Yardwork, knittage, and stuff.

Dude, I just realized that I blogged about port-a-potties on my birthday. How apropos.

So! I have been a slacker, due to many things, not the least of which is the yard stuffs. We went from this:












to this:

within two weeks. HRB says he feels like we're cheating... we're used to doing all this ourselves! Fortunately we have a space for a vegetable garden that he can get all crazy-diy on building planters and such. He's actually quite good at this kind of stuff - at our old place he made this rad little planter (oh my gosh, did I just type RAD?!) that was a set of offset squares... it was really cool. I'm kind of excited to see what he comes up with...

I have, actually, been knitting. HRB has been out of town for the last week or so in San Diego giving some sort of nerd lecture, and this week he's out on the east coast making sure his space ship will fly or something like that. In technical terms, he's doing pre-flight calibration and testing of the instrument, but whatever. Back to knitting.SOCKS! My Thuja's are done and HRB liked them so much he requested his own. So I went and picked up a couple orphan skeins of superwash for him and away I go!















Next on the list is the startation of Christmas knittage. My next post will have the gift names of what I'm knitting for who, so if you're family and you're reading this, you are forboten to read any further posts!

Hmm. I think I need a dictionary.

The odd thing about port-a-potties...

Hi. This is a non-knitting post, but hey. I'll leave you with a nice pretty picture at the end. Deal?

So. Some of you may or may not know that my husband and I live in a relatively new development. Now, if you've seen these new developments, you know that they give you nice happy grass and a tree in the front yard and a big pile of dirt in the back. And then they require you to do your own landscaping. We were some of the last people to move into this development, hence, we are pretty much the only ones who still have dirt in our back yard (actually, it's a jungle of weeds that the dogs stalk crickets through) and the neighbors are starting to look at us funny.

Enter the landscaping company. We contracted to get some landscaping done.. uh... to be honest, it's a total overhaul. Being that this is a multi-day job, this nice landscaping company put a port-a-potty outside our yard on the sidewalk.

So the odd thing about port-a-potties is how many random people just stop by to use them. I understand the landscaping crew, that's fine. But the other night some random dude drove up in a truck, used our port-a-potty, and then tore out of the neighborhood like his hair was on fire. Just now the solid waste folks (yeah, I know, but I'm not going there) stopped their massive truck, both used our port-a-potty, and took off. There have been other incidents, but I wasn't here, the neighbors told me about it.

I don't know why, but all this random port-a-potty using seems really strange to me. I hate port-a-potties. I will only use them under extreme duress. I suppose it's easier for guys, since they don't have to sit down, but still. It's just gross. Isn't it gross? I mean, honestly. Just thinking about all this makes me wanna go wash my hands.

Let's change the subject. This nice new neighborhood also has a big field that they land and launch hot air balloons from. Hence:


This first one is from one of the loft windows looking left. You can just almost see the mountains under the right balloon...

The next shot is from what used to be our back stoop. The line on the right is my house. You see that park on the left? A few weeks ago, one of these balloons almost landed in that park!





The neighbor behind us got a good view...

Knock knock...

It's me! And look! Orangina was worn out and about today! I'm definitely a fan... though I might add a little length to it in the future. Maybe my next one. Ooo - in a nice raspberry rich red. Mmm. Raspberries!

I'm heavily medicated at the moment... this cold just won't go away. I even tried to make a deal with my nose: I won't use harsh tissues on it if it stops running. So far the deal isn't working. Even the medication isn't really working. Bah.

So what does one do when heavily medicated? One must try a knitting pattern one has never tried before. So what did I do? SOCKS! Did you hear that!? I KNITTED A NON-UGLY-SOCK!!! Well, I don't think it's ugly anyway. It's the thuja pattern... I'm trying out sock patterns for potential Christmas gifts. *sigh* August, and I'm thinking about Christmas. Anyway anyway look!

It's knit out of the leftover hourglass yarn - so I can wear my sweater and wear my socks and I will MATCH. Kick ASS. I finished this one yesterday, when not-so-medicated, and today (just now, really) I tried to knit the other side... I'm about halfway done but I think due to the medication I missed a whole set of instructions and I ended up with a smurf-sized sock. Hmm. Maybe I can make it a nose-warmer.

Um, what's left? My honey displayed his mad baking skills and made me a loaf of bread:

Really it's for him, but I get some. Not that I can taste the bread, or really anything, at the moment, but I'm sure it tastes great. :D

I think I ought to go to bed now.

Blocking blocking blocking...

Orangina is finished and blocking! To be honest, I'm not quite sold on her yet... I needed some length and while I *think* I got it with the blocking, we'll have to see. It's a beautiful pattern though and I'm waiting patiently to see how she turns out...

As you may also have noticed from the sidebar... I've had the Summertime Tunic finished for a minty... I'm just waiting to update y'all with pics before I move it off to the FO list. I'll take pics soon - really I will! The summertime tunic is way cute... I've already worn it twice since finishing it. Yay for happy patterns!

Today was a sick day... on the evening we returned from the backpacking adventure, I went to my nephew's fourth birthday party... many many screaming sugar-high children who were all in all pretty damn funny. At one point DD (nephew) was jumping around in the kitchen saying "I've... had... too... much... sugar.... sugar... sugar.... sugar..."

Anyway, children are petri dishes and lo and behold, I got sick. So I spent all day sleeping and knitting the sleeve of my soon to be new favorite sweater... the black CPH. I love cardigans, I love black cardigans even more, and I love the 220 superwash from Cascade. Let's hear a cheer for Cascade 220! Those COLORS! That feel! Love love love. I can't wait to finish this cardigan.

I'll update with pics soon! Stay tuned!

I'm baaaaaaaack!

What, you didn't know I was gone? Yeah, well. I was. Gone, that is. And now I'm back. But here's where I was:


We've been backpacking in Wyoming with some friends. I've never been backpacking with others before... usually it's either me solo or me with the hubby and dogs. But it was super fun! I confess, I thought about taking some knitting, but after somber consideration I realized that I wouldn't have knit even if I had yarn and needles. There's so much fun to be had! Like king of the mountain:














And swimming!
Did you honestly expect me to knit with such wonders before me? Most definitely not. I did think about knitting though. And now that I am home I will knit, and peruse Ravelry when I should be knitting, and probably buy more yarn for patterns I found on Ravelry when really I should have been knitting. And hopefully then knit.

Alas, poor skinny bitch, we knew her well...

Oh, hello!

I know, long time no type. Like others before me, I have fallen off the face of the blogging world, only to be caught up and swept away by the loveliness that is Ravelry. I cannot, in good conscience, apologize because it is just too wonderful to be swirling around in patterns and favorites and such, I can only offer that I haven't forgotten you completely... I WILL update again!... and if not already there, I will pray for your immediate inclusion into Ravelry. And if you haven't signed up for Ravelry yet...

WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?

Uh, I mean... I will pray for your sanity. Wait, that's not right either. Um, yeah. :D I love you all.


Dude - that third sentence was AWESOME. Best grammar EVER.