Lousy reporters

The cannon situation is still going on, even though legislation was pass and has now been signed by Governor Douglas. Two weeks ago Jim got a call from a reporter for the New York Times. She had heard about the cannon and was working on a article about it. I was cautiously optimistic that this would be a great opportunity to really publisize the story. She conducted a phone interview with Jim and since then we've been waiting to hear when the story would run.

Well, it's in today's paper and I'm so angry and disappointed. She screwed up her facts. Totally. I was so upset this morning that I sent her a two and a half page letter detailing what she got wrong and what the actually facts are, which if she had bothered to spend some time researching and reading she could have figured out for herself. I even provided her with some documentation and she still got it wrong! What the f*ck?!?!?!?!?!?!? The articles that appeared in the Burlington Free Press and Rutland Herald were far superior in terms of accuracy and balance.

I feel awful about this. I expected better coverage. Hell, I expected her to DO.HER.JOB as a reporter. Unbelievable!!!

Throughout this whole ordeal I haven't said much of anything about this to many people at work, and I definitely didn't say anything prior to any of the other articles being published. This one I've been talking about a bit. Not a lot, but enough that now I'm going to have to explain what's wrong with it. And since a lot of people I work with read the Times--and this article appeared on page 26 of the main section of the paper and many people know that about me and Jim and the unit--I'm going to have even more explaining to do.

It sucks feeling like I have to defend myself--and Jim--against the Times. It's so unfair...

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I really appreciate the support you guys have given me throughout this whole thing. Jess--I think I'm going to have to take you with me to kick some asses! Thank you for all of your kind comments, even though I've sucked at acknowledging them lately. (That's another thing on my mid-year's resolution list. I'm working on it.) Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

I've got a new attitude...

...or at least a new template. I still have to do some clean up in the sidebar, but this one definitely feels much better!

Coming back

I'm coming back to blogland. I'm now done with the other class, although it didn't end well for me. Long story, I'll explain in a few weeks, but I'm OK with it right now. Work has been really crazy busy the last few weeks and we've started working on son-of-the-book-that-shall-remain-nameless. (It's a quarter of the size of the other book, but only half the angst.) It seems like my nasty sinus infection has cleared up, but in it's place I've got a middle ear infection--and 10 more days of antibiotics. Geesh...

Anyway, as a mid-year's resolution (a New Year's Resolution that's six months late) I'm going to start blogging more frequently. I haven't set the goal yet, but I'm thinking at least a minimum of twice a week. Carole is so good about blogging during the work week, and if I could be just half as good as her I'd be thrilled. So there may be some lame posts, but I need to develop the discipline--and to write. And maybe a redesign. (I really need a different look for my blog.) So humor me, please, while I get my sh*t together here.

And now I present... blog pictures!

Here's the Yarn Harlot representing at the Calvin in Northampton. Seriously. She's inside there. I took this picture at 6:39 on May 20th. She was inside there. I was driving by. (Yeah, I know, I was heading south and had to be back on Long Island at a reasonable hour.)

I got the summer plantings taken care of over Memorial Day weekend...

Such a lovely stone wall, isn't it? Props to my beloved. His stone wall is the talk of the Mount Snow region. Seriously. I was with him at his doctor's office last week and somebody who works there came over to us to tell us how much they liked the wall. (What can I say--it's a small town!)

And last but not least, here's some knitting content. Presenting a swatch of my first handpaint!

I'm thrilled with it! I can't wait to bring it over to Punkin's so we can figure out what sock pattern I should use. Of course, I'm open to suggestions from everyone. Please?

And now on to something that's not law related...

Well, that's it for now. I have got to get some sleep. And maybe tomorrow there will be a little more blogging?

One class down, and one to go

Tuesday was my last night of classes. On the good side, I'm done with my Intro to Law class, and the final wasn't as bad as I feared it might be. On the bad side, I didn't finish all of my writing assignments for the Legal Research class. Apparently, though, a lot of other people in the class didn't finish their assignments either. Guess what we all got--extensions! So, I won't be back to regular blogging just yet, but I wanted to post a little bit for you on the dyeing class I took at Webs.

Web's parking lot at 9:30am--their not even officially open and the parking lot is packed.

There's Charlene!

Skein #1 (shades of blue) and my five cups of dye.

Dye applied!

Waiting for a steam bath with the other "kids" in the class.

Skein #2 (pink, green and yellow), painted in yellow, waiting for the other two colors.

Five hours later at home...

Both plastic wrap skeins have cooled and are about to get their final rinse.

Voila!

Tomorrow evening, after a stop at Punkin's to show her my dye babies--and let her kids wind some skeins into yarn balls--I'm off to Vermont for the weekend. Just going to work around the house and work on those papers. Maybe blog a little. We'll see...

Glub... glub...

Quick breath here...

There was an article in the Burlington Free Press yesterday about the cannon. Legislation regarding the gun was passed on May 12th with only one change--the Vermont agency responsible for overseeing the gun was change from the Agency of Administration to Housing and Community Affairs. Unfortunately, it's that agency's Historic Preservation division that the museum was working with to take the gun. We now have to wait for them to arrange for an inspection of the gun.

Would you be surprised that I'm a little concerned about how fixed this inspection might go, provided they don't drag their asses to get it done arrange it in a timely manner?

Going back under now...

Look what I made...

And I thought spinning would be my next obsession hobby...

Coming up for a breath

God, it's been so long since I've posted! I had a post all ready to go about two weeks ago, and then just before I hit the "publish post" button Blogger ate it. Just knocked the wind out of me, if you know what I mean. (This morning I see that Blogger now has an autosave feature. Thank god!)

Anyway, I'm still alive. I'm fairly well, with the exception of a nasty sinus infection coupled with seasonal allergies that has knocked me out for the better part of the last week or so. (However, I went to the doctor on Monday, got some drugs, and I'm well on the road to recovery.) Work has been crazier than usual--more meetings and things wanted yesterday than you can shake a stick at. And the thing that's stressing me out the most is my classes are coming to an end and I've got a bunch of writing assignments due by the 22nd (yes, this Tuesday). And I have to study for a final. And I still have mental block trying to remember my constitutional amendments. (Please--no pop quizzes right now. I'd just go into the fetal position and whimper.)

In the middle of all this, I do have some fun stuff scheduled--a sock dyeing class at Webs on Saturday. I'm feeling quite a bit guilty about doing this, because the 10 hours I'm going to spend driving to and from this would really be better spent on my papers. However, I paid my money so I'm taking my class. Charlene Schurch, the author of Sensational Knitted Socks (my favorite sock book) and the recently published More Sensational Knitted Socks is teaching this all-day class, so it should be fun and I'll walk out with some custom dyed sock yarn!

Saturday's also the start of Web's big weekend sale, but let's not go there right now...

Anyway, there's been virtually no knitting here, just work, school, and coughing, so I've got nothing to show you. But Jim has been rather creative during this time.

Here's the side of our front yard. See the grassy hill?

Jim started digging. Look what's under there...

Jim added the stones right under the windows (some drainage and a flower bed).

And then he reached the sidewalk...

...and he rounded the front.

He finished it all this week, and I'll get to see it tonight. All of this in the space of just a few weeks. It doesn't look like the same house!

OK, I've got to get back to work now. I promise I'll resurface next week after I finish school, and I'll tell you all about my sock dyeing class.

Heading over to Frog Pond

Sadly, RPM is heading over to Frog Pond. For the life of me, I just can't seem to figure out what size socks should be for my feet. I cast on for a large, thinking that's what my feet really are (shoe size 8.5-9, depending on manufacturer). I was loving how the colors was swirling with the swirly stitches, but then I went and tried it on. Totally roomy. Totally bad for a sock. So, after an appropriate period of boo-hooing, I'll be frogging this one and starting from scratch. Oh well, I guess it's all part of the learning process.

Betcha I'm gonna wind up with pooling next time around. Sigh...

In other knitting news, I restarted Dublin Bay with smaller needles. Just a half inch cuff so far. Too soon to tell if these are going to be OK, but we'll see. Pictures to come when I've got little leg to show you.


Cannon Update

Tuesday was another meeting with the Vermont Senate Appropriations Committee. Jim was originally going to call in, but they he heard that the VVMML Museum Board President, Ron Crisman, had be working the Statehouse over the last couple of weeks he decided to show up--in period attire--to present our case. I'm happy to report that the meeting went fairly well for us. The sentiment in the building seemed to lean towards the 2nd Vermont remaining as custodians of the gun. There were a number of reporters covering the event and yesterday there were articles in the Brattleboro Reformer and Times Argus. Next time I'll tell you exactly how the meeting started (I need Jim to tell me exactly what he and Ron said), but for now I'll just say that it couldn't have gotten off to a better start for us!

I'll leave you this evening with this picture of a poster I've been seeing on the trains and subway. It's for the new casino that's been opened at Yonkers Raceway.

Is it just me, or is there something very odd and disturbing about this?

Suspicious charges?

Today I got a call from my credit card company about some recent activity on my account. The first was an insurance company charge. Yup, that's a car insurance payment. The second charge was for $74 to one Blue Moon Fiber Arts company. Yeah, that's mine too!

Hmmm.... What's with banks and BMFA?

A trinity of socks

The third red Claudia Hand Painted sock is done. (Color: Chocolate Cherry.) Finished on Saturday, March 24th. All three have been washed. Twice. So, here's what we have.

Socks that still look like they came from three really different dye lots. The washing didn't make any difference in the socks. They bled dye equally--and lots of it.

Remind me to wash these puppies by themselves.

It's frustrating. I really love this yarn. Initially I found it very slippery--the knitting equivalent of trying to catch a greased pig. But I got used to handling it and I absolutely love the feel of the fabric it creates. However, the color thing really does bug me. Why use dye lot numbers when there are these kind of differences.

So, what do you think? Where's my pair? A & B? B & C? A & C??? D & E????? ;-)

OK, on to the next projects...

I've started working on the RPM sock again (sorry, no pictures this time) as well as a new sock.

The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, custom dyed for Purl. A birthday gift (along with a gorgeous set of ebony Lantern Moon DPNs) from sadly blogless Elsie. The pattern is a free download from Mossy Cottage. I started a sock on the DPNs, but I need smaller needles to get gauge.

Cannon Update--Good News, Bad News...

Bad news. In early March we received the proper paperwork from the state for the relinquishment of the gun. It was just a matter of time before it came through. The Arsenal has been notified, and the gun is ready to go. Now the museum needs to arrange to pick up the gun.

Good news? A couple of weeks ago, Jim sent out a mailing to the Vermont state legislators with information to counter the lies inaccuracies that have been stated and published about the gun situation. As a result, he received a call from one of the state senators asking him to attend (via conference call) a meeting of the Vermont State Senate Appropriations Committee. We thought that they might offer us some funding to help replace the gun. Well, it turns out that they don't have any money to offer us towards another gun, nor do they have money to maintain this gun. So they've decided to let us keep the gun. Yes, the napoleon. Evelyn. Just like that. There's quite a bit more too it, but basically they feel that the gun should stay in our care so long as our unit remains together and active.

Bad news? You knew it couldn't just end there. The head of the VVMML Board has demanded an opportunity to speak before the appropriations committee. I guess he's not ready to give up the fight. (Not really surprising, considering his tactics in this.) The meeting is set for April 10th and Jim will call in to this meeting again. Will this change anything? Who knows. Hopefully this guy will just shoot himself in the foot for the last time.

If you've stayed with me this long through the non-knitting content of the post, thank you! And here's a picture of Great South Bay. Summer's coming!