I'm BACK!

Didja miss me?

Okay - Savannah. I need to live there, at least part-time, and soon. It is beautiful. Linda, I ::heart:: you for making sure I didn't miss out on River Street Sweets, which is quite possibly the happiest place on the planet. It's certainly the best smelling. I enjoyed yet another bit of praliney goodness last night, just to remind myself how much I love Savannah.

Homemade ice cream and candy stores lined the blocks of the historic district. Oh. My. GAWD. So. Good.

Who knew there was that much pirate action in Savannah? Mike and I ate at The Pirate's House (more pictures to come, honest), which, according to some other folks we overheard while on the buffet line, has better food than my pal Paula. What a Southern buffet - Southern fried chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrots so sweet they melt in your mouth, and pecan gravy. And do I need to mention that the biscuits were amazing? Seriously, it's the South. It's a law; if you don't have good biscuits, I think they can revoke your license to operate a business.

Anyway, The Pirate's House was quite the hotspot back in the day - it even inspired Robert Louis Stevenson as he wrote Treasure Island. Which completely speaks to the book and history nerd in me. So check it out for the food and the atmosphere, because apparently, there's even a ghost that haunts one of the rooms - as we found out when we took the Hearse Tour.

Yes, you read that right. We loaded ourselves into a hearse and toured haunted Savannah, and it rocked. The customer service, to start, is fantastic - Mike called while we were at lunch, but no one was at the phone. He hung up, and no less than 10 or 15 minutes later, someone called saying that they saw on the caller ID that they had received a phone call and could they help us? Within 5 minutes, we were booked and were going to be picked up at 9 that evening.

The guide, Nathan, was GREAT. From his very cool Linda Blair in Exorcist tee-shirt to his encyclopedic knowledge of haunted Savannah (he needed to pass at 380-question test to score the gig, folks), he kept us laughing and gave us a couple of good old-fashioned jump scares to remember the trip.

We ate at a Moroccan restaurant, Casbah, that made some fantastic food. The belly dancers tried to get us up on a few occasions, but we politely declined. I don't think that needs to be exposed to the public, ya know? I'll leave it to the professionals. We were all set to eat with our right hands as Moroccan families do, but when the saffron rice came out, we looked at each other, looked at the rice, and asked for utensils. Hey, if they had thrown some bread in, I would have given it the old college try. I had chicken kebabs, so I was all good without utensils on that end, at least...

And I would be completely out of line if I didn't talk about our anniversary dinner at Alligator Soul. Mike made the reservations a few weeks in advance, and told the folks it was our anniversary. We got there, and were treated to seats in a beautiful little nook in the restaurant, plus a champagne toast and a complimentary taste of what I think was a new dish the chef is working on - it was delicious; basically (to my very untrained palate) a Cajun chili that had the perfect amount of kick to it. The steaks were awesome, and I burst out laughing when the gentleman I believe was one of the head chefs (I just checked, and it's not head chef Chris Dinello) came over to Mike holding the "Little Eddie" steak, clapped him on the shoulder and said, "That's my steak. You're going to sleep." He smiled at me and said, "Sorry."

It was just a wonderful atomosphere, Southern hospitality in full effect, and it never felt forced. The staff came over to us to make sure we had everything we needed and that we were enjoying ourselves. And when it came time for dessert, my personal-sized cheesecake (ahhhhh... cheesecake) came to me with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate. It was just a great ending to a great meal.

All in all, Savannah is beautiful. I can't wait to get back there and bring the kids. I think Will is going to dig the hearse tour - in fact, he doesn't even know I went on it this time. Because I would be in some serious hot water. So let's keep that our little secret, okay?

The South Shall Rise Again...

..and they will do it through their pralines. I am currently suffering from withdrawl of Southern food. It's not fair. They don't send you home with care packages of Southern fried chicken or anything, to help you get yourself off slowly. No, they just cut you off. Luckily for me, I have a box of River Street Sweets here to help get me through the rough patches. Incidentally, their catalog? It has the effect on me that I imagine porn does for men.

So on with the show. I'm going to take a few posts to describe the joy of Savannah, and I'll handle just a bit right now since I'm time crunched and have to get on a freaking plane tomorrow morning.

After a pretty uneventful flight (got some knitting done, and some progress in my latest Doctor Who novel), we landed in Savannah. Mike had to run to the bathroom, so I'm hanging out in the gate area, when I see JAMIE DEEN walk by me. Let that sink in - JAMIE. DEEN. Paula's boy. Being the slick, unaffected New Yorker that I am, I gape, open-mouthed. Then I grab my phone, text Stacey and Piera, and call my mother.

"MOM!!" I hiss. "Jamie Deen just walked into the newstand where I'm standing!"

Mom: "Huh?

Roe: "Mom. Jamie Deen. Jamie. Deen. The older Deen brother!"

Mom: "You saw Jan and Dean?"

Folks, I wouldn't know Jan and Dean if they ran me over in an SUV. The only reason I even know who Jan and Dean are is because they were featured on some K-Tel beach oldies compilation that advertised on Channel 11 (11 Alive!) when I was a kid. I take a deep breath, see Jamie buying some newspapers, and say...

Roe: "JAMIE DEEN! DEEEEEEEN!!! PAULA DEEN'S GORGEOUS SON!"

Mom: "Oh!!! The good-looking one? What about the little one?"

Now, she tells Will that I've seen Jamie Deen, and he's asking me for his autograph. At this point, I get a text from Stacey, so I tell my mother I'll call her back. Stacey's asking for a camera phone shot. Folks, there is NO WAY I can do that surreptitiously, and I would look like an even bigger dope. I'm not in Savannah for 10 minutes and I've blown my street cred entirely. Mike emerges from the bathroom, and I figure I've already gone this far. I run over to him and blurt out, "Jamie Deen is in the newsstand!"

What's that about New Yorkers seeing celebrities all the time, so they don't even notice them? Yeah. Right.

I ask Mike to go get his autograph for his son. He refuses. Apparently, the prospect of meeting Jamie Deen is lost on him. He tells me to go get his autograph. No. We take our bags and walk, as Mike calls his friend who's letting us stay in his apartment while we're in Savannah. I'm busily texting Stacey as Mike casually whacks my shoulder and gestures.

It's Bobby Deen, walking the same way.

I stop in mid-text, and call Karen to trumpet the news. I'm such a nerdling. This is my entrance to Savannah? Complete Food Network fangirl meltdown?

While Mike goes to the car rental desk, I call Stacey and document my shame. She laughs at me. Sigh. I never claimed to be aloof.

Enjoy some Savannah pics while I head to Des Moines; more updates as I go.

Here it is! Paula's restaurant - and this is the closest I got to it...

Aaaaaargh! The wall o'pirate shirts at a store on River Street.

Miles of snackage at River Street Sweets. I think I gained an extra 10 pounds just inhaling.

Awwww... self-portrait on River Street.

Swappy Goodness!

I'm back - briefly, as I head off to beautiful downtown Des Moines tomorrow. I feel so jetset. Not.

Before I get into the weekend in Savannah - which I wish I could have remote blogged, but my remote blogging ability is still mysteriously down (I blame Mike), so I just texted Stacey constantly with updates - let me expound on the gloriousness of the latest swap I was involved with, the Spring Fling Coffee Swap. I just got my package out in the mail before I left for Savannah, so I really, really hope my swap partner likes everything as much as I love what Dandy sent me!


Behold - Canadian yarn! Nice, thick, bright and wooly! She says it's very warm - since she lives in Saskatchewan, Canada, I'm inclined to believe her. I see some lovely cabling happening in my near future. Ahhhh...

And she sent me some of her own yarn. No, not from her stash - she spun this herself! And dyed it! With Kool-Aid! Will even sniffed it and claimed he could smell the flavors. I was too busy smooshing it all over my face to try and discern the flavor scents, because this stuff is SO SOFT. I was so blown away that Dandy spun this and dyed this for me; it's just so cool. I'll just stare at these beauties and pet them for a little while; I want to wait and figure out just what to make them.

Here's a shot of the entire package - as you can see, she spoiled me rotten. And in the left down there? Oh yes. Those are Hello Kitty sparkly stickers. How much do you want to be me right now? She also sent over some rocking Vanilla Nut ground roast, which I immediately ran to the kitchen to brew (nectar of the gods, my friends; nectar of the gods); some Starbuck's Breakfast Blend - she must know I can't get out of bed in the morning without some coffee, so she took pity on my poor soul.

I also got beautiful handmade soap, in a funky handmade drawstring bag. I think I need to bring this along to Des Moines with me so I can luxuriate whilst in the sticks. Coffee-scented candle - hello! She sent the cutest little magnet of a knitted swatch with tiny knitting needles, and a tin with the cutest stitch markers and a handy-dandy pair of little scissors. In a needlepoint carrying case, no less. I also got an adorable little knitting journal (with a coffee cup on it!) and a pen, and the coolest red mug that says, "coffee coffee coffee coffee" on it - again, my morning refrain.

She even sent me Canadian candy!! I am particularly looking forward to the CoffeeCrisp bar. Yum.

I know I'm leaving a bunch of stuff out, but I'm just so blown away by this fantastic package that words escape me. Dandy, thank you SO much for everything. I'm loving how these swaps are introducing me to so many great people all over the world. You rock!!

Updates. I Haz Them.


I've been trying to bang out several reader reports and finish some work before I get on a plane to Savannah tomorrow morning (ahh... I can hear Paula Deen welcoming me already), but I do have some updates that I'll post about later, most notably, the arrival of my super-fantabulous Coffee 'N Yarn Swap package from the awesome Buzz Knitter. Who gave me sparkly Hello Kitty stickers. Jealous much?

Until I get home and download the pictures from my camera, enjoy the LOLcat. I think it's apropros.

Typeracer.

I'm hooked. Give it a shot, if you dare.

Coffee N Yarn Swap Update

I've missed a couple of these - bad blogger! - so I'll just jump in with the latest blog challenge:

We'll go free form this week - Post about your WIPs, post about your package, post about the weather where you are - just be sure to include that the post is for the Spring Fling Weekly Topic somewhere inside it when you tell us it's there! I'd love to hear how folks are enjoying the goodies they received, if they have, or how much fun you had shopping for your pal!

First off, it is BEAUTIFUL this week. Will had a game on Sunday which we initially heard was going to be a washout, but it ended up being a beautiful day and it's just continued so far. It's really Spring! Yay!!!

WIPs (works in progress)... I've got a pair of cabled socks for my mom on the needles using Sock it to Me yarn. She likes 'em longer than anklets, so I'm hoping I have enough... I also have another surprise for Baby Benevides that started on the needles, but ended up frogged when the pattern irritated me. I still consider it a WIP because it is in my mind. I mean, I have the yarn, I have the needles, I just have to actually combine the two now. So that's half the battle, right?

My fantabulous swap partner e-mailed me to let me know my package is on its way, so I'm so excited!!! I can't wait to find out who it is! As for my package, I got a little derailed by life in general (see the post below) but I'm making good progress. I have to lay everything out tonight and see what else I need to fill up the box. I want to get it out in the next few days so my partner gets it on time. I hope she likes everything! I have really enjoyed shopping (because, you know, that's a surprise) for this swap. It's coffee! And yarn! What's not to love, right? I'm also working on a little handmade bit to put into the box, so that should be done shortly.

Okay, I guess my boss expects me to be productive today, so let me sign off for now. TTFN!

Holy Mackerel!

Okay, I didn't realize it had been that long since I'd posted. Things get away from me these days; we've had so much craziness between family commitments and family emergencies crop up that days fly by without me really taking much notice of time.

So, to break it down - I'm caught up on Lost and Battlestar Galactica - who the heck is the freaking last Cylon already?! Will and I are completely addicted to both Dr. Who and Sarah Jane Adventures; I enjoyed the Torchwood season finale and can't wait to see a third season. So there's my brief TV wrap-up.

Zombie Hunters went to the Chiller Theatre con this weekend, but I wasn't able to get there. So I need to get a wrap-up from Patrick and I'll blog it on the Zombie Hunters blog.

My stepdad has been back in the hospital for a few weeks now with another infection. The doctors aren't sure how much more they can do for him, but we're counting on the fact that he's just too stubborn to let that diagnosis hold water. So please, keep him in mind.

Bleah.

It's that kind of day.

My Saucy Knitting Friends Rock!

So I got my goodie box from my Saucy Knitters swap pal Kathy, and holy mackerel, does she rock. I got the post office notice on Thursday and ended up telecommuting on Friday.

Friday deserves a blog post of its own, but since I was too sleep deprived, here's the story in a nutshell - 2 a.m. Friday morning, Mom calls to tell us Alex has been up coughing for hours and can't sleep. Mike jets out to Jersey to get him, I run downstairs at 3:45 to get Alex because Mike can't find a parking spot, we both get up at 6:30. He goes to work, I stay home and telecommute, and Alex sleeps like a log.

Mike gets home on Friday and I make him drive me to the post office before we do anything else, so I can get my box. I can't even begin to tell you about the insane giggling I experienced just imagining what fibery and saucy pleasures awaited me. I finally opened the box, despite Mike's constant chastising, before we hit Target (we were doing some quick weekend picking up of stuff).

Well... pictures speak a thousand words. So these pictures should all tell you that Kathy freaking rules.

Le Box - two skeins of (hot) red sock yarn, two skeins of beautiful variegated green yarn that's just desperate to be hugged, GIANT BAG OF M&M PEANUTs, two rocking sock patterns, and a really nice pen and case.

Must look closer at sock yarn. You will see my feet lovingly wrapped in these by the Fall, I guarantee you.

Green. Ahhh... The color of Spring. I may have to whip something up in this immediately, if not sooner, just to feel the soft wool winding around my fingers.

The sauces. The sauces! How cool is this sauce? Not only is it Jamaican Hot Pepper Sauce, but the little cap on top is handmade - Kathy wrote that children were making them and selling them when she was there! How cool is this for a souvenir!

Pocket-sized Tabasco sauces. For all my traveling needs. You know these guys are coming to Des Moines with me in May.

There was also a tasty-looking Key Lime Margarita grilling sauce that Mike keeps eyeing, and I have to smack his hands lest he take it and sleep with it under his pillow. My sauce!

Again, Kathy - thank you, and you ROCK.

Time. Warner. SUCKS.

I have not been a happy Time Warner cable customer. Last year, when the folks next door moved out, they disconnected MY cable service, having mixed up the reading of the apartment stickers, apparently. And took a freaking WEEK to come rectify their mistake. Have you ever tried to be at home for a week with a preschooler who can't watch Dora the Explorer?

So for their latest, my bedroom cable box just goes out the other night. I'm used to this ridiculous "rebooting," having endured it periodically for a few years now. Time Warner insists it's not a problem, so I guess I'm just paying astronomical cable rates for an inconvenience. (Not that my payments showing up late would be an allowable minor inconvenience to them, mind you.) Except this time, when my cable comes back online, MY DVR QUEUE IS WIPED OUT. I have shows that I watched back in February and early March showing up - stuff that I deleted after watching - but a month's worth of shows - including MY DOCTOR WHO MARATHON FROM SCI-FI CHANNEL LAST WEEK, and Torchwood, and the latest episodes of both The Office and Survivor, are GONE. Freaking gone. Oh, and the stuff that came back from the dead? It tells me that the show doesn't exist when I try to access it.

When can the cable company come? Mike has to take a day off on Wednesday so these tools can show up and probably tell me that they can't recover my shows. Never mind that I was screaming like a harpy in the background that they work on my money, and they should show up when it's convenient for me. (Mike swears that we're lucky they show up at all with me screaming that so that they can hear.)

I just heard that Verizon is hoping to launch their own FiOS cable/phone/internet system in New York by next year. Put my arse first in line for that signup.

So please, no Office spoilers, okay? I have to watch it online tonight. And the only reason I haven't grown to Godzilla-like proportions and taken out the Time Warner building in Queens in my rage is because Battlestar repeated itself later that evening.

So. Awesome.

Please to enjoy Peeps for Passover.

In less awesome news, I had to frog the shawl I'd been working on for Mike's cousin, who's making her Communion next weekend. AUGH. That sound you hear is my head slamming into the desk after I've impaled myself on my circular needles. Back to the drawing board.

Spring Fever

Oh, how I have Spring Fever. BIG TIME. I need to get OUT and get some air.

Man, when I was a kid, and it was a beautiful day like this, we'd have gym outdoors in St. Bart's Park, right across the playstreet from school. We looked forward to spring, because our lunchtime recess would move from the playstreet into the park. It was a marked change in the season that we loved, a change in routine.

Why can't work be like that? Why can't our bosses say, "Hey - it's beautiful out. Let's go sit in a cafe and work for a while." Or, even better, "Go home, log in when you get a chance."

Man, it was cool to be a kid.

Spring Fling Coffee Swap Topic #3!

Ooh, it's a good one this week, right in line with my blog title...

Tell us how you started drinking coffee. Were you in high school or college and making it through all nighters? Did you get it from a family member? What drives your love of the bean?

My dad loves himself some Manhattan Special - espresso coffee soda, essentially, to the uninitiated. I remember him giving me a sip when I was a kid, and thinking it was WAY too strong. But something had to intrigue me, because I'd say when I was about 14 or so, I had a sip of iced coffee - and if you have never had a sip of iced coffee on a hot, summer's day, my friend, you are missing out. By the time I was 16, I was nursing an iced coffee habit that may have rivaled my book habit (the yarn habit developed much later).

I remember the office where I worked that summer. There was a delicious little pastry place up the block that I'd pass on the way in every morning. I'd run in, get a croissant and a large iced coffee, and settle in, relishing every buttery bite of the croissant and the delicious rush of the coffee while getting ready to face the onslaught of the day.

By the time I was in college, I was a coffee junkie, graduating to hot as well as iced coffee. Now, I still love my iced coffee, but I do need a hot cup to get a jump start to my morning. I remember cramming for midterms and swallowing handfuls of instant coffee and washing it down with Kool-Aid to stay awake - and by the way, folks, I REALLY don't recommend that to anyone.

My dad and mom had split when I was in college, but I remember going to visit him in the Italian neighborhood in Brooklyn he was living in; I'd get off of the subway, head right into the deli at the foot of the subway station, and pick up two bottles of Manhattan Special. I remember the two of us, laughing and cracking the bottles open as we sat across each other at his dining room table. I remember sitting with Dad at Au Bon Pain during our weekend outings, him shaking his head and saying, "Roe... I'm gonna kill you for doing this to me!" as we finished our second rounds of their Iced Mocha Blasts. I remember him coming to visit me after Alex was born; the two of us, this time across from each other at my dining room table, me cradling my new baby, him having just played with Will, and settling down to share a nice, hot cup of coffee together.

I'll be heading off to Florida in a few months to visit him again, and I think I need to pack some Manhattan Special into my carry-on (or, since it comes in glass bottles, maybe I have to pack it. I'll figure it out.).

So I guess I never really thought about it before, but aside from the need for general adrenaline, my love of the bean is driven by the good memories it always seems to deliver of time spent with my Dad.

What's Your Favorite Book?

I just read this in Publishers Lunch and had to share:

Poll Asks, Name Your Favorite Book

Harris Interactive surveyed American adults to find out "What is your favorite book of all time?" The answers:

1. The Bible
2. Gone with the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell
3. Lord of the Rings (series), by J.R.R. Tolkien
4. Harry Potter (series), by J.K. Rowling
5. The Stand, by Stephen King
6. The Da Vinci Code, by Dan Brown
7. To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee
8. Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown
9. Atlas Shrugged, by Ayn Rand
10. Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger

I've got to say, I love and hate these polls. I love seeing what other people's favorite books are, but I lose all memory when it comes to me. I blurt out the obvious - the Lord of the Rings series and The Hobbit - but I know I've got so many more bouncing around in my head. For someone who loves books as much as I do, it's almost panic-inducing when I'm asked that question.

So am I going to try and answer it? Of course I am.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. Yeah, I think I've got to say that one. I return to it every now and then just for the sheer love of the book. It's honestly the most dysfunctional love story of all time.

Rebecca, by Daphne Du Maurier. Come on, girl meets boy, girl marries boy, girl has to contend with crazy housekeeper who loved boy's first wife and finds out that boy shot first wife and dumped her body at sea. And then finds out that first wife was a slut who wanted to die because she had cancer so she taunted boy until he did the deed. What's not to love? Daytime television had nothing on Du Maurier.

Bridget Jones' Diary, by Helen Fielding. The original chick-lit book. Hilarious and just enough girly stuff to make me happy. And big girl panties will never be the same again.

The Vampire Lestat, by Anne Rice. For a while there, I was insane for Anne Rice. (Until she went berserker and started believing her own hype. But I digress.) Interview with the Vampire was amazing; The Vampire Lestat ratcheted it up a couple of notches. While Mike rolls his eyes at Rice's vampires, snarling "Eurotrash" every time I mentioned them, I love this vision of the vampire - the tortured, immortal Louis, the devil-may-care, eff 'em if they can't take a joke Lestat - it's all good. The original three Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice will always be aces in my book, but if I had to pick just one, this is the one I'd take to my desert island.

Okay, I've got more, but I hear Alex having a fit so I think Mike is washing his hair 'wrong' again.

So let me explain how excited I am. When I was a kid, my dad had me watching Star Trek with him from the time I was in diapers. My second earliest memory is of watching an episode of Trek that had what looked like flying pancakes attacking Spock (it's Operation: Annihilate), and I was hooked. From there, Dad and I bonded over science fiction and adventure - you all know my Star Wars and Indiana Jones fixations. When Will was born, I was convinced that I would be raising a Trekkie/Star Wars/Lord of the Rings geek like myself. I wanted that connection. I know it sounds as corny as hell, but I wanted us to share something like that.

He had a passing interest in Star Wars. He did want to be a Balrog when he was 2, which gave me hope, but Star Wars? Meh.

So the other day, since I've recently gotten into Dr. Who, I was watching one of the episodes I've DVR'd (thank you, Sci Fi Channel, for the marathon). Will and Alex both wander in, and as soon as they see the Tardis whirling through the clouds, they settle down in bed next to me. By the end of the Blink episode, Alex has wandered off, but Will turns to me, eyes huge.

"Do you have any more of that show recorded?"

So now, not only are Will and I sharing the connection I was desperately hoping to have, but we're learning about it together. Sometimes, you just have to let it find you.

I know some people may roll their eyes, or laugh, and think, "How ridiculous; you're relying on science fiction to bond with your kid?" And my answer to that is no, I've done that quite well to date, thanks much. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, it's almost impossible to explain. For those of you who understand, I guess there's no explanation needed.

So I guess I should say thanks to Russell T. Davies, who brought Dr. Who back (and gave us Torchwood, which I'm still on the fence about but moving toward saying, "Okay, I like it.")

Next Spring Topic!

The Spring Fling Coffee Swap topic of the week:

Since some of us are beginning to see glimpses of Spring, while others are still getting snow, have you changed what projects you are working on? Have you put away the hats, scarves and mittens and brought out the cute tank top sweater projects and lacy wraps? Have you changed yarns to something more lighter and cooler, not so heavy and bulky?

I'm dogearing Spring patterns, if that's what you mean. I have marked up last year's and this year's Spring copies of Interweave Knits, and actually considering making them rather than just sighing and casting on another scarf. But right now, I'm finishing up a pair of fingerless gloves (does that count as Spring, if there are no fingers on them?) in this delicious Noro yarn I got from that insane yarn sale a month ago at Skein Attraction. I have a couple of baby projects on the backburner, but they'll be Summer and Fall stuff because one baby is due in the Summer (super secret projects!) and the other is here, but I saw something adorable that he must wear come the Fall.

That said, I do intend to knit myself at least ONE nice Spring thing to take to Savannah next month when Mike and I go for our big 10-year wedding anniversary trip.

So, Who's The Last Cylon?

BSG did not disappoint on Friday. From Starbuck telling poor Anders that she would put a bullet between his eyes if she ever found out he was a Cylon (gulp) to Baltar finding God in a pair of boobs (I asked Mike if he wrote that week's episode), it was intense storytelling that made me yell at the screen a few times - always the mark of a good episode. Heck, I didn't even knit, afraid I'd miss a crucial camera shot or reaction shot (like Anders being activated - that's how I took it, anyway). Now I'm counting down days until next episode (that would be 4). Oo-Ga.

Finished the Dr. Who Family of Blood episodes, and I've got to say, if the rest of the episodes are that good, I will be a Dr. Who fanatic in no time. Great storytelling - if I'm reading Wikipedia's entry on these episodes right, they were nominated for a Hugo Award for dramatic presentation and it is well-earned. I've DVR'd a bunch of episodes, and luckily for my addictions, Sci-Fi channel appears to be gearing up to air them as well, because there is a Dr. Who marathon during the day on Friday.

I just checked out USA Today's book section and a fellow Gen-Xer has written a book defending our poor slacker-named generation. I think I may have to check this out.

Excuse Me?

Yesterday I had one of those moments that blew me out of the water in its unexpectedness, and not in a good way. I was at work yesterday morning and had a meeting. As I was saying goodbye to the folks I met with, I realized my phone, which 'til then had been in my bag next to me, was buzzing; it was Mike. Will wasn't feeling well and could I pick him up from school? Since Mike works all the way downtown, I was the closer parent, so I told him I'd get him. I got the okay and left, arriving at school approximately 10 minutes before dismissal. He was in the office with the "gloom and doom face".

As I signed him out, one of the office aides - a woman who I've known and gotten along with the entire time Will's been in the school, mind you - says, "I tried to call you three times." I responded that I had been at work in a meeting, so I didn't have my phone right next to me. She repeats herself, and then says, "I finally had to call your husband when I couldn't get you... I felt bad, because I hate calling working fathers."

Excuse me? My blood starts to boil, so I quickly say, "Well, I'm a working mother." She gives me what I feel is this simpering, patronizing smile, and says, "I know, but I hate having to call a working father away." I signed Will out, looked her dead in the eye and said, "Well, I'm a working mother, and I was in the middle of a meeting when Mike got me. I have a JOB, too." I grabbed Will and walked out, and that's when I realized I was shaking, I was so angry.

What the hell? I felt so judged. How dare someone make me feel like I'm less of a parent because I work, or that because I'm a woman, my work is less significant than my husband's is? Especially from another woman?

Now, I know this is her issue and I shouldn't take it personally, but I do. I have been an active member of that school's parent community - a HELL of a lot more active than most of the at-home parents there, that's for sure - and that comment just pissed me off. It ate away at me for the rest of the day.

The assistant principal is having a baby - will this same office aide treat her like she treated me? Is it okay for the principal to be a working mother because her children are grown?

I haven't felt like a casualty in The Mommy Wars for a long time now, but that shot really got to me yesterday.

Coffee N Yarn Swap Topic o'the Week

So my coffee 'n' yarn swap topic this week was to browse some of the other participants' blogs, find one person who enjoys a similar roast coffee to me, and share something interesting about them that I find on THEIR blog. Oh, and talk about what I've been working on knitting or crochet-wise this week!

I wandered over to Becky's blog and she's a caffeine lover like I am; and I love the fact that although she lives in Starbuck's Country (Seattle), she loves herself some Dunkin'. As I've said many times, America and Roe run on Dunkin', so anyone else who shares the love is aces in my book. Also like me, she's recently started knitting intarsia patterns and hates the weaving in ends business. I hear you, girlfriend.

What am I working on this week? Well, I finally finished the snowflake lace socks, which look very nice if I say so myself. I've let the Princess Pram Cover and the second Horcrux sock languish for this week, but instead cast on the Evangeline gauntlets because I've been aching to try out that Noro yarn I got a few weeks ago. The yarn and I had a few disagreements initially, because it didn't want to be the first couple of patterns I wanted it to be, but it seems to be enjoying the Evangeline process nicely.

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