My cousin was out on business again and while he waited for parts to show up, we went to the USS Hornet Museum in Alameda. Wow. Just wow. I had no idea. For one thing, those aircraft carriers are HUGE and this one's been decommisioned for decades. For another, it's the carrier that picked up the crew of the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12.

   

Roomy, eh? Yikes.

 

Mobile Quarantine Facility. The crew of Apollo 14 spent two weeks here after their venture on the moon. Hopefully they got along.

 

Possibly the USS Hornet. Possibly the carrier next to it.

Look what Amy aka Knit Think sent me! MN apples! They actually crunch. I'm srsly contemplating moving to MN. If only I could move the ocean with me.

 

Ignore the fact that I look like I have werewolf wrists. Altho- WTH?

 

Current knitting obsession, Spinnity's Larus + Ardea. It's twined knitting, which is basically knitting with both ends of the ball of yarn, alternately, always carrying the new yarn over the old yarn. Weird that the contrast color looks blue, IRL it's a purple/black that Spinnity graciously wound off from her ball of yarn during her class. I still can't believe I brought a single project, no extra yarn or needles to a Knitting Retreat. Normally I carry a set of dpn's on me, just in case and overnight anywhere? Several projects. But if you go unprepared, go with knitters.

What's On TV:

(I think. TV and I are on the outs.) But I'm still watching DWTS Monday nights (Go Kelly! Go Louie!), Castle at 10pm, House between dances.

Tuesday: NCIS at 8pm. I want to like NCIS: LA because it has a great cast but so far it just hasn't gelled for me. Sons of Anarchy at 10pm on FX.

Flashforward on Thursdays. Joseph Fiennes character had better get his act together, the way he's moping around about his wife's future-so-far-not-actual affair would pretty much drive me into the guy's arms. Man up, dude.

September Reading Update:

Cardinal Richelieu and the Making of France by Anthony Levi (library) (bio) 2001. Started 8/26, finished 9/21. The author is known for his lit crit so I'd love to read his take on the literature of the period. Richelieu suffered from migraines, dealing with Louis XIII, his mother and their court? Not surprisingly.

1634:The Galileo Affair by Eric Flint and Andrew Weber, 2004 (library) (Alt Hist) 2004, 675 pages. Started.....? And still not done. I've been reading it in snatches of time and while I'm around 150 pages into it, they're still setting up the plot which is why I think it's been taking a backseat.

September ended up being an uncharacteristically social month between cont ed, knitting retreats, visiting cousin, ancient friends popping up from LA and oh!

I saw Carol Burnett last Thursday night at the Paramount in Oakland. It was billed as an evening of laughter and reminscences, she took questions from the crowd and showed some video clips. I'm sorry to report that when they turned the lights back on after the first clip, I was deeply annoyed I'd left my knitting at home.

Comments

[Angie]

Very cool tour! That gives a whole new meaning to the middle seat. :D

Your twined knitting looks very nice! No spare knitting stuff to a retreat? Did you take your temperature? :D

Only 1.x books? I just finished Ill Wind by Rachel Caine which is the first of a series. Should I go on? Have you read these?

We do have apples in Wisconsin, plus we have two very large ocean-like lakes.......

[Becky]

Love the pics of your tour. Neat stuff.

Your Larus (or is it Ardea?) looks great. What a dilemma to have only one project with you. That would probably be the one you just don't feel like knitting right now, huh?

[Chris]

Were those Honeycrisp apples? Those are the best, and were developed here.

Y'know, we do have Lake Superior, which is a freshwater sea for all practical purposes.........

[Karen]

I agree about NCIS:LA...just isn't working for me...despite the seriously beautiful blue eyes of Chris O'Donnell.

[Elspeth]

That sounds like me - I would not be happy to not have my knitting in a potentially boring situation!

[Knitnana]

Carol Burnette boring? OMG...the earth stopped turning.
Very cool museum!!!
:)
And the knit looks intriquing.
(((hugs)))

[Stacey]

MN is close to WI where Angie and Nora and Beverly live. What about the shores of a REALLY BIG lake? Because they have those.

[Rebekah]

Are they Honey Crisps! I love HOney Crisps and the ones from the midwest are the best, however even though I'm in the midwest we only get Washington HOney Crisps at our stores. I have to count on my mom and dad to pick them up from Wisconsin and share.

[Jeanne]

Those apples are THE BEST!!! It's the only reason to live here.

[Cookie]

They have snow in MN. Don't forget about that. I think that would be harder to survive than the lack of an ocean.

[Bookfool, aka Nancy]

I loved the apples in Michigan for just that reason. They crunched. They were FRESH!! And, you could go choose your pumpkin, buy apples, drink cider and eat fresh donuts at the same place. I'd go back, snow and all.

Boy, those astronauts had to be pretty determined to put up with such small spaces, didn't they? Their chairs look mighty uncomfortable. Give the dudes a little padding, I say!

Psst, say a prayer for Miss Spooky. She's at the vet with bloody eyeballs, anemia, possible kidney issues and maybe internal bleeding. The vet said, "It's not as bad as it sounds." Uh, well. It sounds bad, Mr. Vet, sir.

[Rachel]

Cookie beat me to it. Remember it's MN we're talking about. Butt-cold and lots and lots of snow. Stick with the ocean!

Cool pictures! And Joseph Fiennes is on a television show?? What's your assessment of Gray's...I was almost disgusted enough not to watch last weeks episode but caved and watched when I needed an hour brain break. UGH.

[Miss T]

Looks like a cool museum.

[Bridget]

Apples. Crunchy. Few things in life are better.

[mary lou]

Don't you get crunchy apples in CA? Are they Honeycrisp or the new Sweet Tango? I will say that yes, Lake Superior is very ocean like, but no salt smell. It matters.

[Guinifer]

I'd take snow over earthquakes and hurricanes any day of the week! (Plus we get crunchy apples!)

Have you watched Glee or Drop Dead Diva? Love.

[Jocelyn]

What an amazing tour! Yes, aircraft carriers are imposingly huge, aren't they? It's amazing they float, somehow... The mitt is beautiful -- not seeing the werewolf thing, perhaps for the best?

[Carrie K]

Glee, yes. Love! I keep hearing about Diva- what's the network?

Only the occasional earthquake. I can't believe Lima Prieta was 20 yrs ago.

On Oct 8, 2009, at 7:16 PM, typepad@sixapart.com wrote:

[Literary Feline]

I love crunchy apples! That was nice of Amy to send you some from Minnesota. The USS Hornet Museum looks like it would a fun place to explore. Neither my husband nor I have been there yet. I haven't yet seen this week's episode of Flash Forward. We'll probably catch up this weekend. I agree with you about Joseph Fiennes character.

Have a good weekend, Carrie!

[kmkat]

Honeycrisp apples? Mmmm.

[Nora]

Angie beat me to it - Lake Michigan is just a few blocks from me, and geographically impaired folks often ask which ocean it is when they come to visit.

We also have cheese.

Just sayin'.

[Amanda Cathleen]

have to agree those space carriers are super neat!
mmmmm, apples that crunch. If you can ever get your hands on a honeycrisp apple, get many they are so freaking good.
I've done that! While visiting my parents I wanted to work on only one project and not expecting Mike to drive as much as he did I didn't bring enough yarn. Urgh. Thankfully though I had my socks in progress and finished the last one.

[Birdsong]

Now I HAVE to make it to that museum... we considered both times we stayed in Alameda last spring, but the weather was cold and wet. Next time... I love the twined mitt! I will have to investigate that.

[Heather]

Holy moly...that quarantine lab is tiny! But I'm oddly intrigued by it. Huh.

[puttermeister]

Man, you've been busy! I'm equally enthralled by the space capsules, Cardinal Richelieu, and Carol Burnett.

Those all have Cs in them. So I'll add: Crunchy apples--you are a lucky blogger indeed!

[Monika]

Twined knitting is on my list to do soon. How hard is it really? All my one handed shots of my own hand always look aweful.
I like NCIS but not NCIS:LA. I used to like to watch Bones too, but since last season I'm disappointed.

[Stefanie]

Wow, those astronauts must have gone stir crazy. First no room in the capsule and then two weeks in that sardine can for quarantine? MN apples are delicious, especially the Honeycrisps. You know I'm originally from Southern CA and I don't miss the ocean as much as you might expect. There is lots of water here and Lake Superior is almost like an ocean :)

[Aarti]

I'm so excited that apples are in season! So crisp and tart and wonderful- just like fall :-)

Finished Wolf Hall and really enjoyed it- I think you should pick it up. Have a feeling Margaret Pole may focus more prominently in the sequel, though she made a small appearance there.

[Sharon]

I like the mobile quarantine unit. LOL Looks like an Airstream to me. ;0)

Yes, Stefanie and Amanda! Honeycrisp apples ROCK!! You have to eat them with a napkin handy as they are so luscious and juicy. Mmmmmm.

So the Legos on my blog are a rendition of the contest they have on the Danube every 4 years. It's really cool to see. The Legos AND the actual contest. I love that country. If there was just more sun there.......... ;0)

[Sheri Burton Simms]

Love the Hornet stuff. You're always expanding my world! Love all the beautiful knitted stuff, you ladies rock ;)

[Brigitte]

Mmmmm... Honeycrisp apples! Those are the best. Yum!

Very cool pictures! The Mobile Quarantine Unit looks like an RV. Is that a microwave in there?!

And wow! Knitting! I haven't managed to do much what with an 8 week old kitten running about. Heh.

[Lorraine]

Carrie- I'm a russett apple person myself, which are in season now. Reason enough to move to the east coast.

[Lyssa]

Your twined mitts are rockin'!

[opal]

i don't know why, but i'm enjoying NCIS:LA. it's a little corny and it's easy to watch while i concentrate on other things like wicked, cross-eyed cross-stitch.

[Sonya]

If NASA told me we're going to shoot you into space, and then when you come back you'll splash into the ocean (we hope), but don't worry because we'll pick you up in a aircraft carrier where you will stay in quarantine for a couple of weeks in case you picked up any deadly space germs, I'd be looking for the exit.

I love your mitts! Your apples don't normally crunch?

[Marji]

Great pics of the Carrier and recovery capsule. Thanks for sharing. I can't believe all you accomplish, plus find time to blog about, while you're on deadline at work.
Apples from the northern midwest - MN, Wisconsin, Michigan, they're all the best!
Twined mittens! you go girl. I'll have to check out the ones on knitty - have you checked out Beth Brown-Reinsels? She teaches twined knitting at all the conferences. It's one of the old Norwegian techniques she's studied and teaches now.

[Aarti]

I'm intrigued by The Galileo Affair. Sounds sexy ;-)

[Helen]

I am so with you on NCIS-LA.
I love the wardrobe lady -- but question the need for a wardrobe lady. I mean seriously, they can't DRESS themselves???

It's clearly written by a different team.

I may give it one more chance, but then -- it's off my DVR. NCIS is so much better.
(and Castle)

Don't you like Bones?