Yes, we have no pictures today.

Someday, we'll get a PC with a photo port, and with God as my witness, I'll never go photo-less again. It's like reading a real book, only without any of the literary merit.

This past week there has been much knitting. Much knitting on the Technicolor Dream Sweater, and much knitting of some make-up and notion bags. Not much knitting on the Dale gift, and absolutely not one stitch on the Eris Cardigan. I fear I shall never get to wear it. We eagerly await progress in our sleep by the benevolent knocturnal knitting kgnomes.

Make a note, all ye knitters of bags which will be lined and zippered: Do NOT, under any circumstance, sew the lining (with MILLIONS of tiny stitches) right up next and by next I mean hey baby how YOU doin' close to the zipper teeth. Because then your zipper will not work and all those stitches will have been in vain and the very thought that now you must undo them all and make them all over again with those evil pointy needles will make you want to lay in the road and eat cheesecake.

Not that I did that.

Knitting in the Afternoon

Yesterday, I got together with some of my knitting buddies, and it was awesome! It was so nice to see everyone before I'm gone for who knows how long. I can't guarantee frequent trips home, it being a 14 hour flight and all!

I got to see Pam, Sara, Heather, and Melanie. I missed the Lucious Graciouses (how on earth do you pluralize that?), Illana and Eva. Illana was slaving over hot yarn and sharp needles at Jessica Knits, and Eva was out of town. Being less gracious than the LG's, I somehow managed to think I emailed them when I didn't, so, that sucks for me.

We all met out at Coffee Rush in Chandler, and I got to see some great projects. It's hard to keep yourself motivated with no other real live knitters nearby, the whole virtual motivation thing only works for me when it comes to buying yarn and casting on yet another project! Let's see, we were working on:

Me: super-secret-gift Dale project on very tiny needles.
Pam: a crocheted sweater with very pretty lacy bell sleeves.
Sarah: the still-lost points shawl. Really gorgeous magenta/purple type yarn.
Heather: feather and fan baby blanket, and healing a new tattoo!! Both are beautiful.
Melanie: seaming her argyle vest (can't wait to see it all done and debuted!), and frantically working on some gift scarves.

It was a great afternoon, and I felt so loved that everyone would come out on an off-kilter day to fling some yarn!

A Lesson in Shee-mu and Weewee Honka

I have been a traveling lady. In the last week-and-a-half, we've gone from Virginia Beach VA to Columbus OH to Memhis TN to Orlando FL, and now I write to you from Scottsdale AZ. Whew, that's a lotta trekkin'.

Let me tell you what, I was not too good to haul ass and sprint to catch my plane this morning, because to miss it meant another week in the car. I am not a good long-distance driver or passenger. I get cranky and crabby and generally unpleasant to be around. Praise God that my husband loves me and hasn't left me on some nowhere highway for the coyotes.

I am DYING right now for that little port on the computer that my camera's memory card fits into, but this one just doesn't have it. I don't mean to brag, but I have what may possibly be the cutest nieces and nephews EVER. If only I could prove it today...alas.

While we were in Ohio, we spent time with my sister's 3 wee beasties. At 5, 2 1/2, and 1, they are fun just to observe. The two oldest are boys, and Baby-girl Sara is a princess. While we were there, we were schooled by Andrew, 2 1/2, on "Weewee Honka," and the "Poompas on the Chok-O-Lot." It has been determined that he is speaking of Willy Wonka and his Oompa-Loompas, who (according to him) are the crunchy bits on the chocolate bars. We also learned about "naked pizza night," which we plan to incorporate into our child-rearing tool-kit. Basically all the kids strip off their shirts and can dig in as messily as they want, then you just lock them out onto the patio and hose them clean. This is a big hit all around. The pizza, that is, not the hosing.

Memphis: RIBS.

Then it was on to Orlando. The Lt's older sister and her family are there, so we wanted to drop in. It was great finally getting to know her, after being with the Lt for only 5 years... Their kids are awesome, so we decided to go to SeaWorld. Works out really well, since military members and up to 3 guests get in FREE. (Thank you, Anheuser Busch.) So, we're at SeaWorld, in between the potty breaks that is, and Uncle Lt and Aunt Ashley keep talking about this Shamu person, and how cool she is. Well, who is Shamu?, we get asked. We go over to the orca tank, and can you believe that 2 orcas end up coming over and waving (fins) and nodding and showing great huge tongues and rows of seal-crushing teeth. It was really cool how they were interacting with all the kids, but I'm still not sure who was mimicking who!

It's at this juncture where we're explaining to the kids that Shamu does a show just like the dolphins do, and later we'll see her jump high and swim fast, and even get splashed by her, that Tristan, 6, says: "Um, Aunt Ashley? I think it's SHEE-mu." And the boy cannot be convinced otherwise. He is also highly skeptical of the fact that many of his peers have probably seen Shee-mu and would be interested to hear about his day at Seaworld, and will debate you for hours that he has surely seen horses MUCH bigger than the Budweiser Clydesdales. The ultimate highlight of the day: teaching your nephew a new word. When asked by his mother how big is Shee-mu?, he answered in an awestruck whisper that "she is giNORmous!"

In knitting news, the Eris cardigan is neverending. There are pros and cons of knitting your sweater in one piece. Pro: no piecing. Con: 300+ stitch rows. It takes me so long to do one little row that by the end I'm tired.

Have successfully finished some baby items from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Well, just one technically finished, the other just needs stuffed and stitched shut.

There is much progress on a Dale project on teeny tiny needles. I don't care what you sock knitters say, size 0-2 does not a car-project make.

BTW, if you haven't seen/heard Madonna's new song, it's the straight shiz, yo. What I mean is that it's an awesome, techno-disco, make you want to do the hustle right there in the bank, groove. The video is super slick, she's in full flashdance diva regalia and her body is as state-of-the-art as ever. She obviously works like a maniac, because she's got an ass that just won't quit. Love her or hate her, she's a force to be reckoned with.