the girls are home

This marks the official end of a fabulous long weekend vacation. Vacation nearly always begins a day early as soon as the girls are dropped off, so naturally, now that Lilli Munster and Nola are home, vacation is officially over. That, and the fact that I will be at work at 2.

What a wonderful weekend we had. It began with the Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting Show at the Museum of Art and Design. On one of the knitting forums I frequent, someone had suggested not bringing a non-knitter. But when it comes down to it, this is an art show and in a prominent museum. I was so glad to see this, the evening gown knit out of one dollar bills, the miniature gloves(each one resting on a finger tip) and sweaters, the American flag knit using telephone and John Deere excavators. These and the lace forms that were not knit. All were awesome. Imagine delicate lace designs cut with an exacto knife in a large paper hanging. Need something more challenging to imagine? How about delicate lace cut in car parts with an oxyacetyline torch?

The point is, of course, that it was all art. And I am glad I got to see the exhibit.

As we were ending the museum tour, my cell rang and it was Kmae. Awesome, even if I did get chastised by the guards on the exhibit floor. Ok, so I moved off the floor and was waiting for the elevator to take me down. Chastised again. "No talking on the phone, Ma'am. My supervisor is on her way up the stairs and will take it from you."

So Kmae and Doris made it into the city and we joined them for dinner at Manitus. Burgers were good, but the company and conversation was way better. We had about an hour together and honestly, I could have sit and talk to them the entire weekend. They are really and truly a delight.

Kmae and Doris dropped us at our subway stop and we went to the drug store for toothpaste and deoderant. Not that we forgot to pack them, but we were nearly out of both items as we left home. Being less then fresh at the blogger gathering would habe been totally unacceptable.

We then caught the subway back to our hotel. The Barclay Intercontinental was a lovely night in NYC. Next time we travel we might better look at the ammenities available so we are better prepared to take advantage of saunas and steam rooms and such.

We left the Barclay quite early and went back to JFK to pick up our rental car. That was actually pathetically easy. We always hear, "No, don't fly into JFK..." but really it was a beautiful convergence of Goddess Time(tm) all weekend. The trip out to CT was smooth and without a blip.

We were able to check into our hotel, the Shelton Mariott early, dammit, a pool, and then it was on to Weese and MAW's(tm) place to meetup with them and Suzanne and Wendy as well as Suzanne's delicious, um, I mean delightful sister.

We sat and visited and had cocktails at Weese's house for a while before heading out to Sassyfemme's place for the bigger meetup. I liked having a small meetup on Friday and then a medium meetup on Saturday morning before the big meetup. It was a lovely layering of anticipation and gratification.

After cocktails at Casa Weese, we took two cars to Chez Sassy. Lots of fun was had by all. Before actually meeting Sassy and Fran, the door was cordially answered by Bent Fabric who said she was Sassy, but had been tanning. Funny, that one is. The afternoon ensued with a lot of reveling and continual laughter. I was floating around from here to there and finally took up residence in the corner of the kitchen at the table where I could knock back some beer and watch as well as participate in quieter conversations, all of which were quite enjoyable. The kitchen crowd would thin out a little and all would be rather serene, and just then, the crowd would refom in the kitchen to rounds of luscious laughter.

At one point, eb told me she was going to go outside and play in the snow. She was out front making some snow paintings for our hostesses when the graffiti artists showed up. I had enough sense to stay inside as I have played with enough snow for this lifetime.

All around, the weekend was a relaxing delight. I made scarves for our various hosts, and damn but you know I took pics of none of them. Five glorious queenmaxine originals out in the world hugging prayers and warmth around their recipients.

Off to work for a few days before I turn around and am off again to the snow, this time to the Mindful Knitting Retreat in VT with Tara Jon Manning. Just enough time to properly thaw and do laundry.

Like I really need another project in the air...

This one will actually begin in a few weeks, but I want to give a heads up now because there will be details to work out. I just visited and signed up for 1001journals.com and while there, I launched a traveling journal for the EP lesbos to include contributors and supporters. It will be by invitation and that means if you might be interested, you need to email me or comment here to get an invite and be on the list. I need a bit of time to prepare the journal for it's voyage and everyone is encouraged to participate, and I don't want to hear any "I'm not creative enough for that" bullshit.

I am going to prep the pages and you will then pick what page suits your fancy and journal on it by any means and about any subject. It can be artful, literary, anonymous(sort of), anything goes. I ask that you limit custody to two weeks. I also ask that you add a trinket to the traveling journal box which will be used for the final journal shrine assembly. I am contemplating if it could be used in the Day of the Dead fundraiser we participate in and that part remains to be thought through. I like the idea because it is a public viewing sort of show, but I don't like it because it would be up for auction, though I would be establishing the starting bid which I could raise discriminitely. Any proceeds would go to EP to defray costs.

You would be responsible for doing your spread and then sending it on to the next person on the list via mail. It is also requested by the host site that each person scan their contribution to post, but we can work that out as necessary.

Who's in? Everyone reading this far had better be saying yes!

And the stories that were told...

I cooked some more pork tenderloin last night. Never a disappointment, that one. I also made the St Andre mashed potatoes again because everyone knows you can't have pork tenderloin without them. Then I made honey glazed baby carrots with shallots and ginger. One comment was heard attesting to their goodness, "...and I don't like cooked carrots!" Yummy. That was Suzanne. She had seconds on her carrots. Her wife Vicki thought even Brandon might eat them. He's 7 I think, and her grandson.

Suzanne and Vicki came over for haircuts and we were going to order out for dinner. I just thought cooking would be easier, and I kinda like it, as you know. I'm sick like that. I still think it was easier, but I had to go out and flip the stove breaker about 8 times while I was cooking. What a pain in the ass.

Since the stove was new about 4 years ago, I have learned that you don't use the oven and the cooktop at the same time. Well, you could use both, but only one burner. If I forgot and turned on a second burner, the breaker would flip. This was only ever a problem if we were entertaining, but I got quite good at juggling what was cooked and when and in what order.
Not too long ago it started happening when I was broiling and using one burner. Ok, bigger pain in the ass.

Recently, the broiler itself, all alone, has been tripping the breaker almost as soon as the pork really starts sizzling. It takes about 4 flips of the breaker to cook the pork tenderloin. Last night, I think it was 5.

So the pork was done and resting, and the broiler turned off. Then The potatoes had to be boiled and the carrots sauteed. Maybe the oven was still too hot and it contributed to the breaker flipping again when only the cooktop was being used. And maybe the stove is a piece of shit. Just maybe.

So with the cooking drama aside, we ate and drank a little. Michael and Irene were here too, and it was Michael's first time. I think he might come back. It would be nice to find him another gayboy friend, but that could prove a challenge. Two boys might upset the estrogen balance too much, even if they are gayboys.

Give this group a few glasses of wine and beer and the stories will start flowing. We learned all about an awesome sex shop in London and the Mafia in Italy, among other things.

Next time maybe pablano chicken or Sarah's pine nut spinach manicotti.

Life is good.

uses time wisely

I have been out and about since 10 this morning. I decided to fuller embrace not giving a shit about my hair and left home with it not 'done'. As a hairdresser, this is a challenge. Also, given that it is a work day and need my hair to be 'done' for work, I was doubly surprised when it occurred to me to get out early and not give a shit as all things have a way of working themselves out, my hair included.

Normally, I would get it all together, then go run errands on my way to work. This formula just does not work as I get distracted on the way to getting it all together, thus shortening greatly the errand portion of the day, if not eliminating it altogether.

So today, I showered and threw on a tshirt and jeans and ran out the door by 10 this morning. I had a bowl of blueberries in an effort to get used to eating breakfast, too. They were damn good with a scant tablespoon of both sour cream and brown sugar mixed in. Don't wrinkle up your nose til you've tried it. I had a few errands in mind, the yarn store because e has begged me to make a scarf or two and that requires some yarn. Check. Then to Whole Foods for some stuff for dinner tomorrow night. Check. Then to Costco for some pork tenderloin for said dinner. Check.

The yarn store was quiet and Wendy was working. She was extremely thankful for the tin of cookies I brought in for the staff for the holidays. You know what that means?? They now know who I am. It is akin to Norm arriving at Cheers in the knitting world when your LYS (local yarn shop) knows who you are. I like it. I bought wool for two scarves and I can see them already in my brain. They will get made in a timely fashion.

Then there was Whole Foods. I should not be allowed to go there without a list. I really was not too bad, but I did get some new tea for us and that jacked the grocery bill just a wee bit. Reports on those later. On the way in the door they had the most exquisite potted orchids. I think I might go back for at least one. They were stunning. Totally a reason to be carrying a camera with me though I wasn't. Yes, they were that beautiful. Cupid should be sending them to everyone on the v-day list. I was able to resist, but I think for certain I will be going back for one. I managed to get the dinner things as well, yukon gold potatoes for mashed, some baby zuchini to roast, as well as some mushrooms to saute. I guess I should have picked up some shallots, too, but I wasn't thinking about shallots, I was thinking of those damn orchids. I remembered the St Andre cheese to dump into the mashed potatoes and I got a triple cream brie and some other new for us cheese to have with pomegranite and walnuts as a starter. Dinner is sure to be delish.

At Costco, because I had other groceries in the car, I was extremely ficused. In, to the back, grab pork, get in line. I like it when Costco is easy and quick as much when it is lingering, and the crowd today was sparse, so it was a snap either way.

As I pulled into the driveway, I realized the errand that was supposed to be primary today, my expired car inspection. I have a 2005 Civic and I am sure it will pass so there is not drama nerves about the inspection, but I just keep forgetting to get it done. This too will work itself out.

jeans...and socks...

I scored yesterday. When I went to Macy's to see if they had my jeans, I was looking for a 24 because that is the size I thought I was wearing. All they had in The Jones New York Signature collection jean was a 16 and a 22. Fuck.

I grabbed them and a shitload of other jeans to try on and lo and behold, thank The Little Baby Jesus(tm), the 22, in the jean I wanted in the first place, fit like a glove. Let me fess up, no I did not lose a size, the pair I already have are a 22. At least I am thinking this is the case, I might check when I do laundry, but I don't feel like getting up now to go see.

I also got eb a stylish wool blazer that was on clearance. And not to be forgotten, I got some socks when I went back to JCP. I got 6 pair of trouser socks, 6 pair of heavy white ankle socks, 6 pair of heavy black ankle socks, a 6 pair black and white mixed light ankle socks, and 4 pair of pretty knit socks. I think we have enough socks for the moment.

We also have a shitload of bras on clearance. I mean a shitload. I got 2 and brought 6 home for eb. It's charming. really.

talk to me...

So I am working on Bob Green's Best Life Diet which is not really a diet but a way to live your best life. In phase one, there are some easy lifestyle modifications, one of which is giving up something like soda for 30 days. The general idea is to give it up to see what one easy modification can do in terms of calorie difference.

I really do not drink enough soda anymore for this to be particularly effective, so I boldly decided to give up Starbucks for 30 days. I used to go a few times a week for a chai latte on my way to work. This turned into stopping daily because it was so easy on the way to work and hey, it's half soy milk so that qualifies as breakfast so it's good for me right? One needs breakfast, so says Bob.

But really, I was doing it from habit, not because I was thirsty or hungry. And can you have chai latte for breakfast without adding a glazed old fashioned donut and still consider it breakfast? I don't think so.

So it has been a bit more than 2 weeks, and I am not at all jonesing for my chai in the morning. I have to wonder if it is morning chai that I gave up or starbucks in total. If I actually want a chai latte while at work, can I get one?

Help me, please. Discuss.

Just a travelin' ho

And my coworkers will be envy filled...they just don't get it that they could make the choice to travel too.

We will be going to NYC on Feb 23rd and then to Hartford CT for a blogger meetup. I bet Hartford has a yarn shop. I then am going to the VT retreat and to see my dad and son in upstate NY in March. It is going to be cold in all those places.

Fuck.

I think I need to buy a second pair of jeans.