Hildene sky

Photo taken in Manchester, Vermont, Sat. July 29th, at 5:41 p.m.; posted August 1st.

It's Friday afternoon...

...and unlike most weekends, I'm already in Vermont.

I'm about to drive up to Manchester for my reenaccting unit's encampment at Robert Todd Lincoln's Hidene...

...and it's pouring outside.

Camping in the rain, anyone?

(It's supposed to clear up overnight with just a slight chance of showers over the weekend. Please keep your fingers crossed...)

Rainy Saturday Sky

Rain, rain go away... at least for a few days? And take that crappy heat/humidity combo with you, please?

That's OK. Despite the crappy weather, we've got sock knitting.

A midsummer night

Look who came to visit this week...

My nieces! My sister came down with them for a few days this week, and I was able to get out of work early today so that I could go to a Long Island Ducks game with both of my sisters and my nieces. What a great way to spend a hot summer night...

That's some duck ass, isn't it?

Life is good!

I'm a traveling gal... Part 2

Back to my adventures in the 'burbs of Chicago... but before I continue, I must show you the rental car I wound up with.

Yes, that's a rental car, the car that would be referred to as the "pimped out PT Cruiser!"

Wednesday, June 28th--More training. Lunch in the cafeteria. Here's the view outside the cafeteria at the office.

That night we went to Tuscany, a great italian restaurant in Wheeling. Look at the yummy desserts we had!

Tiramisu and White Chocolate Mousse Cake (l. to r.)

Later that night a wicked storm, which included hail, moved through the area. I've never seen hail before.

Thursday, June 29th--All training. No pictures.

Friday, June 30th--We got done with our final meetings early, saw another deer outside the office, had authentic Chicago deep-dish pizza for lunch, and since we had quite a bit of time before our scheduled flights (and the possible earlier flights were sold out) we decided to take a little road trip...

Why Wisconsin? Because it was there (and only 30 miles north of the office). Got off the interstate at the first exit in Wisonsin and would up at an outlet mall. Did a little shopping and then headed south for the airports. Dropped my coworker off at O'Hare, and then continued on to Midway for my flight. Traffic was unbelievably heavy, so I had plenty of time to look at the Chicago skyline.

From Midway I flew back to Hartford and went home to my sweetheart! And we got to watch the town's July 4th fireworks display--my first of what I hope with be many.

Forgive me for being so late, but I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday!

Saturday Sunday sky

A day late, but the sky was just as blue...

A Monday knitting update

Yeah, actual knitting content. I hope Carole and Jess don't fall off their chairs ;-)

I'm making little bits of progress some of my current projects...

The socks that were supposed to be my Red Hot Red Socks project are coming along. I picked up gusset stitches this morning and started the decreases.

I'm on to the leg of Jim's Trekking sock--plain old stockinette, which suits me just fine. I could use a little stockinette in my life right now. My rounds are going faster now and besides, the color changes are sooooo pretty.

Those are my portable projects of the moment.

And now, some commuting photos. I went in to the office both days this past weekend. We're working on that book-that-shall-remain-nameless again, which means long days and weeks for us through early August. And no visiting my house. Suckie. But the train time will allow me to work on some socks.

LIRR--Jamaica Station, Sunday afternoon

Sunday sunset over Long Island

I'm a traveling gal... Part 1

From Friday, June 23rd through Tuesday, July 4th I was traipsing around the northeast and Midwest. Here are some of the highlights from the first part of this journey...

Friday night, June 23rd--Armed with lots of clothes (work, play, and reenacting), a laptop computer, cell phone, BlackBerry, and a bit of sock yarn, I journey north to my new home. Saturday was spent doing house stuff, since it had been nearly a month from my last visit. On Sunday Jim and I day tripped it to Troy, New York for a Civil War event with our reenacting unit.

That's my unit's gun, "Evelyn," being manned with the assistance of a Civil War Naval unit.

On the way home from Troy we stopped at Home Depot in Bennington, Vermont for a few items. Managed to spend only $72 this time. (Last time it was around $450.)

Monday brought more stuff around the house, followed by an afternoon flight out of Hartford to Chicago for a week of training. Two-hour flight delay (east coast weather), but I got to swatch for Jim's Trekking sock. Check into the Deerfield Hyatt, too pooped to do anything but go to sleep.

Tuesday, June 27th was spent in the office (because this was a business trip, after all) with two of my coworkers who also went on this trip. Dinner that night was at one of my favorite restaurants out there. Great meal, great dessert,

(it really was the Very Best Chocolate Cake) and our very entertaining waiter who did a chicken dance for us.

After we stuffed ourselves, we headed east towards Lake Michigan. Stopped at Glencoe Beach, touched the water (you always have to touch the water when you travel to another place) and took a whole bunch of pictures...

I thought of Sandy while looking at this gorgeous sky...

That's it for now. Next time... the second half of my trip.

Knitting update

Here's what's going on lately at Chez Elizzabetty...

An airplane project--Trekking socks for Jim. I spent my flight out to Chicago swatching this and then casting on for the cuff. I love the color changes of this stuff.

And after much (repeated) tinking of the leg and heel flap of my baby cable sock, I finally got to turn the heel on the flight home from Chicago last Friday.

Finally, this weekend I started what I thought would be another pair of soldier socks for Jim. Figured it would be good to do in camp at reenactments. However, after discovering that I did not have another skein of this yarn, I decided that it's now going to be an arm sock. It's good to be adaptable...

That's all for now. Next time... a business travelogue--with pictures.

H is for...

Home

...where my Honey is...