Send Thigs. Make 'em spicy.

Three weekends. After today, I only have three weekends left to train until the 3 Day Walk. Holy crap! I'm still looking forward to the event, but I've begun asking myself, "Self, what the hell were you thinking?"

Anyhoo, I know that this will come up on many Secret Pal participant blogs, but I've gotta say... I've got the best Secret Pal in the whole world! Earlier this week she sent me a $20 gift certificate to Audible.com. I've been meaning to check this service out since I first got my iPod last year, but I've never gotten around to it. You can bet that I'll be checking it out now! The funniest part about this gift, though, is that the email Audible.com sent to me accidentally included my Secret Pal's name. This is something that I could completely see happening to me! She recovered nicely, though (much better than I would have). I've promised that I won't seek her blog out, but I gotta admit it's going to take a ton of willpower. Don't worry Pal! My hubby would kill me if he thought that I was even thinking of doing this. So I'll be sure to fight every temptation. :-)

Along with walking this weekend, I went with my husband to check out a gliding school. My hubby is, well, crazy and has decided that he wants to get his glider's license. I'm excited for him and support him in this crazy endeavor. But I'm terrified of flying, so I'm also a little nervous knowing he's going to be flying one of these planes solo. The instructor told us that at some point they're going to take me up in one so I have a better understanding of what my hubby is doing. In fact, they offered to take me up that day. I practically pee'd my pants before declining. I'm sure I'll go up at some point, but it's going to require some valium or a stiff drink before I do so.

So, I have tons of other things I've been meaning to blog about, but everytime I finally get the chance to get on my computer I either forget what they are or I don't have time to go into everything. Tonight it's due to timing. So, for tonight, you're going to get this little tidbit.

I generally take the bus to work, but I had to drive in the other morning. On my way in I drive pass a couple of Church's Fried Chicken fast food restaurants. This particular morning, I look up as I was sitting at the intersection next to the first restaurant and here is what was on their sign outside:

SEND THIGS SPICY
ORORIGINAL ONLY $

My first reaction to this sign was that it was an SOS message from someone and they're message was to "Send thigs. Make 'em spicy." Of course, they wouldn't have time to write out an entire message, so it's in shorthand. And I have no idea what a "thig" is, but they must be important to the person who left the message. In any case, as I was I continued on, I tried to figure out what the sign was really supposed to say. Obviously it was something about thighs in spicy or original. But what about the "send" part? As I came up to the next restaurant's sign I thought I was going to finally solve the puzzle. Nope, it had an entirely different message... albeit a coherent one. So while I'm still trying to figure this out, I prefer to think of it as an SOS sign.

Remind me to tell you next time about how my hubby and I almost kill ourselves with our microwave. It's always an exciting adventure in our house!

Too much information, thanks

We often have patrons at the law library who like to give us way, way, way more information than needed. I suppose it's better than the patrons who won't give you any information, but then want you to give them all of the answers. Anyhoo, you're about to get more information about me than you ever wanted or needed.

First of all, I've been sick with the cold/almost-flu bug. I've been stuffy, headachy, sneezy, and all-around-cranky.

Second, I've finally answered my Secret Pal 6 questions. So, if you're not my Secret Pal, you may not give a rat's ass about the following information. For those brave souls who choose to read on anyway, I've tried to make the answers interesting. But when your head is full of snot, it's tough to be creative for every question. Sorry!

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer higher quality and/or natural fibers)?
Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I'd love to say that I think all yarns are equals and that all yarn deserves a chance... but I gotta admit that I'm a yarn snob. However, while Rowan, Debbie Bliss, and the like are brands that I love, I'm more of a yarn snob in regards to fiber type (more on this a little farther down...).

2. Do you spin? Crochet?
I'm trying to learn both, but I haven't had the time to put into the crafts to say that I do either.

3. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.)
Thankfully, I don't have a lot of allergies. However, as I've recently posted, I'm apparently allergic to the chloroform in cut grass, many perfumes give me a headache, and it would appear that coolmax socks are a problem.



4. How long have you been knitting?
I believe that this December will mark my 5th Anniversary.

5. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Yes, although it's woefully out of date. I'll need to work on that over the next week.

6. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.)
I prefer fruity scents over flowery scents.

7. Do you have a sweet tooth?
Do ducks love water? Do cats love the nip? Yes. Yes, I do have a sweet tooth. I love, love, love milk chocolate. I also love milk chocolate filled with nuts, caramel, crispies, etc. Not so crazy about white or dark chocolate, though. I also love all kinds of candies.

8. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do?
Nothing else right now, but I love to learn new crafts and hobbies. Any ideas?

9. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I have an iPod, so I'm able to play mp3s. In my opinion, you can never go wrong with 80's music (Duran Duran Rules - Whoo!) . I'm also interested in checking out some mp3 version of books, because even music gets a bit boring on my longer training walks.

10. What's your favorite color? Or--do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer? Any colors you just can't stand?
Neutrals have a long standing preference in my palette, but I've been trying to break out of this by finding colors that I like. Right now, blues and greens seem to be winning, although I also lean towards pink (maybe this has something to do with the breast cancer walk?)

11. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm married to the greatest hubby in the world (no, mine is!)



And I have two furry kids - Mom Cat



and Penny



12. What are your life dreams? (really stretching it here, I know)
Winning the lottery so that I can sit on a beach and knit for the rest of my life.

13. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with?
Before moving back to hell on Earth (also known as Arizona), I would have said Merino wool. But now I prefer cotton blends.

14. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I have never liked knitting with novelty yarns. Their fuzzy factor is a bit annoying to deal with. I also generally don't like 100% wool (too scratchy) or 100% cotton fibers (too heavy). I tend to prefer blends of fibers. I even like some acrylic blends, as long as they're not too scratchy.

15. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s?
I don't think I really have any. I'm easily swayed by the current trends that are out on other blogs, but I'm such a slow knitter that I don't usually start working on these projects until the trend has kinda died out (such as Klaralund).

16. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Tank tops and baby sweaters are always great for instant gratification garments.

17. What are you knitting right now?
I normally have several projects in the works, but because I've been so busy with the move, new job, and training, I've forced myself to stick to only one project, which is Klaralund.



I've finished the front and back so far, although they look more like overgrown swatches, don't they?

18. What do you think about ponchos?
I've knit one, and while I like them on other folks, I don't think they're for me.

19. Do you prefer straight or circular needles?
Circs!

20. Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
Addi bamboo and Addi turbos (what can I say, I've got expensive tastes - ha,ha!)

21. Are you a sock knitter?
Nope

22. How did you learn to knit?
I was visiting my hubby's family one Xmas and my mom-in-law-to-be offered to teach me how to knit. The rest is history!

23. How old is your oldest UFO?
Let's see... I've been knitting for about four and a half years, so that would make my oldest UFO just under four and a half years old.

24. What is your favorite animated character or a favorite animal/bird?
I love animated characters, and Pinky used to be my favorite



but right now my favorite is the Evil Monkey from Family Guy


(I snagged this image from Hot Topic. It's not the greatest picture, but the only ones I could find on the official Family Guy website are Flash.)

25. What is your favorite holiday?
Halloween, but it's mostly because my birthday is the day before.

26. Is there anything that you collect?
Postcards.

27. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I used to subscribe to all of them, but when I discovered that they were out on the newstands sooner than I was receiving them I decided I'd rather just buy them when they came out.

28. Any books out there you are dying to get your hands on?
I think a bunch of new books have been released, but I haven't found had the chance to find a bookstore that has them yet to see if there are any I want. Of course, as much as I love pattern books, I'm sure I'll want them all!

29. Any patterns you have been coveting, but haven't bought for one reason or another??
Same as for question 28.

30. What are your foot measurements, and what kind of socks do you like?
Gotta admit, I'm probably the only knitter that's not crazy about wearing handknit socks. (Don't hate me!)

A wee bitty post

I heard from my Secret Pal today! Whee!

Also, two recent conversations (well, paraphrased...):

me (to Eva): I'm lucky I don't have a lot of allergies, although cut grass is one of them. Must be something to do with the chloroform.

me (to my hubby): Boy, yoga bit my ass tonight!

You bet your bippy

I gotta say, you guys have some great sayings! I can't wait to start using them in my conversations. Of course, I wonder what kind of response I'll get from my co-workers when I manage to fit in "Got dandruff and some of it-itches, that patron sure is an empty barrel! Of course, when the freak show is on the road again, you know the day is going to suck Cheerio holes."

In case you didn't see this on Yahoo!'s list of headlines this morning, this study sucks like a rubber duck (and I use the term "study" loosely). In case the link doesn't work, or you just don't feel like reading the article, it talks about a finding that breakfast helps girls stay slim. Now, I'm not claiming that breakfast isn't good for girls. In fact, I think breakfast is a good thing for everyone. And their theory that breakfast might help girls from becoming overweight because it helps prevent them from eating foods higher in fat later in the day is a potentially valid theory. However, the study is partly funded by General Mills cereal. And, what do you know, they found that girls who ate cereal for breakfast were slimmer than those who skipped breakfast. Hmmmm... the study couldn't be biased, could it?

And it gets better! Here's how the study was performed: (quote taken from the article)

"As part of the survey, the girls were asked once a year what they had eaten during the previous three days. The data were adjusted to compensate for factors such as differences in physical activity among the girls and normal increases in body fat during adolescence."

Ooooh! A whole 3 days once a year! Now that's a study with some reliable statistics. I'm not sure which is scarier... the fact that these findings are trying to be passed of as a real study, or the fact that Yahoo! reported it as news.

Flying rats

I love colorful expressions. And I don't just mean the kind of color that requires swear words. One of my favorites that I hear others say is "Christ on a bike." No idea why I love it so, but I giggle whenever I hear someone say it. One of my personal favorites to actually say is "Who gives a rat's ass." Again, I'm not sure why it strikes me so fondly, but I say it all the time. I especially like how it can be modified to fit various occassions. For instance, the rats can be flying. Or they can be another, ahem, colorful f-word. As much as I like my saying, though, I think I need to expand my reportoire of expressions (and I'm sure my hubby would agree). Anyone want to tell me what their favorite saying is?

Dear 3 Day Walk Scheduling Committee Members,

What were you thinking!?!? Who's idea was it to schedule the 3 Day Walk in Arizona for the end of October? Your own organization suggests that the 3 Day Walk participants should train for 24 weeks. Do you know how hot it gets in Arizona during the summer? Do you realize that you're asking participants to train during the hottest time in Arizona? Well, in case you didn't know, it's freakin' hot! My suggested training schedule said that I should walk 7 miles this morning. Ha! I was crawling home after 4 miles. And as if my ego wasn't deflated enough, I passed an elderly couple jogging (jogging!) and smiling. Is this a conspiracy? Did you purposely have this couple jog past me just to show me that walking in Arizona in 100 degree weather isn't that big of a deal? I have to admit that when I signed up for this walk while living in San Francisco in January I had forgotten just how freakin' hot Arizona can get. Now that I'm back in the full glory of Arizona's summer, I have to ask... what were you thinking!?!? Perhaps you should rethink the timing of Arizona's 3 Day walk? Might I suggest having the walk in March? Maybe even April? This way the participants can train when the weather is cool and walk for 3 Days when the temperatures are considered normal in other parts of the world.

Sincerely yours...
Heat frustrated walker in Arizona