Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Sunday, September 14, 2008
It's not the SS Minnow, and this ain't no 3-hour tour
I'm on the road with Jim, playing the bus tour version of Julie, you cruise director, for our annual 12-day, 8-state (10 + Washington DC if you count the ones we only drive through) Elderhostel program, Tracing the Routes of the American Revolution, and I'm assisting him with the tour. Jim does the lecturing, and I keep track of the meal orders, confirm site guide info, call ahead to hotels with anticipated arrival times, etc. You know--just your average vacation.
We're about at the half-way point of the tour and I would have blogged soon, but unfortunately my efforts to have coverage for my projects in the office while I'm out have not worked out as well as I had hoped, and I've been spending a significant portion of my days trying to
Let's just say it has not been much of a vacation for me.
Anyway, it's the weekend now, so I can show you some highlights of our trip.
Our group visiting Lexington Green, MA
On our first day in Boston I dressed in period attire along with Jim. (He dresses in period attire for the first 5 days of the trip.) This turned me into a tourist picture magnet. I'm sorry I didn't ask the Italian girls that accosted let me to take their picture, but I did get these tourists to let me pose with them.
We also visited Fort Ticonderoga. On our way back to the Brandon Inn we drove through Middlebury, Vermont and right past here.
Yeah, that's the reflection of our bus in the window there. I was sad...
Oh--I neglected to mention that out of the 16 participants on this trip we've got four or five knitters. And they spotted this shop without me even telling them that we were going to pass it. I'll tell ya--we fiber people have some kind of woolly radar in us.
Next we visited the Hubbardton Battlefield, Saratoga Battlefield, overnighted in Albany, and stopped at West Point for a guided tour.
Jim's sock listening to tour guide
I really wanted to ask one of the cadets to pose with a sock, but I didn't want to get anyone in trouble. However, Jim spotted these willing cadets in the visitor's center.
What a guy, that Jim is!
And that bring us to the midway point in the trip--Philadelphia. More on that in my next post...
Friday, September 12, 2008
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Life here in the swamp
Fall is rapidly approaching, and as is usually the case this time of year, I'm swamped. Mostly work right now--and for the last month or so and the coming months as well. In a couple of weeks I'll be traipsing around the northeast with my honey pie, ed-ju-ma-cating senior citizens on the American Revolution. (That's him doing the educational stuff; I'll be taking their lunch orders and confirming tour guides.) My paralegal classes start back up in mid-October. Probably the biggest thing this fall is looks like it will be a business trip--to Chennai, India! My first time traveling internationally (if you don't count Toronto, which I do). Nothing has been finalized yet, but it looks like I'll be going there to visit some vendors in November. There will be more details about that trip as we finalize them, but for now, how about some crafty stuff!
There's been some knitting (mostly on the train) of my ladybug sock...
...and Jim's Trekking socks...
...but mostly it's been about sewing--making roman shades for the house. Warm Window roman shades, so that we can get the most out of our heating oil pre-buy we did (ouch!). I've been working on a test shade for a small window in one of our bathrooms.
This "test" shade was done with muslin as my cover fabric. Good thing, because the first muslin I cut was just a little too narrow--so I had to deconstruct it and redo the muslin part from scratch. Not too painful at $2/yard.Next up with be a big shade to block off the staircase and keep the heat downstairs during the day. I even picked out some pretty fabric that matches the runner in the foyer.
Hopefully I'll get to start this one this weekend. Eventually I plan on making these for most of the window in the house. Something to counter that "40% heat loss" mantra that the house inspector muttered every time he walked in to a different room. (Single pain, not-so-tight-fitting window sashes...)Oh well, gotta go back into the muck. More crafty stuff in a few days...
Friday, August 22, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
An interview
Yeah. Fun...
Me: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?
Jim: It doesn't involve me [laughs].
Me: Nice, dear.
Jim: [more laughter] I don't have to do anything for it. Oh no, I'm joking. Ask me the question again.
Me: What is your favorite thing about my knitting?
Jim: I get free warm stuff.
Me: [laugh] That's a good answer.
Jim: And Vermont is a very cold place.
Me: Yes, it's getting colder by the day
Jim: [laughs]
Me: OK, next question. What is your least favorite thing about my knitting?
Jim: My least favorite thing... um... having to hold up various articles your knitting so that you can take a picture of them in some ungodly place, so everyone can look at the poor man holding up half knitted item of some sort.
Me: That's not a good answer.
Jim: Maybe not, but it's truthful. That's the thing I hate the most about your knitting--"hold the sock next to the sheep"; "now hold the sock next to the cannon." I'm really quite shy.
Me: But you dress in britches and a waistcoat and perform in front of people. How can you be shy???
Jim: I'm really very shy.
Me: Alright. What is something I have knitted that you recall as being good?
Jim: Hmmm... my liberty cap! Unite or die!!! It's a feisty cap, and it works pretty well at these programs.
Me: You've used it?
Jim: A couple of times now.
Me: Really?
Jim: Yes, it gets a chuckle.
Me: Do you think knitters have an expensive hobby?
Jim: Yeah... yeah, i think it's just as expensive as any other hobby. I don't think it's more expensive, but I don't think it's frivolous either.
Me: That was a good answer. OK, I think you've already answered the next one: have I ever embarrassed you, knitting in public.
Jim: See above. [laughing] Your knitting doesn't bother me, but the holding stuff does.
Me: Do you have any hobbies?
Jim: No, I merely have avocations that cost far more than a hobby.
Me: Do you know my favorite kind of yarn is?
Jim: I think it's Malabrigo.
Me: Ooooooo! Yeah!!!
Jim: What did you think--that I was stupid.
Me: [groan] Well, that just killed a good answer.
Jim: I'm not totally yarn impaired.
Me: Can you name another blog?
Jim: Another blog? Uh, yeah, let's see... there was Captain Blog,
Me: No, that's not what I meant.
Jim: Or maybe Captain Bly. Mutineers all ended up on Pitcairn island,
Me: Oh, god... Next question--Do you mind my wanting to stop at yarn shops wherever we go?
Jim: Uh, only when it cuts into my going to a museum, [laughs] especially if there's not enough room in the car for me to comfortably nap.
Me: Next question--do you understand the importance of a swatch?
Jim: A swatch?
Me: Yeah.
Jim: I think if you like get one in your eye it could be a problem, but I really don't know what a swatch is, no.
Me: Do you read my blog?
Jim: I have read your blog, once in a great while.
Me: Like when I force you too?
Jim: But I haven't read it much 'cause I find it best to avoid personal embarrassment. Too many pictures of me holding up knitted items in embarrassing places.
Me: Yeah. I don't think you should read this blog entry. OK. Have you ever left a comment on my blog?
Jim: No, only with the blogger. I have no shortage of comments... but I have left comments on the blog, I think... yes... oops.
Me: Do you the house would be cleaner if I didn't knit?
Jim: No. Nope. I don't think that it has any effect on that.
Me: OK. I think that's enough.
Jim: Oh, is that it?
Me: Yeah.
Jim: Too bad. I think I was starting to get into it. Well, you're all knotted up in your hobby.
Me: Really. That's enough. Thanks, dear.
Saturday, August 09, 2008
Friday, August 08, 2008
Eye Candy Friday -- Stormy Weather Edition
Here's hoping that the orange and red blobs are staying away from you!
Friday, August 01, 2008
Eye Candy Friday -- Yarn Pr0n Edition
At knit night last night we ladies bought up about a third of the shipment Karen received! Yeah, we likes it!
And now for something completely different, the never ending blooming Vermont orchid!
Have a great weekend everyone!