This makes me laugh

...every time I walk by it. This is the holiday events signboard at Pioneer Courthouse Square, kind of a block-wide plaza in the middle of downtown.


Don't see it? Let me zoom in for you. Bottom right. HAPPY HOLIDAYS!


How much do I love my boss? She decided we had to celebrate National Bundt Cake day. There were *5* bundt cakes. I didn't know about it or I would have brought one too.

I've been dyeing

a little.

Sleepytime

Labyrinth

BFL pin roving

Precious Metals

Teal is the New Black

Ripe Limes


I've been trying to move outside of my color comfort zones. I've been having a great time just messing around. The problem is, what am I going to do with all this yarn, now? (and the names? totally so much fun coming up with them)

Christmas

Oh yes, I said it. Yes I did.

I have a strong desire to just get all the makework of Christmas done early this year. I like the idea of contacting people and I like my friends and family but honestly, cards are a pain in the derriere. I love giving presents but I dislike being pushed to figure something out and find it at the last minute. I am annoyed by long lines at the post office. I avoid putting together packages (I don't really understand why, it just seems to take me forever.)

I feel like this every year but it seems particularly strong this time. I love Christmas. I like laid-back holidays; we never had high-expectation holidays when I was a kid and I continue to refuse to stress out about something that's supposed to make me happy, at least on the day of. This year I'd just like to extend that for most of the month, since I enjoy the ambiance so much (5 billion repeats of "All I want for Christmas is my 2 front teeth" is NOT AMBIANCE, it's NOISE). I don't enjoy shopping in crowds at all, and if I do it in November, then I won't have to in December. But all the decorations? Even some of the cheesy old carols? The smell of pine? Pretty lights? LOVE.

We're probably not traveling this year - for the first time in 9 years. The Love Monkey's work thought it'd be a good idea to have some January deadline (yeah, that always works SO WELL), so he can't really take off extra time. I made him absolutely promise not to work Christmas, though, not even unofficially. I'm secretly happy I do not have to battle airlines and weather and cope with buses and luggage and travel, although we'll miss being with family.

Anyway. Christmas. Maybe I was a crow in previous life, since I have such an affinity for shiny, pretty, and glittery, especially in December. Everything else seems so dark and cold during this time of year, and winter holidays seem to cut right through that.

-------------------

I bought a suit this weekend. There was an extremely lucky happy accident for me at a consignment shop on Saturday. I have never owned a suit in my life; my "pretend I look professional" clothes are sad and don't really communicate that message very well. I wonder if this is another checkbox on the "adult" list I can check off.

We pause for station identification

Ha ha, get it, PAWS!!???!!

Because crappy puns are about all I can manage today. Not sick, just meh. It's okay, this happens ever late autumn/winter.


Frances believes I should look more into hibernation.

Stupid Monday

blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah rain rain blah blah blah blah blah blah blah rain rain rain rain

Pretending I am an artiste

Which is really easy to do when you've got subjects as beautiful as the ones in the Japanese Gardens in Fall.






The 'rents loved it, and the farmer's market was great too (Sadly the chile man was GONE! I guess that was his last weekend 2 weeks ago.) It was a lovely Saturday.

Rainy Friday

I'm rocking the drowned rat look today. I biked to work in the rain, and it wasn't just drizzle today. Not super heavy, but heavy enough. It was FABULOUS! I had the streets mostly to myself (besides the cars), and it wasn't really that cold; I wore knee-high wool socks under my pants and they keep me pretty warm even when wet.

I had on a rain jacket, no problems there, but my shoes are soaking wet. Ah well. I brought extra socks and I keep a pair of sandals stashed under my desk at work. I'm wearing my red Hawaiian shirt today (made in Hawaii!) in honor of the weather.

See, I really really needed to move around today, quickly. And for a bonus, when you're sweating, the rain isn't really all that noticeable (except when it was whipping into my face. bleh. Need to get clear goggles or something).

I love my parents and enjoy having them around, but I'm also used to my own ways of doing things and it's stressful to me to upset my routine. Doesn't that just make me sound fusty? But it's true, and it's easier to cope with if I acknowledge it. I've also gots lots of fun psychological baggage and that always comes screaming to the fore when family is around. Oh, nothing horrible, just regular stuff.

Mom & I are spending evenings knitting on the couch; it's pretty awesome. She and Grandma taught me to knit in the first place, and now I'm showing her how to do sock heels. (She decided to make Christmas socks for everyone this year (sock gifting is our obscure family tradition) and she chose 4 different patterns with 3 different heels and hasn't ever done socks before. Although the beauty of doing an ENORMOUS sock on worsted weight yarn is that you can see everything you're doing really well.)

She picked up heel flaps just like that (ha, ha, 'picked up'). I haven't ever done afterthought heels but the directions were enough that we worked through them together, and tonight it's a short row heel. Meanwhile I am working on mittens for the nieces. Whoosh, they go fast (and I am a slow, slow knitter).

Tomorrow we'll hit the downtown farmer's market, and maybe the Japanese Garden, and perhaps some Fabric Depot goodness or just lounge about and play a couple games. I'm really grateful they were able to retire this year, because they're getting up there and I thought they ought to have some time to enjoy themselves. They seem to be having a pretty good time with it.