Yes, I'm Back... and I've Got a Cool Website With Me...
I know, I've been awful with keeping updated lately. It seems that I'm having trouble getting myself on a schedule now that I'm home for a little while. I'm worse than my preschooler.
So in the wee moments I get to steal in between viewings of I Spy and Dora the Explorer, I've gotten hooked on an actual grown-up site, BooksPrice.com. It's the greatest idea - it's one-screen comparison shopping. So I don't have six different screens open anymore, driving myself nuts looking at what Amazon's charging, versus B&N, versus BooksaMillion - it's basically like Geico for books. How cool is that? You can even customize it to include your memberships, and it takes that into consideration when it's adjusting the price. I've been nerding out on it, searching for my newest obsession, cookbooks (I'm on a Paula Deen kick at the moment - lots of buttah...). SO cool. And so free, which is always a sweet thing.
I'll post more later; need to go get Will from school. I'll talk about the school trip from the Black Lagoon when I get back...
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
Friday, November 24, 2006
Wreckage
Pretty much sums up where I've been coming from. But hopefully, on the mend now. It's three weeks of bronchitis (still coughing), school (ending on Monday, final exam and project done as of last Monday), holiday stress and new beginnings all weighing in. I'm looking forward to some time to get my head together; I haven't been very good to myself lately.
New beginnings - there's always an ending at the start of a beginning - does that even make sense?
Thanksgiving was nice. I love that we stay home for it now; while I enjoy reconnecting with family and friends, it is nice to not have to drive around for an hour looking for parking. Or take the kids upstairs and wait for Mike to find a spot while the boys fight over which episode of "I Spy" or "Crashbox" to watch.
Mike and I cooked up a feast. He made three turkey breasts, cranberry sauce, gravy and stuffing; I whipped up some cappuccino custards (I baked them in my Corelle mugs - so cute!), maple-glazed carrots with pecans, and mashed sweet potatoes with nutmeg & sour cream. Even Will got into the act, making white chocolate-coated pretzel logs with sprinkles and later, sugar cookies with turkey faces on them (candy corn feathers... mmm...). Mom and Rich came over, and Christian, my brother-in-law, arrived the night before. It was a nice, small group.
Pretty much sums up where I've been coming from. But hopefully, on the mend now. It's three weeks of bronchitis (still coughing), school (ending on Monday, final exam and project done as of last Monday), holiday stress and new beginnings all weighing in. I'm looking forward to some time to get my head together; I haven't been very good to myself lately.
New beginnings - there's always an ending at the start of a beginning - does that even make sense?
Thanksgiving was nice. I love that we stay home for it now; while I enjoy reconnecting with family and friends, it is nice to not have to drive around for an hour looking for parking. Or take the kids upstairs and wait for Mike to find a spot while the boys fight over which episode of "I Spy" or "Crashbox" to watch.
Mike and I cooked up a feast. He made three turkey breasts, cranberry sauce, gravy and stuffing; I whipped up some cappuccino custards (I baked them in my Corelle mugs - so cute!), maple-glazed carrots with pecans, and mashed sweet potatoes with nutmeg & sour cream. Even Will got into the act, making white chocolate-coated pretzel logs with sprinkles and later, sugar cookies with turkey faces on them (candy corn feathers... mmm...). Mom and Rich came over, and Christian, my brother-in-law, arrived the night before. It was a nice, small group.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Knitting Blogs
I'm always on the search for a good knitting blog, and in my quest for cute skull and crossbones patterns (don't ask), I've found a great site called DomiKNITrix - how cool is that? She's got a book coming out, so I'll be putting that on my Amazon wish list. And yes, she's got a skull pattern. Rockin'. Even more rockin' - she posts links to other cool knitting blogs. Love it, so I'm going to post a few here myself:
Glampyre Knits - and yes, she has a skull pattern.
Ysolda has a skull illusion scarf - after doing the Alien Invasion scarf from Stitch & Bitch a couple of years, ago, I'm so psyched to do this.
MagKnits has skull wrist warmers - including one with a bow in its... um, head. How cute is that?
I'm off to photojournal my scary apartment in the hopes that journaling it on Domestic Goddesses will actually make me do something about it.
I'm always on the search for a good knitting blog, and in my quest for cute skull and crossbones patterns (don't ask), I've found a great site called DomiKNITrix - how cool is that? She's got a book coming out, so I'll be putting that on my Amazon wish list. And yes, she's got a skull pattern. Rockin'. Even more rockin' - she posts links to other cool knitting blogs. Love it, so I'm going to post a few here myself:
Glampyre Knits - and yes, she has a skull pattern.
Ysolda has a skull illusion scarf - after doing the Alien Invasion scarf from Stitch & Bitch a couple of years, ago, I'm so psyched to do this.
MagKnits has skull wrist warmers - including one with a bow in its... um, head. How cute is that?
I'm off to photojournal my scary apartment in the hopes that journaling it on Domestic Goddesses will actually make me do something about it.
I've been sick...
I've been sick all week with an absolutely irritating case of bronchitis. I hate being sick. But it did give me a nice weeklong respite on the couch catching up with Dexter and rewatching Sex & The City, both On Demand. I love cable. We had the brother-in-law's wedding last week, which was fun and the kids looked gorgeous (as always). Think I joke?
Yes, Will looks like a dazed deer in the headlights, but look beyond it. The boy looks sharp in a suit; they both do. Alex ran around like a nutcase on the dance floor and Will decided at the last minute to punk out and not dance with me. Bah! Overall, it was a fun wedding.
I also spent quality time with the knitting needles during my almost-week of convalesence, figuring out finally how to knit in the round and creating preemie hats that I have to wash and pack over the weekend in order to send out to a few hospitals. We're doing this Knit-Out on ClubMom's knitting board and since none of the local hospitals returned my calls, I'm going to send them on to a hospital that the moderator's already noted. I can't figure out how to do the extra-small preemie hats on circular needles, though - even on 16" needles, they are so tiny that when I join the yarn, there is still a huge divide between the stitches. And I can't sew them because the seams hurt their little heads. I need to figure this out.
More pictures to come, but I need to post first about this great knitting site I found. And she warrants her own post.
I've been sick all week with an absolutely irritating case of bronchitis. I hate being sick. But it did give me a nice weeklong respite on the couch catching up with Dexter and rewatching Sex & The City, both On Demand. I love cable. We had the brother-in-law's wedding last week, which was fun and the kids looked gorgeous (as always). Think I joke?
Yes, Will looks like a dazed deer in the headlights, but look beyond it. The boy looks sharp in a suit; they both do. Alex ran around like a nutcase on the dance floor and Will decided at the last minute to punk out and not dance with me. Bah! Overall, it was a fun wedding.
I also spent quality time with the knitting needles during my almost-week of convalesence, figuring out finally how to knit in the round and creating preemie hats that I have to wash and pack over the weekend in order to send out to a few hospitals. We're doing this Knit-Out on ClubMom's knitting board and since none of the local hospitals returned my calls, I'm going to send them on to a hospital that the moderator's already noted. I can't figure out how to do the extra-small preemie hats on circular needles, though - even on 16" needles, they are so tiny that when I join the yarn, there is still a huge divide between the stitches. And I can't sew them because the seams hurt their little heads. I need to figure this out.
More pictures to come, but I need to post first about this great knitting site I found. And she warrants her own post.
Friday, October 27, 2006
You Must Check This Site Out...
YogaBeans! is the Internet Source for Plastic Action Figures Demonstrating Ashtanga Yoga. You really need to see it - awesomeness.
I'm home anticipating my brother in law's wedding at 4 p.m. today. The kids will be in suits - how adorable will that look? You'll see when I post pictures in the next day or two, but I can guarantee it's going to be pretty darned adorable. Right now, though, Alex is cranky and whiny and I'm ready to run away. I think I should probably eat some breakfast before I lock myself in a closet and scream.
YogaBeans! is the Internet Source for Plastic Action Figures Demonstrating Ashtanga Yoga. You really need to see it - awesomeness.
I'm home anticipating my brother in law's wedding at 4 p.m. today. The kids will be in suits - how adorable will that look? You'll see when I post pictures in the next day or two, but I can guarantee it's going to be pretty darned adorable. Right now, though, Alex is cranky and whiny and I'm ready to run away. I think I should probably eat some breakfast before I lock myself in a closet and scream.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
This is Awesome!
PunkKnits.com has knitting needles with skulls on them!
There is also a t-shirt out there with a skull and knitting needle crossbones. I need this.
I am still knitting. I knit a beautiful pink baby blanket with a diamond pattern and cables on each side for my mom's friend - but forgot to take a picture of it. Argh. I'm finishing a cardigan for the same person now that I will shoot when it's done. It's a seed stitch cardigan with the cutest little pockets! I love how it's turned out, I hate my seaming a little less this time around, and I'm doing the final finishing in single crochet now - give me another few days. I'm tired.
PunkKnits.com has knitting needles with skulls on them!
There is also a t-shirt out there with a skull and knitting needle crossbones. I need this.
I am still knitting. I knit a beautiful pink baby blanket with a diamond pattern and cables on each side for my mom's friend - but forgot to take a picture of it. Argh. I'm finishing a cardigan for the same person now that I will shoot when it's done. It's a seed stitch cardigan with the cutest little pockets! I love how it's turned out, I hate my seaming a little less this time around, and I'm doing the final finishing in single crochet now - give me another few days. I'm tired.
The Future of Television...
If the writers don't try to pull a "Lost" on us and stay focused, this could quite possibly be the coolest series ever. Solid writing, funny characters, and just enough mystery to keep us coming back for more. Heroes is everything I hoped it would be. And Hiro Nakamura is officially the most awesome character on television. Anyone who can quote Star Trek while at the same time recalling an issue of X-Men featuring Kitty Pryde - and still manage to dole out some Star Wars morality (using one's powers for personal gain - surely the path to the Dark Side) - is my hero (or is that, my Hiro? Ouch, that was sooo bad.)
If the writers don't try to pull a "Lost" on us and stay focused, this could quite possibly be the coolest series ever. Solid writing, funny characters, and just enough mystery to keep us coming back for more. Heroes is everything I hoped it would be. And Hiro Nakamura is officially the most awesome character on television. Anyone who can quote Star Trek while at the same time recalling an issue of X-Men featuring Kitty Pryde - and still manage to dole out some Star Wars morality (using one's powers for personal gain - surely the path to the Dark Side) - is my hero (or is that, my Hiro? Ouch, that was sooo bad.)
Hiro's blog is even dated using the Stardate system (Captain's Log: 1764.3, his latest blog entry). How awesome is that? I love when TV studios and executives let fanboys do the writing.
I'm so nerdy today.
WTF Moment - LOST
The Lost Castaways, in happier days...
Who else is getting really pissed off at Lost this season? Last night's episode almost turned me off to the show completely. It's all about bizarre incidences that raise questions but provide no answers - what the hell is The Others' deal about? "We're the good guys," Benry (Henry Gale, apparently now known as Benjamin) tells Michael last season - how then do we explain the mindfcks (that's not a typo; I promised Will I would curb the language) that follow - the capture and imprisonment of Jack, Kate and Sawyer, under insanely inhumane conditions, no less: Sawyer and Kate in cages, doing forced labor (while Kate wears a sundress, no less - what would SJP do?); Jack, kept in a drained dolphin tank while some bizarro woman brings him grilled cheese sandwiches and reads his dossier to him; Sawyer led to believe he's had a pacemaker implanted in him which will make his heart explode if his heart rate goes above a certain level - and then told that the only thing they put in him "was doubt". It's like watching Marathon Man on 'roids.
But where are the answers this season? Last season, at least we had clues that made sense, that led us to ideas, if not answers, from time to time. If the writers think they're weaving this great series of events in the hopes of leading up to sweeps when all will be semi-revealed, they may find that a good part of their viewership has given up on them in disgust by then.
And what about this hiatus they're going on in another week or two? Will they just leave all these loose threads out there and go away for six weeks or whatever it is they're planning? Again, they may find that a lot of people are going elsewhere for their entertainment by the time they come back.
Maybe everyone involved should go back and watch Season 1 on DVD and remember how to make good, compelling television. In the meantime, I'll be reading up on my newest obsession, Heroes.
The Lost Castaways, in happier days...Who else is getting really pissed off at Lost this season? Last night's episode almost turned me off to the show completely. It's all about bizarre incidences that raise questions but provide no answers - what the hell is The Others' deal about? "We're the good guys," Benry (Henry Gale, apparently now known as Benjamin) tells Michael last season - how then do we explain the mindfcks (that's not a typo; I promised Will I would curb the language) that follow - the capture and imprisonment of Jack, Kate and Sawyer, under insanely inhumane conditions, no less: Sawyer and Kate in cages, doing forced labor (while Kate wears a sundress, no less - what would SJP do?); Jack, kept in a drained dolphin tank while some bizarro woman brings him grilled cheese sandwiches and reads his dossier to him; Sawyer led to believe he's had a pacemaker implanted in him which will make his heart explode if his heart rate goes above a certain level - and then told that the only thing they put in him "was doubt". It's like watching Marathon Man on 'roids.
But where are the answers this season? Last season, at least we had clues that made sense, that led us to ideas, if not answers, from time to time. If the writers think they're weaving this great series of events in the hopes of leading up to sweeps when all will be semi-revealed, they may find that a good part of their viewership has given up on them in disgust by then.
And what about this hiatus they're going on in another week or two? Will they just leave all these loose threads out there and go away for six weeks or whatever it is they're planning? Again, they may find that a lot of people are going elsewhere for their entertainment by the time they come back.
Maybe everyone involved should go back and watch Season 1 on DVD and remember how to make good, compelling television. In the meantime, I'll be reading up on my newest obsession, Heroes.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Heroes Rocks! And Other Nerd-dom
Where LOST is starting to get on my nerves, Heroes has become my runaway favorite show this season (but Battlestar has been insane - it's a tough call!). Any show where the geek fanboy gets a chance to save the world while quoting Star Trek and X-Men is a show for me. Hiro (Masi Oka) is a breakout character because he's so lovable and is totally into his powers and saving the world. Let's keep fingers crossed that the writers keep up the great pace they've set.
Lost... I love lost, but man... can you answer some questions before throwing more at us? To keep this crazy stuff up with the Others without any sort of explanation or insight into what it is they're doing - and yet, insisting that they're "the good guys" - well, it's getting old and irritating. So 'the good guys' lock people up in cages and torture them? Is this a 'good guy' situation like the Nazis felt they were the 'good guys'? Talk to me, please! Make sense of it all for me!
Speaking of tie-ins, a little late but apparently the WWE is doing novels now. The wrestlers... well, let me paste the back cover copy here. Enjoy:
"... a new covert black-ops group using the Superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment. The WWE's talented men and women are perfect. Highly skilled athletes with the ideal cover, they travel all across the country and the globe; no one would find it unusual to find them in a town one day and gone the next. The government would train and support the wrestlers in every way possible except one: no one must know the truth."
It's almost like the premise of Zoolander, but these people are serious. Ye gods.
More pop culture geekery to come.
Where LOST is starting to get on my nerves, Heroes has become my runaway favorite show this season (but Battlestar has been insane - it's a tough call!). Any show where the geek fanboy gets a chance to save the world while quoting Star Trek and X-Men is a show for me. Hiro (Masi Oka) is a breakout character because he's so lovable and is totally into his powers and saving the world. Let's keep fingers crossed that the writers keep up the great pace they've set.
Lost... I love lost, but man... can you answer some questions before throwing more at us? To keep this crazy stuff up with the Others without any sort of explanation or insight into what it is they're doing - and yet, insisting that they're "the good guys" - well, it's getting old and irritating. So 'the good guys' lock people up in cages and torture them? Is this a 'good guy' situation like the Nazis felt they were the 'good guys'? Talk to me, please! Make sense of it all for me!
That said, I did enjoy the Locke-centric episode last week, with his mystical journey and background. I think some people were turned off by it, but I thought it was interesting to get a little more background on him and how he knew so much about survival on the island. Now I'm just waiting for the pivotal moment when we realize that he and Sawyer are connected... Yes, I'm still sticking to my firm belief that the infamous "Sawyer" of Sawyer/James' childhood is actually Locke's sleazy dad.
Do I need to tell anyone that I screamed like a lunatic watching Battlestar this weekend? This is one show that continues to get better and better - it's awesome. I just got the novel, The Cylons' Secret which I only now realize is book three - hope I don't need one and two to go along for the ride. As soon as I finish the books I'm working on for reader reports, I'll dive in. I love reading tie-ins, but they have to be good - the 24 one I read was excellent, the Lost one was awful.Speaking of tie-ins, a little late but apparently the WWE is doing novels now. The wrestlers... well, let me paste the back cover copy here. Enjoy:
"... a new covert black-ops group using the Superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment. The WWE's talented men and women are perfect. Highly skilled athletes with the ideal cover, they travel all across the country and the globe; no one would find it unusual to find them in a town one day and gone the next. The government would train and support the wrestlers in every way possible except one: no one must know the truth."
It's almost like the premise of Zoolander, but these people are serious. Ye gods.
More pop culture geekery to come.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Monday, October 16, 2006
This is What Happens at Bridal Showers...
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the wrapping paper hat and wedding dress.
Karen's getting married, as I've mentioned earlier; we had her bridal shower up at her sister's home in Westchester this past weekend (thanks again, Dana!) She was SO surprised; it was awesome. I love that look of complete confusion, followed by the look of realization that sets in when someone walks into their own surprise party.
Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, the wrapping paper hat and wedding dress.Karen's getting married, as I've mentioned earlier; we had her bridal shower up at her sister's home in Westchester this past weekend (thanks again, Dana!) She was SO surprised; it was awesome. I love that look of complete confusion, followed by the look of realization that sets in when someone walks into their own surprise party.
So Karen received beautiful gifts, and Shauna went to work on the hat and dress. Shauna's the unofficial tailor at showers, having made a beautiful Star Wars wrapping paper dress for me at my wedding and another dress at my baby shower. We're creating our own shower tradition! Karen was a great sport about it, and Dana got into the act by holding the tissue paper train Shauna attached to the dress. It was a blast and everyone had a great time.
Had a girls' night out on Friday with Nancy and Stacey, which was so much fun. Just the three of us, let loose in Roosevelt Field; it was so nice to have girlfriend bonding time. It felt weird coming home to an empty apartment (Mike took the boys upstate to see his grandmother), but I just went to sleep so I didn't have too much time to ruminate. Saturday morning was nice - got up early (well, 8 a.m. is actually late for me these days), worked out, had my coffee and was on my way upstate for Karen's shower. Coming home to have Alex and Will yell "MOMMY!" and run at me is the best way to come home.
I finished the baby blanket - and darnit, forgot to take a picture of it! Maybe if my mom stays over tonight, I can snap a pic when I come home from school. Otherwise, she's taking it with her. Poo. I have the baby cardigan to put together - I'm already stressing it.
More later, including the new addition to my mom's household...
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Be Vewwy Vewwy Quiet...
I know, I know, I've been too quiet. My home system is in revolt, letting my Internet access blink at me like a confused kid in a calc class and intermittently shutting down my e-mail access. So basically, being at home makes me a lame duck. Grr. (Leaves more time for knitting, though...) While I'm at work, there's only so much I can do. So for everyone who's wondering why I haven't been on, there you go.
ClubMom friends, I'll get on eventually - just doing some actual work for now. I know, I know, I don't know what that's all about, either...
I know, I know, I've been too quiet. My home system is in revolt, letting my Internet access blink at me like a confused kid in a calc class and intermittently shutting down my e-mail access. So basically, being at home makes me a lame duck. Grr. (Leaves more time for knitting, though...) While I'm at work, there's only so much I can do. So for everyone who's wondering why I haven't been on, there you go.
ClubMom friends, I'll get on eventually - just doing some actual work for now. I know, I know, I don't know what that's all about, either...
Thursday, October 05, 2006
BTW...
...anyone check out the PopCandy blog on USA Today's site? Whitney Matheson, who writes it, is a total Battlestar and Lost geek like most of us here are and I love the way she writes. She's got a lot to say on the BSG upcoming season, which sounds like it is very, very cool stuff. She's also a fan of The Office - basically, she should be hanging out with us. Go check her out, I'll wait.
...anyone check out the PopCandy blog on USA Today's site? Whitney Matheson, who writes it, is a total Battlestar and Lost geek like most of us here are and I love the way she writes. She's got a lot to say on the BSG upcoming season, which sounds like it is very, very cool stuff. She's also a fan of The Office - basically, she should be hanging out with us. Go check her out, I'll wait.
LOST Season Three!
Okay, hands up - who's more confused by Lost now that we've actually kicked off the third season? I looked at Mike and said, "I'm worse off now than I was at the end of Season 2."
I have questions. If you haven't seen the episode yet, go away and come back when you've read it. I don't want to be spoiler girl.
WTF?!
Who thinks Carl, the kid in the cage opposite Sawyer, is a plant? I told Mike that the only reason he was 'captured' is to lull Sawyer into thinking he can trust the kid. Hope the con man can spot a long con when he sees it.
Henry Gale (BEN?!) tells Michael that The Others are 'the good guys' in the Season 2 finale. Do good guys lock people up in bear cages? Or dress ladies up in pretty dresses, take them out to breakfast, and tell them that the next two weeks will be very unpleasant and stick them in a cage? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!
WHY do they have dossiers on the lives of the survivors (you seriously don't think it's just Jack, do you?)?? Do they only have dossiers on a few people - maybe the people on "the list"?
What the heck is with Othersville, like we saw in the beginning of the episode. And is the fact that they're reading Stephen King's Carrie supposed to be telling me something, or are they just reading a book?
I NEED ANSWERS!
I think I need to geek out and see if anything's going on at the Hanso Foundation site now.
Okay, hands up - who's more confused by Lost now that we've actually kicked off the third season? I looked at Mike and said, "I'm worse off now than I was at the end of Season 2."
I have questions. If you haven't seen the episode yet, go away and come back when you've read it. I don't want to be spoiler girl.
WTF?!
Who thinks Carl, the kid in the cage opposite Sawyer, is a plant? I told Mike that the only reason he was 'captured' is to lull Sawyer into thinking he can trust the kid. Hope the con man can spot a long con when he sees it.
Henry Gale (BEN?!) tells Michael that The Others are 'the good guys' in the Season 2 finale. Do good guys lock people up in bear cages? Or dress ladies up in pretty dresses, take them out to breakfast, and tell them that the next two weeks will be very unpleasant and stick them in a cage? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!
WHY do they have dossiers on the lives of the survivors (you seriously don't think it's just Jack, do you?)?? Do they only have dossiers on a few people - maybe the people on "the list"?
What the heck is with Othersville, like we saw in the beginning of the episode. And is the fact that they're reading Stephen King's Carrie supposed to be telling me something, or are they just reading a book?
I NEED ANSWERS!
I think I need to geek out and see if anything's going on at the Hanso Foundation site now.
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