just kinda all hung out for the rest of the evening. Low-key, but I really enjoyed it (when I wasn't in a bad mood!).


Bethany made some food art while we waited for dinner to cook
And on Sunday, my cousin & I went to see The Children of Men, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I want to take my Dan to see it, now! It was very engaging, and I just loved the premise of it, and all of the ramifications on our society that it would entail. Anyway, I suggest that you all go see it if you haven't, especially if you are a fan of futuristic sci-fi movies like Minority Report, for instance. I don't know what I'd liken it to, but I did really enjoy it. And I don't even really like Clive Owen!

When we got back from the movie, I had to say goodbye to my cousin and book over to Brookline to make my CodePink meeting in time. I was surprised to see that I was only the 3rd person there, so it was a rather quiet meeting (only 5 people all told, probably because of the weather & long weekend), but it was rather nice. We got a lot of talking in, which we really needed.

So, I feel like the weekend was packed, even though we didn't really actually do much! But I really enjoyed the visit. I just also have been feeling lately like I'm a nonstop eating machine, and all the delicious food we consumed over the weekend certainly didn't help! But, I guess I'll just have to try to be a bit more disciplined now that it's just me making my food decisions, again... =\

Okay, gotta get back to work! xo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Everything Bad Is Good For You AUTHOR: Steven Johnson
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio

making our house a home

After 1.5 years here in our place, Dan & I are finally looking into some solid furniture purchases, most notably a couch set that we hope to get from my sister's friend Lisa. While we've made some furniture purchases in the past, this is going to be a big one, especially for me -- I feel like it'll actually make our place feel real, as opposed to temporary. It will incorporate a lot of other changes to our living room space, though, most notably that we've discussed getting entirely rid of our music cabinet (a heavy behemoth of a thing, that we really only use for the speakers & the radio). Dan wants to replace it with wireless speakers; most any kind of music we want to play, we can do through our computers or a computer system (I intend to pick up one of those cassette decks that plays through the computer, especially because I hope to transfer most of my cassettes to digital form!). That will free up a lot of space, but perhaps not enough -- we may have to pass one or two of our living room chairs onto new owners, although hopefully that won't be the case because we like them all. Another thing I've really been pushing for is changing from our current bookcase, which is long and short, to a taller & narrower one -- as my cousin Daniel says, we should take advantage of all of the upward space we have in the house, because we really do have high ceilings! I'd love to be able to fit more books in a smaller space, at least in terms of footprint in our already-crowded living room.

Hmm. Perhaps I'll take some pictures soon to further explain what I mean, as all of this is probably just babble to most of you. I have high hopes, though, of becoming much more of an entertainer once I feel like our house is more comfortable for hosting guests! :) So perhaps most everyone will get a chance to see it sometime soon.

For now, first things first: we need to start finding new homes for an extra set of chairs we've got (I'm currently in the process of Freecycling them) & for our music cabinet. Then, I'll look into moving the futon out, and replacing that with the couch & loveseat. After that, perhaps I can talk Dan into a new bookshelf? Wish me luck with all of this, please! xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Everything Bad Is Good For You AUTHOR: Steven Johnson
	TITLE: Cunt: A Declaration of Independence AUTHOR: Inga Muscio

holiday knitting, part 3

Although I've still got some completed-before-Christmas things that I don't yet have pictures of, I wanted to share a couple of scarves that I've just finished up recently. They are both holiday gifts, although the brown one was commissioned again by Bethany for a friend, and neither of us aimed for it to be completed before 2007. (So I'm not late with it! Really!)

I am certainly not the best photographer out there (I didn't get my father's genes in that respect, that's for damn sure!), but I am sure you can all get the general idea:


yarn used: Brown Sheep Company Burly Spun in "Wild Oak"
This purple one is Karen's (finally, finally!), and I took a closeup of the pattern (which is Brooke's Column of Leaves), and then another one in better light to show more accurately the beautiful purple color that I used:



yarn used: Patons Classic Wool Merino in "That's Purple"

I hope they keep their respective owners cozy & stylin', haha! xoxo

semi-book-review

I finished Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs last week, and while I definitely didn't agree with all Klosterman had to say, and I do think he dragged on much too long at certain points, I did like the book, overall. I really enjoyed certain essays, such as the one about Saved By the Bell, and another about serial killers (to name the first two that came to mind). And I wholeheartedly agreed (to the extent, at some points, of exclaiming out loud) with Klosterman's view on mix tapes vs. mix CDs, a sentiment I myself have long held -- namely, that a lot more thought, time, and effort went into making mix tapes back in the day; nowadays, mix CDs (which most people eschew anyway, because of things like iPods that give playlist order no weight whatsoever*), while still a thoughtful idea, simply require a bit of dragging & dropping on one's desktop. There's definitely not the sentimental hold that mix tapes have on me, largely because I can imagine the creator hunched over his or her tape player, listening for the last few notes of a song to peter off so that the recorder could be stopped & queued for the next song. Sigh. Not to say I don't appreciate mix CDs that people have made for me! I certainly enjoy being introduced to new music, for one thing. But it's a vastly different thing, to me, that's all.

Maybe part of it is just pure nostalgia, but I do think it's a bit more than that. I still cherish the ska tapes that Lucid Mike made for me, even though we're no longer even in touch, because they introduced to some of the best music out there. Luckily we've still got an audio cassette player in the house, because I do still occasionally like pull them out and relish old memories.

Another Klosterman point that I thought was very interesting was one he made in passing, about how interesting it would be if all of one's past (I'll paraphrase a bit here) boyfriends were all sat down together in one room. I found it fascinating to imagine who might get along with who, and why -- and even more intriguing, how many different personalities one tends to date throughout their lives. I always thought I had something of a "type", but it's amazing to me when I think about how not a single one of my past relationships has really been anything like another, and how very different each new person turns out to be. It's so interesting to look at the "learning process" of who you date & what you'll tolerate (or not) as you grow.

In any case, just some things to ponder, nothing all that important. I continue to keep busy with reading & movies & knitting; you all know my way exciting life! :) Tonight: Dan, Bethany, & I head to our friend Lisa's to see if Dan & I want to take her up on her offer of her old couches. I hope they are what we had in mind, because I'm getting desperate to get rid of our dreadful futon! If not those couches, though, definitely I'd like to figure out something feasible. I want to feel like I live in a real apartment, not just a temporary place! xoxo

* don't even get me started on how I feel about the ways albums have been forced to evolve (records to tapes to CDs to mp3 players) from what originally was planned to be one, long, continuous listening experience into a compilation of songs much more geared towards "singles" playability!

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale AUTHOR: Sean Astin
	TITLE: Everything Bad Is Good For You AUTHOR: Steven Johnson

holiday knitting, part 2

Oh! I almost forgot that I can now also post a picture of Marsha's socks, because she received them:

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale AUTHOR: Sean Astin

Thumbsucker

I was a thumbsucker myself when I was little, although I don't remember when I stopped, or how. But I certainly was intrigued by this story, both in book form and then when it was made into a film. I just recently finished the novel, which was when I moved the movie to the top of my Netflix queue. I don't think I've ever done that in quite so quick a succession, gone from movie to book. It was quite interesting -- I found myself feeling like I enjoyed or disliked the movie at the drop of a hat, as it followed or did not stick to the book's story, so that was very strange. I think I would have very much enjoyed the movie without ever having opened the book, but it definitely added an interesting layer to the viewing.

Ultimately, though, the movie made me like it, in and of itself. I just adored the soundtrack (performed by The Polyphonic Spree & Elliott Smith) that swept the movie along, and the cinematography was also something to take note of. I am a big fan of Vincent D'Onofrio, and he didn't disappoint. While I do like Vince Vaughn, though, I was surprised to see him in the role he performed, and I didn't think he was exactly right for the part -- although I have to make the point that I imagined the teacher wholly differently while I was reading the book, so that probably influenced things -- I do think he did a very good job with the part he had in the movie. Arg, it is so difficult to separate the two!

I look forward to hearing what Sarah K has to say about the movie when she sees it, as I don't believe she intends to read the book beforehand. I'd love to hear that perspective, because it really did get inextricably tied together for me, and I can't figure out if that negatively or positively influenced how much I enjoyed the film.

In any case, I didn't love either the book or the movie, but they were good pieces of art, in my opinion. Just not life-changing or mind-expanding, is all. Good stories, that I'll probably remember for a while and then maybe begin to forget. Which is just fine; everything I've ever read or watched sticks with me to some extent, I believe, and I like how that works.

In other news, I'm thisclose to being done with the scarf I've been working on! I am going to go finish the last few rows. xoxo

p.s. I just read in the IMDb trivia that Scarlett Johansson was originally cast for girlfriend part that later went to Kelli Garner; wow. I think that would have immensely changed the movie -- not necessarily for better or for worse, but it would have been an entirely different animal. Interesting.

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs AUTHOR: Chuck Klosterman
	TITLE: There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale AUTHOR: Sean Astin

holiday knitting, part 1

Well, I had hoped to do a big Holiday Knitting Extravaganza! post, but it looks like that is not meant to be. I'd rather post the couple of photos that I do have (thanks, Dad!) than wait for everything. It's okay, though -- makes for more knitting posts! :)

Here, then, is the reversible (double-knit) star scarf I knit for Tanya:


(pattern here)

And here is Sarah K's entrelac (Danica) scarf:


(pattern here)
That's it, for now, anyway! I'm off to make some lasagna for dinner. xoxo

randy animal crackers

This post has been a loooong time in coming; I've been meaning to put it up for ages! Bethany found this pair of rather questionable crackers one day quite some time ago:


Strangely enough, it's apparently not the first such sighting! :)




Ah, those animal crackers. I guess there's not much else to keep them entertained in that dark train-car box....

"bonne annee"

So said the cab driver, who I parlayed (pun intended, if you get it) a bit of French back & forth with the other day...it was surprising to encounter a native French speaker in the middle of Boston! He, I think, was pretty pleased to encounter me, as well, despite my merely muddling my way through a short conversation.

It was a relatively quiet New Year's (not for me; I don't normally do up the big parties, but relative to what I've heard of others' fun), but it was nice. Dan had several friends up, and we had some fragolino (my favorite bubbly) and watched the fireworks from our roof. Nothing nearly as intense as last year. (But we missed you, Marsha!)

Not much else going on these days; I'm keeping a pretty low profile because of the whole budgeting thing. Last night I got a lot done: watched School Daze, worked quite a bit on Karen's scarf, finished a soon-to-be-released book and wrote a review of it for Dan's website (no link for that at the moment).

I hope tonight's just as productive -- I am looking forward to being able to actually give Karen her scarf soon, for one thing! :) Happy New Year, everyone. And best wishes for a happy, healthy, and productive 2007. xoxo

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs AUTHOR: Chuck Klosterman
	TITLE: There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale AUTHOR: Sean Astin

teaser

I know, it's been ages since I've posted anything knitting-related, much less an FO! I've got tons of 'em at the moment (well, lots for me, anyway!), but the majority of my photos (and some of the things I forgot to take photos of) are currently stuck in CT, so here's just a taste -- the Odessa that I recently finished up:

Currently Reading:
	TITLE: Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs AUTHOR: Chuck Klosterman
	TITLE: There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale AUTHOR: Sean Astin