My Middle Name is Patience

Wednesday? It's What Wednesday? Good Gravy

Wow, talk about losing chunk of your life to a migraine. I lost a whole week! Well, a week to the actual migraine - I'm lucky enough to "enjoy" cluster migraines, even though they're "supposed" to happen to men primarily. Stupid thing didn't go away until Saturday afternoon (after a Feel Better yarn purchase at the Yarn Boutique - I finally bought the yarn to make the Curve of Pursuit Log Cabin blanket pattern I bought in .......wait for it ........August 2006. Slow but steady?) And it's possible I cast on and knit the borders and a repeat of the body of the Mountain Stream Scarf.......

Any. Way. Headache went away. Laid around comatose the rest of the weekend watching Law & Orders.  Did knit up one of my Endpaper Mitts with Bellamoden's gorgeous hand dyed yarn - pix on ......the other computer. Bleargh. Pix later. (Well, they're also on Ravelry. CarrieK.)

Did manage to read most of Coyote Sleeps by CE Murphy, the 3rd installment of her Joanne Walker urban shaman series. Very, very slowly. I can't tell if it was the migraine and then I held the migraine against the book or if my desire to shake Joanne's teeth until they rattle is slowing me down from finishing it.

Now working on mountain of work that has very close deadline. Scarily close deadline.  Must work. Must not catch up on blogs first.......must work. Argh.

Oh! New television shows - Chuck has Adam Baldwin! Watch Chuck. Mondays at 8pm

Heroes was......okay. Not bad, not fabulous. Weirdly anticlimatic. It might have helped if I hadn't been flipping between it and Two and A Half Men though.

Journeyman - jury's still out. It's an intriguing premise and his former fiancee popping up in his Quantum Leap'ing times - at least he gets to go home - is different. The fact that his current wife used to be his brother's wife, or girlfriend, or close enough to be creepy is a little......creepy.

Tuesday is going to hard. Bones and NCIS at the same time? (8pm) House, Eureka (at least for another week - and Michael Shanks of Stargate SG1 is guest starring) and The Reaper all at 9:00pm? Cane and Damages at 10pm? Why do the networks hate me? They'll cancel all the ones I like anyway.

Tonight, The Bionic Woman premieres at 9pm and CSI NY is finally back at 10pm. I really hope Lindsay and Danny hook up and I'm normally NOT a fan of TV relationships but they're so darn cute. I don't feel that way about Mac and what'sherface. I really want to see how Criminal Minds is with Mandy Patinkin gone. I do like Joe Montegna, but he has a whole different energy.

Thursday, Law & Order Criminal Intent on USA at 10pm. (Burn Notice's old spot). Everyone watch, if only to confound NBC. (Okay, that and it's my fave L&O.) I think they put Without A Trace against it on CBS, the dogs.

Friday - Stargate Atlantis is back! At 10pm. TEN FREAKING O'CLOCK? Gah.

Sunday - Cold Case & Brother's and Sisters. The clip show of Brother's and Sister's was great Sunday. I really love that show. I actually missed Cold Case, I forgot! But I didn't need to go on a crying jag anyway, which is generally what that show makes me do. Shhh. Don't tell anyone.

Whining

Ah, sorry. I have nothing to say. My head hurts, I can't sleep, I haven't finished or gotten much farther on anything I've been knitting, I have four books that I've started since last Friday and can't quite get into any of them, the new TV season doesn't start for another week and all my summer shows are going away this week and....and....and....gah.

Not to mention, I've had the weirdest feeling that someone is watching me......

Memes

From Kristi The Fiber Fool:

1. What is your current favorite color? Federal Blue and/or orange
2. Had your favorite color changed over the years? Oh yeah. I used to be crazy for red, then black.
3. Is your current favorite color one that is currently trendy? (Do you see it in the fashion rags or on the clothes rack or in the linen aisle right now? How about 5 years ago?) Clothes racks? Shopping? Like I wear my favorite colors? Actually.......sort of. I tend to wear denim and neutrals.
4. What is your favorite color combination? Hmm. Federal Blue/Orange, Light Blue/Brown, cranberry/black, blue/yellow.........
5. Is that combination a popular one? (Is it use in prints you see in the stores and catalogs and magazines now? How about 5 years ago?) The light blue/brown seems to be lately. I think it's the Tiffany boxes.
6. What is your favorite way of using color in your knitting? (Are you a stranded knitter? Do you prefer simple stripes? Do you prefer just accents at the hems/collars?) My favorite way is stranding or Fair Isle, not that you can tell from what I've actually finished knitting.
7. What colors look good on you? Neutrals, fall colors.
8. What colors look bad on you? yellows, greens.
9. Do you wear colors that don’t look good on you just because you like them? Sometimes.
10. What is your favorite neutral color? black/white/ivory/tan/brown/gray – if brown or gray do you prefer cool or warm versions of those or does it matter? And, how dark? Brown. Very dark to quite light. But I prefer neutrals.
11. Is there a sweater pattern that uses more than one color that you’d like to make, but you wish to change the colors from what is published? If yes, which one? What do you not like about the published colors? Yes. Which one???  I tend to change all of them. Except Her Highness. Hmm. Usually because it's not a good neutral combo, come to think of it. I also like a punchy color paired with a neutral and not two or more really flashy colors.

And Booking Through Thursday:

Okay . . . picture this (really) worst-case scenario: It’s cold and raining, your boyfriend/girlfriend has just dumped you, you’ve just been fired, the pile of unpaid bills is sky-high, your beloved pet has recently died, and you think you’re coming down with a cold. All you want to do (other than hiding under the covers) is to curl up with a good book, something warm and comforting that will make you feel better.

What do you read?

Actually, geez. If it was all that? I couldn't read. I can't focus on a book in times of deep crisis/mourning. But if I'm just sick & feverish,  or sick & tired? I like to read either really heavy duty non fiction, preferably far, far over my head (because I tend to run really high fevers and it gives me the illusion I completely understand concepts far beyond my comprehension) or a ripping spy thriller.

Whoops. Last weeks:

So, this is my question to you–are you a Goldilocks kind of reader?

Do you need the light just right, the background noise just so loud but not too loud, the chair just right, the distractions at a minimum?

Or can you open a book at any time and dip right in, whether it’s for twenty seconds, while waiting for the kettle to boil, or indefinitely, like while waiting interminably at the hospital–as long as the book is open in front of your nose, you’re happy to read?

I can read anytime, anywhere. And I do.

The Dark Tower & Carrie

I spent the better part of the last few days holed up, grumpy and *reading. Since I seem to be frogging everything I knit, I decided to save time and NOT KNIT.

At ALL.

(Well, okay, so I did a bit of the border for the Lace Edged Top aka Golden Gate. But that's barely knitting. At least I didn't frog the whole thing.)

Then this!  that you can get here, and more: such gorgeous yarn! Luckily there's The Dark Tower to go with it (black yarn). Bellamoden dyed it especially for me, yarn for Eunny's Endpaper Mitts. So perfect, eh?  A nice stained glass effect.....

I'm also a little partial to the Farenheit 451 yarn.....

And because the quiz colors are too, too perfect with the Carrie yarn, stolen from Kniting in the Shadows:

You Are Sunset

Even though you still may be young, you already feel like you've accomplished a lot in life. And you feel free to pave your own path now, and you're not even sure where it will take you. Maybe you'll pursue higher education in a subject you enjoy - or travel the world for a few years. Either way, you approach life with a relaxed, open attitude. And that will take you far!

What Time Of Day Are You?

Yes, yes, that's me in a nutshell. Relaxed, open attitude. Quit laughing, BFF & Brother & SIL.

*Read: Little Ice Age by Brian Fagan, fascinating and thankfully I've been deciphering celcius vs farenheit the last few years because otherwise it would've been a lot less understandable.

Secondhand Smoke by Karen Olson, the second in her Annie Seymour, journalist series. I enjoyed this one out more, maybe after finally getting into Saving Grace on TNT.

Winter Moon by Mereces Lacky, Tanith Lee and CE Murphy: Short stories by three good fantasy writers, I picked up the book for Banshee Cries by CE Murphy as it's the 1.5 book in her Jo Walker series. A nice way to spend the afternoon.

Am currently reading The Possiblity of an Island by Michel Houllebecq. Found through Dewey.

** Read previously and didn't post a review: Restitution by Lee Vance, read & reviewed by Joy who didn't care much for it but thought that it was the financial angle - I actually picked it up because of the financial angle and while I didn't dislike the book, the characters seemed very flat and plot driven. There were a few characters (notably the women) who would switch gears completely in a single conversation.

Fun on the Ferries

While I spent most of my weekend putting the darts in the wrong place on Elizabeth (I think, I just glanced at it this morning packing it into my purse) I did get out Sunday night  and saw Two Days in Paris with BFF starring Julie Delpy (who wrote and directed it too) and Adam Goldberg - pretty good movie! Much, much better than *I expected. I'd tell you my favorite lines, but it'll wreck it if you see it. It's a relationship movie (as I suspected) but thankfully it's not two days of Deep Talking About THE Relationship. They're both pretty quirky - to say the least. (*Yeah, I hate romantic relationship movies generally. Give me War or The Bourne Ultimatum or even The Queen instead.)

Monday I dragged A on the various ferries   since the Bay Bridge was down for the weekend -  (Click to enlarge any of the picures) to go to the Sausalito Art Fair. Despite her constant need to get to places at the last second and my desire to get there with plenty of time to spare, we managed to catch all the ferries (although there was running & sniping involved) on time. The biggest glitch was that I didn't realize the first ferry out of Oakland didn't go to Pier 41! It dropped us off at the SF Ferry Building with about 20 minutes to get to Pier 41 and no idea of how far away it was (not that far, although I don't think she could have hoofed it in time) or a bus schedule. Luckily while every cab that came by was in use, the F Line showed up in the nick of time.

The Art Festival itself was much fun! Lots of art, yes I know! Oddly enough. But true. All of it pretty much priced out of my range but fun to look at.

The Golden Gate Bridge was nicely shrouded in fog on our way in but lovely on the way back. We even got an unexpected loop around Angel Island on the trip home.

Pictures of Alcatraz tomorrow - that is one gloomy hopeless looking rock. You can just feel the misery rolling off of it.

I can't believe that in all the time I've lived here (my whole life), I've never taken a ferry. Chartered boats, sure. Sailboats. The occasional dinner cruise. But never a ferry, although I did drop off a girlfriend at the Oakland Ferry on the way to work in the morning for a month or so while the Bay Bridge was out of commission from the earthquake. She said it was the most relaxing commute home she'd ever had. On the water, rocking gently, a nice glass of wine......bus & BART weren't even bad after that.

All TV All the Time. Except When it's Knitting or Reading

The History Channel is running a marathon of The Universe today, check it out. Tomorrow night the new episodes of Digging For Truth starts at 9pm.  Naturally at 9pm is the next-to-last episode of The Closer too.

Marathons running on Monday: (Not running marathons, silly! TV marathons) (See all the work I do for you? Actually, confession: I have read the TV Guide cover to cover since I was in High School every. single. week. I might not have watched it - there was a time I barely watched TV or even bothered to hook my cable up - but I knew what was on.)

FX - Damages from 3pm to 8pm. Twisty show, great cast. The website gets on my nerves though. Watching computer images spin around is not my favorite pasttime on a computer.

Hallmark - Murder She Wrote from 8am to 1am Tuesday (so shoot me, I love Murder She Wrote. All those guest stars! Everyone was on her show.)

Tuesday -The Universe  on the History Channel at 8pm, Eureka on Sci Fi Channel at 9pm, Damages on FX at 10pm

Wednesday. Wow, nothing.  Whoops! Feasting on Asphalt is on at 8pm, Food Network. My TV Guide is under the impression that Anchorwoman made it another week though. (Cancelled! After one ep that no, I didn't watch. Was never going to either, a sad truth of about 90% of what's on the networks nowadays.  If it wasn't for cable, I'd switch my TV off forever. Probably.)

Thursday - Tim Gunn's new show! Tim Gunn's Guide to Style 10pm on Bravo. I love him so much on Project Runway, I'm even looking forward to a wardrobe makeover show, just because it's him.

Friday - everyone who has already seen Jericho on CBS at 8pm can watch Dr. Who on the Sci Fi Channel, otherwise you must watch Jericho. (Oooh, I'd forgotten that Esai Morales is joining the Jericho cast. )

I can't get into Flash Gordon but I'm hooked on Painkiller Jane despite the ludicrous plot twists and gaping plot holes. It's fun.

HGTV is revamping their schedule. Simply Quilts & Carol Duvall are back at 8 & 8:30am but Knitty Gritty is only on Fridays at 7am now. Boo. OTOH, Craft Lab is going to be in that time slot on Mondays & Uncommon Threads on Thursdays.

Saturday? Saturday is the Feasting On Asphalt w/Alton Brown marathon, starting at 4pm. I love his Good Eats show, all that science! Well, all that food. Yum. Feasting On Asphalt makes me want to take a road trip. I'll have to settle for a couple of ferries and a jaunt into Oakland to get to the Sausalito Art Festival. The question is - what knitting project do I take with me? I'm thinking the Jaywalkers, or the borders for the Golden Gate top. Oh, duh. Border for Golden Gate. So appropriate. (Not that I'll probably get any knitting in, mind you, but just in case.)

There's been actual knitting progress on Liz - I'm about halfway through the first chart - I hit a snag with that 3 in one increase stitch at the base of the pattern and I'm still not overwhelmingly happy with it, but I ripped it back at least three times and redid it. The borders for Golden Gate are slowly being knit up (my carry around knitting right now, so with any luck, those'll be done by Tuesday.)

Reading: A Little Ice Age by Brian Fagan. Interesting, more historically than climatically. Climate seems to rely heavily on North/West/East/South.......in other words, gibberish.

Oh! speaking of gibberish - why on earth do charts include the even rows of charts when you're knitting the knits and purling the purls? I had to WRITE OUT the first few rows to even figure that out and changing the meaning of a symbol to the opposite  every other row just confuses me no end.

Oh no! Columbo started! And Johnny Cash is the guest star. Have a great weekend!