Sunday, December 27, 2009
Too funny!
This is just one of those videos that's spreading through the net, and I'm just doing my little part to help it spread. So, for those knitters, other fiber folk, people who like sheep, dogs or those creative types who have too much time on their hands, enjoy!
Z is for...
Zzyzx Springs!
So, yes, not much for this Z, but c'mon - it's one cool Z, though!
Yes, there really is such a place! It's really a tiny place, part of the Mojave National Park. It used to be a health resort and spa community, since there was a natural spring there. They actually made up the word for the place name, to be "the last word in health spas." Zach and I visited back in February. There's not much there on Zzyzx Road now - it's mostly used for research. CSU campuses combined to turn the old springs resort into a desert research facility. Now, unless you're doing research (they do offer weekend classes, as well as students doing research regularly) Zzyzx is really a side note to the Mojave NP itself. Still, if they wanted to, it would make a very interesting exhibit, focusing on the years and years it was used as a resort.
So, yes, not much for this Z, but c'mon - it's one cool Z, though!
Friday, December 25, 2009
Merry Christmas!
Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!
PS - I don't know who took the above picture, as I found it on photobucket, but I really liked it, very simple and striking, so had to post it here too. If I ever find out who took it and edited it, I will share, because they definitely deserve the credit!
Monday, December 21, 2009
Y is for...
Yuletide Cheer!
We have a Christmas tree this year!!!
Now I'm sure there are people out there who are "Wow. A tree. Big Deal" but there are several reasons why I'm excited. The biggest one is that we didn't have one last year. Zach was in training the first 2 1/2 weeks of December last year, so I was on my own here for the majority of the Christmas season. And I really mean on my own - work was quiet (being seasonal and all), Zach was out of town, the rest of the family was on the other side of the country...
Add to that, that it was only our first Christmas together, so we didn't already have established the decorations, traditions and assorted stuff and nonsense for the holiday season.
Yeah, December was rough for me last year. I kinda had to drag ourselves into the holiday spirit.
So, this year we're doing much better! With work craziness, presents still need to be mailed out and I'm not doing Christmas cards this year (sorry for the belated Christmas boxes, everyone!) but we have a tree and ornaments and a few decorations up, and I feel much better about the holiday season.
We have a little table-top tree, which was an saga in itself to find. We were looking for a little 3 foot tree (or thereabouts - really just nothing too big, as we don't have the space for it or the ornaments to fill it yet). We ended up with a 4.5 ft tree. At each store I went to, the 3 foot trees were these little columnar, Charlie-Brown-tree looking things. A 3 ft tall tree that is only 18 inches across doesn't really have the necessary triangular Christmas tree shape. These were purely decoration only, the type to accent a hallway or a stair landing or a front porch, not substitute for a 6 ft full-size tree for a relatively newlywed couple. So, 4.5 ft it was! That was the smallest tree that they had that actually looked like a proper Christmas tree.
Scruffy has, so far, not tried knocking it over. He keeps wanting to hop up on the dining table and just stare at the tree, so we have to keep shooing him off. We don't want his 16 pounds of stubborn fur to decide to rub up on it and mark it as his own and end up knocking the whole thing off the table. Silly kitty. So, knock on wood that he will just stare at it and not try the rubbing. That would be a mess I don't want to deal with!
Side note: DISASTER! I CANNOT FIND MY ADVENT BEAR!!!!! This is our favorite Advent calendar from when we were kids - Anne and I would race in the mornings to see who got to move the bear first. I think it got put in the wrong box (i.e., not one of our Christmas boxes) when we moved, and since we didn't use it last year, I don't remember where he is! I will be turning the apartment inside out soon as I put the Christmas decorations away, because that is part of the Christmas tradition. It just is not Christmas until the Bear finds Christmas!
We have a Christmas tree this year!!!
Now I'm sure there are people out there who are "Wow. A tree. Big Deal" but there are several reasons why I'm excited. The biggest one is that we didn't have one last year. Zach was in training the first 2 1/2 weeks of December last year, so I was on my own here for the majority of the Christmas season. And I really mean on my own - work was quiet (being seasonal and all), Zach was out of town, the rest of the family was on the other side of the country...
Add to that, that it was only our first Christmas together, so we didn't already have established the decorations, traditions and assorted stuff and nonsense for the holiday season.
Yeah, December was rough for me last year. I kinda had to drag ourselves into the holiday spirit.
So, this year we're doing much better! With work craziness, presents still need to be mailed out and I'm not doing Christmas cards this year (sorry for the belated Christmas boxes, everyone!) but we have a tree and ornaments and a few decorations up, and I feel much better about the holiday season.
We have a little table-top tree, which was an saga in itself to find. We were looking for a little 3 foot tree (or thereabouts - really just nothing too big, as we don't have the space for it or the ornaments to fill it yet). We ended up with a 4.5 ft tree. At each store I went to, the 3 foot trees were these little columnar, Charlie-Brown-tree looking things. A 3 ft tall tree that is only 18 inches across doesn't really have the necessary triangular Christmas tree shape. These were purely decoration only, the type to accent a hallway or a stair landing or a front porch, not substitute for a 6 ft full-size tree for a relatively newlywed couple. So, 4.5 ft it was! That was the smallest tree that they had that actually looked like a proper Christmas tree.
Scruffy has, so far, not tried knocking it over. He keeps wanting to hop up on the dining table and just stare at the tree, so we have to keep shooing him off. We don't want his 16 pounds of stubborn fur to decide to rub up on it and mark it as his own and end up knocking the whole thing off the table. Silly kitty. So, knock on wood that he will just stare at it and not try the rubbing. That would be a mess I don't want to deal with!
Side note: DISASTER! I CANNOT FIND MY ADVENT BEAR!!!!! This is our favorite Advent calendar from when we were kids - Anne and I would race in the mornings to see who got to move the bear first. I think it got put in the wrong box (i.e., not one of our Christmas boxes) when we moved, and since we didn't use it last year, I don't remember where he is! I will be turning the apartment inside out soon as I put the Christmas decorations away, because that is part of the Christmas tradition. It just is not Christmas until the Bear finds Christmas!
Saturday, December 19, 2009
X is for...
XX!
As in 20!
Yes, I am a classics dork. But I am a classics dork who has hit a weight-loss landmark! Reached 20 pounds weight loss last week, though I waited til today to take the picture, as it's Zach's unit's Christmas ball, and I get to dress up in Slinky Black Dress (the full-length formal equivalent to Little Black Dress).
So, yes, since beginning Weight Watchers again in February (I rather fell off the wagon when I moved in with Zach) I have lost 20 pounds and I think that puts me at my slimmest since... well, I don't remember when - high school at least! Woohoo!
Even better, when we had a formal ball coming up, it means I can send for a formal dress or two from home (i.e. back with Mom) and can fit into this black one that was Anne's! Now for those that don't know us personally, I've always been the stocky, athletic build, while Anne's the slimmer, taller one. So it's very exciting to be able to fit into one of her old dresses! Not that she couldn't fit into it now - even with my weight loss, I'm still a few pounds heavier than she is - but that I can wear it too. Very proud of myself!
I still have about 8 pounds left to my goal. I'm aiming for the mid-point of my healthy BMI range. That way as I age or stress or whatever, I can gain or lose a few pounds without passing out of my healthy weight range. I'm in my weight range now, but only by about 6 pounds. I figure if I'm at the mid-point weight, I have a bit more cushion if I say, get stressed and eat too many Christmas cookies :)
Yes, I am a classics dork. But I am a classics dork who has hit a weight-loss landmark! Reached 20 pounds weight loss last week, though I waited til today to take the picture, as it's Zach's unit's Christmas ball, and I get to dress up in Slinky Black Dress (the full-length formal equivalent to Little Black Dress).
So, yes, since beginning Weight Watchers again in February (I rather fell off the wagon when I moved in with Zach) I have lost 20 pounds and I think that puts me at my slimmest since... well, I don't remember when - high school at least! Woohoo!
Even better, when we had a formal ball coming up, it means I can send for a formal dress or two from home (i.e. back with Mom) and can fit into this black one that was Anne's! Now for those that don't know us personally, I've always been the stocky, athletic build, while Anne's the slimmer, taller one. So it's very exciting to be able to fit into one of her old dresses! Not that she couldn't fit into it now - even with my weight loss, I'm still a few pounds heavier than she is - but that I can wear it too. Very proud of myself!
I still have about 8 pounds left to my goal. I'm aiming for the mid-point of my healthy BMI range. That way as I age or stress or whatever, I can gain or lose a few pounds without passing out of my healthy weight range. I'm in my weight range now, but only by about 6 pounds. I figure if I'm at the mid-point weight, I have a bit more cushion if I say, get stressed and eat too many Christmas cookies :)
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Frustrations
Well, I was supposed to be in Vegas this weekend. Back in the summer, Zach and I had planned to be in Vegas for a pair of races that I wanted to run, and that he may or may not do with me. Instead, we are here, him on duty and me working, both at the office and at the house. I think it's for the best that I stayed here, but that doesn't make it any easier :\
The Las Vegas Santa Run is a 5K run each year in Vegas to benefit a local assisted living shelter for mentally handicapped adults. It's also Vegas' entry into the Guinness Book category for largest gathering of Santas. There's also a city in Australia, one in Italy, and a few in the UK who enter each year - those are the ones I remember off the top of my head, at any rate. So, had we entered, we'd have been Guinness Book participants, run a fun 5K, helped a local charity, and earned our own Santa Suit (part of your race registration!). Totally worth it!
The R&R Vegas Half and Full Marathons (I was going to do the half) are another part of the Rock & Roll series of races. Since we're only a few hours away, this was going to be my fall quarter motivational race. Remember, that's how I use the long races - about 1 a quarter, something long-term to keep me running. This would've been the one to keep me moving from Sept to Dec.
Yes, running both races would've been a busy weekend, but it would've been fun. And I've run more in a weekend. The Shamrock races in VB (my very first 1/2 marathon!) have a special award if you run the 8K on Saturday and then the half or full marathons on Sunday. It's called the Whale or Dolphin Challenge (yes, you can tell we're a beach town). You get a special certificate, and besides, it helps me to get out and stretch my legs a little on the day before a race (like walking all over Phoenix before the half in January!). Both years I ran the Shamrock, I did the Dolphin Challenge, and the second year I did the combo, I actually got my best time on the half! So, running a slow 5K in a Santa suit would've been a fun warm-up for the half the next day.
And any rate, it's not as crazy as the Disney World race combination. Their full and half marathons are on back to back days, instead of the same day, so running both earns you the Goofy Medal. 39.3 miles in a weekend is a little much for me right now, so more power too 'em! I'll stick with a 5 or 8K instead if I'm gonna do a back-to-back weekend.
Well, this fall did NOT go as planned. Lots of turn-over at work, lots of really long days for me, and as a result, I think I've run once this past month. Not good. Add to it that Zach's work has been crazy-busy as well (again, hit by moves and end up being short-staffed too) and then he gets put on duty this weekend and can't come anyway... well, it just didn't work out.
And I know that everyone over the course of their running careers will have races that they really want to go to but cannot for whatever reason. I know that if I tried to run this one, I'd probably hurt myself, and it's better in the long run to stay home with Zach (actually SEE my husband - crazy idea that!) and get stuff done around the apartment. I know that we made a good choice here, and it has been a productive weekend (Christmas boxes getting ready to go out!), but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.
Well, soon I'll be looking at 2010 and trying to plan out what races I want to use to motivate my lazy butt next year! That'll honestly probably have to wait til after we get orders, because after January, I've no idea where we'll be!! Hard to plan a race schedule that way :)
The Las Vegas Santa Run is a 5K run each year in Vegas to benefit a local assisted living shelter for mentally handicapped adults. It's also Vegas' entry into the Guinness Book category for largest gathering of Santas. There's also a city in Australia, one in Italy, and a few in the UK who enter each year - those are the ones I remember off the top of my head, at any rate. So, had we entered, we'd have been Guinness Book participants, run a fun 5K, helped a local charity, and earned our own Santa Suit (part of your race registration!). Totally worth it!
The R&R Vegas Half and Full Marathons (I was going to do the half) are another part of the Rock & Roll series of races. Since we're only a few hours away, this was going to be my fall quarter motivational race. Remember, that's how I use the long races - about 1 a quarter, something long-term to keep me running. This would've been the one to keep me moving from Sept to Dec.
Yes, running both races would've been a busy weekend, but it would've been fun. And I've run more in a weekend. The Shamrock races in VB (my very first 1/2 marathon!) have a special award if you run the 8K on Saturday and then the half or full marathons on Sunday. It's called the Whale or Dolphin Challenge (yes, you can tell we're a beach town). You get a special certificate, and besides, it helps me to get out and stretch my legs a little on the day before a race (like walking all over Phoenix before the half in January!). Both years I ran the Shamrock, I did the Dolphin Challenge, and the second year I did the combo, I actually got my best time on the half! So, running a slow 5K in a Santa suit would've been a fun warm-up for the half the next day.
And any rate, it's not as crazy as the Disney World race combination. Their full and half marathons are on back to back days, instead of the same day, so running both earns you the Goofy Medal. 39.3 miles in a weekend is a little much for me right now, so more power too 'em! I'll stick with a 5 or 8K instead if I'm gonna do a back-to-back weekend.
Well, this fall did NOT go as planned. Lots of turn-over at work, lots of really long days for me, and as a result, I think I've run once this past month. Not good. Add to it that Zach's work has been crazy-busy as well (again, hit by moves and end up being short-staffed too) and then he gets put on duty this weekend and can't come anyway... well, it just didn't work out.
And I know that everyone over the course of their running careers will have races that they really want to go to but cannot for whatever reason. I know that if I tried to run this one, I'd probably hurt myself, and it's better in the long run to stay home with Zach (actually SEE my husband - crazy idea that!) and get stuff done around the apartment. I know that we made a good choice here, and it has been a productive weekend (Christmas boxes getting ready to go out!), but that doesn't make it any less frustrating.
Well, soon I'll be looking at 2010 and trying to plan out what races I want to use to motivate my lazy butt next year! That'll honestly probably have to wait til after we get orders, because after January, I've no idea where we'll be!! Hard to plan a race schedule that way :)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Review: Robots
Another Netflix movie. I'm actually getting better about watching them sooner after they come in, so we're moving through our (my) queue relatively well. Well, as fast as one can ever move through a 500 movie queue. As a side note, did you know you can max out a Netflix queue? Why, yes, yes you can! Ask me how I know! ;) So, here you go: Robots.
Pretty basic plot, just set with robots. Bright small-town robot comes into the big city hoping to make his fortune and follow his dream. Ends up facing cruel power-hungry dream-squashing industrial giant, making a handful of odd-ball friends, falling in love, and saving the day.
Overall, a common story, but one that can always be retold with new twists, since people love the little guy. No big complaints there. The love story aspect was rather rushed, honestly, and felt a little odd amongst the rest of the story. I dunno, it just didn't seem to fit as well. Everything else was focused on the action and the comedy, and the romance seemed to be glossed over until the very end, like an afterthought.
The other part that bothered me about the writing was the way the comedy was inconsistent. There were some REALLY funny lines, and then there were several minutes spent on fart jokes. That scene definitely dragged a little, but I guess that's because I'm not a 8-year-old boy. Shrek had the similar bouncing around of high and low humor, but it was more broken up than in this movie, so the fart jokes didn't drag sequences on quite so much.
Very nice animation. Not spectacularly beautiful like a Studio Ghibli or a Pixar, but still very detailed and smooth. I liked a lot of the little touches that the designers added in - shop names, similar touches. I always enjoy those little things in animation (like in Wallace & Gromit, for example - little jokes EVERYWHERE!)
The music was more fun than the animation, actually. Well, they had the Blue Man Group helping with the percussion, so it would be fun, wouldn't it? :)
Very good voice talent, for the most part. Robin Williams, let's face it, is practically a cartoon anyways, when he gets going, so he did just fine. Not as good as Aladdin's Genie, but still a good example of his talent. Ewan McGregor had a good, solid guy-next-door sort of voice, a good choice for the main character. Halle Berry was rather a small part as Cappy, the love interest. Pretty nondescript, actually, neither a bad nor a good choice. Not my least favorite voice actress, certainly by far, but it wasn't the greatest use of her talent to be a voice actress. Maybe I'm just being hard, though, since the small part didn't exactly give her much opportunity to shine. Drew Carey was a nice touch as the doom-and-gloom member of the bunch of friends. And Mel Brooks was a surprising voice as Bigweld, the crazy inventor who founded Robot City. Surprising, I think, simply because I don't remember it being advertised. Not surprising in the choice of voice - c'mon, after all his movies, does anyone doubt he can voice a crazy genius?
I think my favorite voices in the movie (even more than Robin Williams) were the villains. Greg Kinnear was a funny touch as the power-hungry-yet-whiny executive Ratchet. Really, any male villain who worries about "oh dear, I'm turning into my mother!" when performing nefarious deeds has some good chances for some fun voice work. And then Jim Broadbent was the insane lord of the Robot City underworld, Madame Gasket. Yes, Madame. He played a female villain. Oh, and what really cracked me up about Jim Broadbent was that the last place I saw him was as the kindly-insane-criminal-mastermind in Hot Fuzz! As Zach commented, maybe he likes the funny-crazy bad guys?
Overall: 3.5 of 5. Likable, but not one of the greatest animated movies I've seen, and yes, I will admit my animation standards are set very high. I won't object to having it on my shelf, but it's more of a less-than-$10 movie than a $15 movie, if you know what I mean.
Overall, a common story, but one that can always be retold with new twists, since people love the little guy. No big complaints there. The love story aspect was rather rushed, honestly, and felt a little odd amongst the rest of the story. I dunno, it just didn't seem to fit as well. Everything else was focused on the action and the comedy, and the romance seemed to be glossed over until the very end, like an afterthought.
The other part that bothered me about the writing was the way the comedy was inconsistent. There were some REALLY funny lines, and then there were several minutes spent on fart jokes. That scene definitely dragged a little, but I guess that's because I'm not a 8-year-old boy. Shrek had the similar bouncing around of high and low humor, but it was more broken up than in this movie, so the fart jokes didn't drag sequences on quite so much.
Very nice animation. Not spectacularly beautiful like a Studio Ghibli or a Pixar, but still very detailed and smooth. I liked a lot of the little touches that the designers added in - shop names, similar touches. I always enjoy those little things in animation (like in Wallace & Gromit, for example - little jokes EVERYWHERE!)
The music was more fun than the animation, actually. Well, they had the Blue Man Group helping with the percussion, so it would be fun, wouldn't it? :)
Very good voice talent, for the most part. Robin Williams, let's face it, is practically a cartoon anyways, when he gets going, so he did just fine. Not as good as Aladdin's Genie, but still a good example of his talent. Ewan McGregor had a good, solid guy-next-door sort of voice, a good choice for the main character. Halle Berry was rather a small part as Cappy, the love interest. Pretty nondescript, actually, neither a bad nor a good choice. Not my least favorite voice actress, certainly by far, but it wasn't the greatest use of her talent to be a voice actress. Maybe I'm just being hard, though, since the small part didn't exactly give her much opportunity to shine. Drew Carey was a nice touch as the doom-and-gloom member of the bunch of friends. And Mel Brooks was a surprising voice as Bigweld, the crazy inventor who founded Robot City. Surprising, I think, simply because I don't remember it being advertised. Not surprising in the choice of voice - c'mon, after all his movies, does anyone doubt he can voice a crazy genius?
I think my favorite voices in the movie (even more than Robin Williams) were the villains. Greg Kinnear was a funny touch as the power-hungry-yet-whiny executive Ratchet. Really, any male villain who worries about "oh dear, I'm turning into my mother!" when performing nefarious deeds has some good chances for some fun voice work. And then Jim Broadbent was the insane lord of the Robot City underworld, Madame Gasket. Yes, Madame. He played a female villain. Oh, and what really cracked me up about Jim Broadbent was that the last place I saw him was as the kindly-insane-criminal-mastermind in Hot Fuzz! As Zach commented, maybe he likes the funny-crazy bad guys?
Overall: 3.5 of 5. Likable, but not one of the greatest animated movies I've seen, and yes, I will admit my animation standards are set very high. I won't object to having it on my shelf, but it's more of a less-than-$10 movie than a $15 movie, if you know what I mean.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Thanksgiving observations
We had dinner today with a bunch of our friends from Zach's division. Several of the singles or couples with no/very small kids - everyone with family elsewhere. So even though we're a couple thousand miles from family, Thanksgiving was still a big affair with lots of good people.
So, as we were there, I noticed a few things:
So, as we were there, I noticed a few things:
- The military community is really good at taking care of each other. Not the military itself, mind you - that is kinda hit or miss as to what they provide for their families. But the community is good at it. I was asked by 3 different friends of mine (I don't know how many more Zach was asked by) to make sure that we had someplace to eat Thanksgiving dinner at. Everyone here knows that we're all scattered and may or may not be able to be with family for the holidays. So, we all eat together and form a makeshift sort of family, all stuck out here in the same boat. I never noticed that in the civilian world. 2 different Thanksgivings while I worked at Horrible Job in SC, and I don't remember even being asked what I was doing for Thanksgiving, even though everyone knew my family was 2 states away and my boyfriend was stationed on the other side of the country. Just a different mindset, with the assumption that "it's a holiday, you'll find a way to celebrate with friends and family since they're here or pretty close by," not the assumption like on a military post that friends and families are time zones away. Just an observation.
- You know it's a bad/frustrating place you're stationed at when 3 of the people at the table (all different households) all mention that what they are thankful for is either having received orders and knowing they are about to leave here, or that they are about to receive orders in the next few weeks, again meaning they are about to leave here. Yeah, not a good sign.
That's all, really. Nothing too deep and meaningful, as I'm totally stuffed and though not quite in food coma-realm, am definitely ready to head to bed :)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, November 22, 2009
A Happy Blogoversary pattern!
Two years of mindless rambling now, so here's a free pattern to celebrate!
I've finished the Banana-rama Wrap (which is what I began calling it - the whole banana fiber thing was a constant source of amusement as I was knitting it!) so here it is, all written up, in case someone else is ever looking for a quick wrap for some unique and unusual yarn! It's nothing remarkable, but if it helps someone else who's got a few skeins of unusual yarn that they want to use up and this saves them from thinking too hard on it, well, then it's worth it!
I've finished the Banana-rama Wrap (which is what I began calling it - the whole banana fiber thing was a constant source of amusement as I was knitting it!) so here it is, all written up, in case someone else is ever looking for a quick wrap for some unique and unusual yarn! It's nothing remarkable, but if it helps someone else who's got a few skeins of unusual yarn that they want to use up and this saves them from thinking too hard on it, well, then it's worth it!
Banana-rama Wrap
Materials
- Yarn: 4 skeins banana fiber yarn, approximately 80-85 yards per skein (This is a bulky yarn, with recommended needle size of US 10.5. I got mine from from the Animal Rescue Site store, one of the Greater Good websites - check it out!)
- Needles: US Size 15 needles (10 mm)
- Notions: tapestry needle or crochet hook to weave in ends.
Gauge
4 in x 4in = Approximately 10 stitches and 12 rows in pattern stitch (3 diagonal lines of stitches in the pattern across, and 4 diagonal lines vertically)
This gave my wrap final dimensions of 29 in x 78 in (there's a lot of stretch and drape to the final piece, so dimensions are only approximate).
Really, though, gauge is not important to this piece. Find a needle size that gives you a drape you like with the yarn you're using.
Directions
Cast on 50 stitches.
Garter Stitch 4 rows.
Begin pattern stitch:
4 in x 4in = Approximately 10 stitches and 12 rows in pattern stitch (3 diagonal lines of stitches in the pattern across, and 4 diagonal lines vertically)
This gave my wrap final dimensions of 29 in x 78 in (there's a lot of stretch and drape to the final piece, so dimensions are only approximate).
Really, though, gauge is not important to this piece. Find a needle size that gives you a drape you like with the yarn you're using.
Directions
Cast on 50 stitches.
Garter Stitch 4 rows.
Begin pattern stitch:
Row 1: K1, *[yo, K2tog] repeat from * to last stitch, K1
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: K2, *[yo, K2tog] repeat from * to last 2 stitches, K2
Row 4: Purl
Repeat pattern rows until piece reaches desired length.
Finish with 4 rows of garter stitch. Bind off. Block piece to desired dimensions.
Enjoy! As always, if there are questions, please let me know. I don't write up many of the projects I've "wung" so feedback is always appreciated!
And, of course, the standard wording applies. Thanks very much for checking out my pattern. You are welcome to make any of my patterns for yourself, a friend, or charity, but please do not sell the finished product. If you would like to share the pattern, please do not sell it or try to pass my work off as your own. If you make one of the patterns, I would love to see pictures! Please consider sending me a picture, or letting me know on ravelry (I’m oddbird26).
Finish with 4 rows of garter stitch. Bind off. Block piece to desired dimensions.
Enjoy! As always, if there are questions, please let me know. I don't write up many of the projects I've "wung" so feedback is always appreciated!
And, of course, the standard wording applies. Thanks very much for checking out my pattern. You are welcome to make any of my patterns for yourself, a friend, or charity, but please do not sell the finished product. If you would like to share the pattern, please do not sell it or try to pass my work off as your own. If you make one of the patterns, I would love to see pictures! Please consider sending me a picture, or letting me know on ravelry (I’m oddbird26).
Friday, November 20, 2009
W is for...
Wind.
There are two seasons here in the High Desert: Heat and Wind. That's all.
There IS about 2 weeks on either end of the seasons, where they transition from one to another, and the weather's actually pretty nice during those stretches. Unfortunately, that's about all we get in terms of Fall and Spring here, nothing longer. Just long enough to make you think "maybe the desert isn't quite so horrible an environment to live in."
And then the next season starts. Bah.
We've already had the Windy season start this year. Had a MASSIVE wind storm hit back around Halloween to usher in the season this year. And I mean Massive, as in, had there been rain, it would have been classified a tropical storm, almost a hurricane. (For those who didn't grow up on a hurricane-prone coast, hurricane-force winds are 74 mph and up). Living in quality-built on-post housing, you're just expecting the roof to get blown off some days with those storms. Thankfully, though, we're on the leeward side of our building, so not directly being slammed by the wind. Helps a little.
All the wind makes running outside challenging too - becomes an exercise in timing (pun only slightly intended!). You have to try and get out at the lull of the day, so no morning or evening runs if you can help it; the wind's worse as the sun comes up or down. A friend doing a long run over the weekend made it almost 3 miles out of a 10 mile long run, and then the 16 mph gusting drove him indoors to the treadmill.
And on just a personal note, the wind is unsettling. Maybe it's just where I grew up, but strong winds always came with storms. There was something big and dramatic that came after the restlessness of the winds. Closure, I guess, after the restlessness. Now, it's just that ongoing stirred-up feeling. The same way the summer sun is just ongoing-ly oppressive without break, that's how the winds are for stirring me up. There's a quote from a Raymond Chandler short story that I didn't realize how true it was until I got out here:
There IS about 2 weeks on either end of the seasons, where they transition from one to another, and the weather's actually pretty nice during those stretches. Unfortunately, that's about all we get in terms of Fall and Spring here, nothing longer. Just long enough to make you think "maybe the desert isn't quite so horrible an environment to live in."
And then the next season starts. Bah.
We've already had the Windy season start this year. Had a MASSIVE wind storm hit back around Halloween to usher in the season this year. And I mean Massive, as in, had there been rain, it would have been classified a tropical storm, almost a hurricane. (For those who didn't grow up on a hurricane-prone coast, hurricane-force winds are 74 mph and up). Living in quality-built on-post housing, you're just expecting the roof to get blown off some days with those storms. Thankfully, though, we're on the leeward side of our building, so not directly being slammed by the wind. Helps a little.
All the wind makes running outside challenging too - becomes an exercise in timing (pun only slightly intended!). You have to try and get out at the lull of the day, so no morning or evening runs if you can help it; the wind's worse as the sun comes up or down. A friend doing a long run over the weekend made it almost 3 miles out of a 10 mile long run, and then the 16 mph gusting drove him indoors to the treadmill.
And on just a personal note, the wind is unsettling. Maybe it's just where I grew up, but strong winds always came with storms. There was something big and dramatic that came after the restlessness of the winds. Closure, I guess, after the restlessness. Now, it's just that ongoing stirred-up feeling. The same way the summer sun is just ongoing-ly oppressive without break, that's how the winds are for stirring me up. There's a quote from a Raymond Chandler short story that I didn't realize how true it was until I got out here:
There was a desert wind blowing that night. It was one of those hot dry Santa Anas that come down through the mountain passes and curl your hair and make your nerves jump and your skin itch. On nights like that every booze party ends in a fight. Meek little wives feel the edge of the carving knife and study their husbands' necks. Anything can happen. You can even get a full glass of beer at a cocktail lounge.
- "Red Wind" (short story, 1938), published in Trouble Is My Business (1939)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Holy cow, actual FOs!
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I've actually managed to finish some projects!!
First up, Abrazo! It's actually a really quick pattern; I just had a way of making it take longer than it might have otherwise needed!
To first hurdle to overcome was when I messed up the waist shaping on one side, so I had about 8-10 stitches that I undid, dropped down, and reworked. Took a lot of DPN handling, but anything to prevent me from reworking several inches of the whole sweater!
The next delay was deciding what to do around the armholes and neckline. The original pattern called for a single crochet edging around all those openings. Unfortunately, that doesn't work with my shoulders. I'm a little too broad for a vest that narrow to look good, so I had to figure out what I wanted to do instead. I ended up picking up stitches and doing a K1P1 rib for 4 rows around each opening. Like the finished look on me a lot better!
So here you go: all done!
First up, Abrazo! It's actually a really quick pattern; I just had a way of making it take longer than it might have otherwise needed!
To first hurdle to overcome was when I messed up the waist shaping on one side, so I had about 8-10 stitches that I undid, dropped down, and reworked. Took a lot of DPN handling, but anything to prevent me from reworking several inches of the whole sweater!
The next delay was deciding what to do around the armholes and neckline. The original pattern called for a single crochet edging around all those openings. Unfortunately, that doesn't work with my shoulders. I'm a little too broad for a vest that narrow to look good, so I had to figure out what I wanted to do instead. I ended up picking up stitches and doing a K1P1 rib for 4 rows around each opening. Like the finished look on me a lot better!
So here you go: all done!
Next up, the Bananarama Wrap. That one I'll talk more about in a few days, when I publish the pattern too. But, it IS done!
Monday, November 16, 2009
V is for...
Vicious beasties!
We have 2 protective defenders of the house living here. Both our little fur-babies are very diligent about defending the house from such invaders as bootlaces, cardboard tubes ("drrtrrs" in our house, as that is the sound they make) and remote controls. Yes, remote controls. Apparently the buttons on the remote are something akin to bunny crack. On the remote on my last DVD player, I was down to just the 8 on the number pad. I think they are made of the same type of rubber as ballpoint pen grips. Which I am missing on many of the pens in my desk. Joey is very efficient.
But Scruffy doesn't let Joey have all the fun. There are shoelaces to be conquered! It's interesting that he ignores totally the laces actually IN the shoes. I think it's because those are already contained and conquered, being in the shoe and all. But those wild and roaming shoe laces must be dealt with. And the funniest thing is how he attacks them. Either leaping like a salmon (a uncoordinated 16 lb furry salmon) or rolling on his back to attack the dancing string. It's a riot!
Side note:
I know this title is a little misleading for this particular picture, as you might think that they are vicious towards each other, that's not the case. It's just the only picture I have of both fuzzies in the same shot. Typically, Scruffy runs from Joey. Yes, that is the 16 lb cat running away from the 5 lb bunny, but that's how it is. And Joey's never been aggressive towards him either! Scruffy's just a big chicken, and as long as that keeps our pets from rough housing and hurting each other, that's fine with me.
Side note:
I know this title is a little misleading for this particular picture, as you might think that they are vicious towards each other, that's not the case. It's just the only picture I have of both fuzzies in the same shot. Typically, Scruffy runs from Joey. Yes, that is the 16 lb cat running away from the 5 lb bunny, but that's how it is. And Joey's never been aggressive towards him either! Scruffy's just a big chicken, and as long as that keeps our pets from rough housing and hurting each other, that's fine with me.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veterans' Day
To all those who have served and fallen,
To all those who have served and come home,
Past and present,
Thank you.
To all those who have served and come home,
Past and present,
Thank you.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Nerdy Excitement Abounds!
We're going to Stitches West!!
By "we," I mean my knitting buddy and I. We were talking at Knit Night one night, and both of us had had the thought that since we're relatively close to Santa Clara, why not go to Stitches West? Being military spouses, there's no telling when/where we're headed next, and there's no guarantee that we'll be close enough to attend ANY of the Stitches in the near future, let alone the big one in Santa Clara.
And so we are going! And even better, we've got a buddy to go with!
I'm very excited about my class list. I'm going to a class on steeking, one on crocheting for dummies (well, for knitters at any rate - not a dummy, just don't know what to do with only one needle!), two on different aspects of designing sweaters, and so on. Have two classes with one of my favorite designers too (Melissa Leapman, author of 2 GORGEOUS books of cable patterns, among other things). I think Sarah (my knitting buddy) and I only have one class together, actually, but that might be a good thing. We can share notes at the end of the day, and it'll be like going to twice as many classes! Divide and conquer!
And then there's the vendor's area! Sarah is looking for a spinning wheel, and as we live beyond the edges of civilization, it's hard to get to a store that has wheels to sample, so she wants to take advantage of seeing all the different types. I haven't gotten into spinning yet (I think Zach would explode if I started bringing more fiber into the house!) but I do have my own shopping list. I will try to abide by the Zach-Imposed Yarn Moratorium (as Anne dubbed it) but I am looking for buttons for several sweaters I have planned for next year, Mara and the February Lady Sweater among them. I have found that I wear cardigans a lot here, more than pullovers, because of the way temperatures bounce around so much inside and out, so am making more cardigans as a result. And cardigans need buttons! They can't all be closed with a pin like my purple one :) Thinking of pins, though, I'd also love to find a nice shawl pin or two, and I'm sure there will be plenty of options there at Stitches! And, as much as I say I'll try to abide by the Moratorium, if I find some absolutely gorgeous, too-good-to-pass-up yarn, well... we'll see ;)
And yes, as I'm sure you can tell from the abundance of exclamation points in this post, I'm very excited!! :) Yet another reason I can't wait til February!
By "we," I mean my knitting buddy and I. We were talking at Knit Night one night, and both of us had had the thought that since we're relatively close to Santa Clara, why not go to Stitches West? Being military spouses, there's no telling when/where we're headed next, and there's no guarantee that we'll be close enough to attend ANY of the Stitches in the near future, let alone the big one in Santa Clara.
And so we are going! And even better, we've got a buddy to go with!
I'm very excited about my class list. I'm going to a class on steeking, one on crocheting for dummies (well, for knitters at any rate - not a dummy, just don't know what to do with only one needle!), two on different aspects of designing sweaters, and so on. Have two classes with one of my favorite designers too (Melissa Leapman, author of 2 GORGEOUS books of cable patterns, among other things). I think Sarah (my knitting buddy) and I only have one class together, actually, but that might be a good thing. We can share notes at the end of the day, and it'll be like going to twice as many classes! Divide and conquer!
And then there's the vendor's area! Sarah is looking for a spinning wheel, and as we live beyond the edges of civilization, it's hard to get to a store that has wheels to sample, so she wants to take advantage of seeing all the different types. I haven't gotten into spinning yet (I think Zach would explode if I started bringing more fiber into the house!) but I do have my own shopping list. I will try to abide by the Zach-Imposed Yarn Moratorium (as Anne dubbed it) but I am looking for buttons for several sweaters I have planned for next year, Mara and the February Lady Sweater among them. I have found that I wear cardigans a lot here, more than pullovers, because of the way temperatures bounce around so much inside and out, so am making more cardigans as a result. And cardigans need buttons! They can't all be closed with a pin like my purple one :) Thinking of pins, though, I'd also love to find a nice shawl pin or two, and I'm sure there will be plenty of options there at Stitches! And, as much as I say I'll try to abide by the Moratorium, if I find some absolutely gorgeous, too-good-to-pass-up yarn, well... we'll see ;)
And yes, as I'm sure you can tell from the abundance of exclamation points in this post, I'm very excited!! :) Yet another reason I can't wait til February!
Monday, November 2, 2009
Review: Rope
Another Netflix picture (since we rarely get anything worthwhile at the theater here, and when we do it's never convenient for me... sigh). Was on a Hitchcock kick on my Netflix queue and came up to this one, which I actually hadn't seen before. So here you go: Rope.
Summary: Two preppy spoiled brats (college age) kill a classmate, really just to show that they can commit the Perfect Murder. They stow his body away in a trunk in their apartment and proceed to have a dinner party in the same room, with the victim's nearest and dearest in attendance. One of the dinner guests was a former teacher to all the boys, and starts realizing something is amiss, triggering a cat-and-mouse game among the men.
This seems to me one of Hitch's lesser known movies, and I could kinda see why, but at the same time, there was a lot that I really liked about it. It wasn't exotic locales or anything like "To Catch a Thief" or "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and it wasn't edge-of-your-seat suspense like "Psycho" but it was good nonetheless. It was a little slower than some of his other movies, too, but still interesting to watch the dinner party play out, knowing that there was something disastrous to be found and wondering when it would happen.
This one was really interesting visually, too. The story originated as a stage play, and so Hitchcock set about the project as Filming a Play. Which meant it was all one shot, no breaks or anything. In reality, it was filmed as 1 take per reel and then spliced together, so that meant about 10 minutes a take. Still impressive! It does have a few shots where you can tell that they were splicing reels - shots zooming in and then out on a door or on someone's back. Nothing irritating, just noticeable if you think about it. And like any good Hitchcock, there are just some great shots. My favorite was watching one of the killers in the kitchen through the swinging door. Just a great bit of camera work.
Jimmy Stewart was kinda miscast here, I do have to say. I dunno, he just didn't seem the type to have crazy ideas about justifying murder. And there was definitely a sexual spin that the script could have taken concerning the boys and their former instructor, which just doesn't really fit Jimmy Stewart. Not that he did a bad job in the part or anything, just that he didn't really seem to fit the role.
One comment in the extras from the screenwriter was that they originally didn't intend to shoot the murder. The whole movie was supposed to progress with the viewer not knowing at all if the murder had even taken place! The audience would have seen the whole cat-and-mouse without knowing how much the boys' bravado was actually covering up. I honestly REALLY wish they'd taken that route. That would have been such a good twist on the movie. But, I'm not a filmmaker...
Oh, and one last bit of trivia - Hitch's appearance. There's actually supposedly 2 in this movie. If you look at the signs outside the window of the apartment where the whole play takes place, one of them is the stylized caricature of Hitchcock. You know, the one that's all round lines, that was the picture in the opening to the Hitchcock Hour? Well, it's that but in neon lights :) They said in the extras, though, that Hitch wasn't comfortable with the cameo being just the sign, so he's one of the pedestrians walking the street outside of the apartment during the opening credits.
Overall: 4.5 of 5. Not one of his best, but still a very good Hitchcock. Certainly shelf-worthy.
This seems to me one of Hitch's lesser known movies, and I could kinda see why, but at the same time, there was a lot that I really liked about it. It wasn't exotic locales or anything like "To Catch a Thief" or "The Man Who Knew Too Much" and it wasn't edge-of-your-seat suspense like "Psycho" but it was good nonetheless. It was a little slower than some of his other movies, too, but still interesting to watch the dinner party play out, knowing that there was something disastrous to be found and wondering when it would happen.
This one was really interesting visually, too. The story originated as a stage play, and so Hitchcock set about the project as Filming a Play. Which meant it was all one shot, no breaks or anything. In reality, it was filmed as 1 take per reel and then spliced together, so that meant about 10 minutes a take. Still impressive! It does have a few shots where you can tell that they were splicing reels - shots zooming in and then out on a door or on someone's back. Nothing irritating, just noticeable if you think about it. And like any good Hitchcock, there are just some great shots. My favorite was watching one of the killers in the kitchen through the swinging door. Just a great bit of camera work.
Jimmy Stewart was kinda miscast here, I do have to say. I dunno, he just didn't seem the type to have crazy ideas about justifying murder. And there was definitely a sexual spin that the script could have taken concerning the boys and their former instructor, which just doesn't really fit Jimmy Stewart. Not that he did a bad job in the part or anything, just that he didn't really seem to fit the role.
One comment in the extras from the screenwriter was that they originally didn't intend to shoot the murder. The whole movie was supposed to progress with the viewer not knowing at all if the murder had even taken place! The audience would have seen the whole cat-and-mouse without knowing how much the boys' bravado was actually covering up. I honestly REALLY wish they'd taken that route. That would have been such a good twist on the movie. But, I'm not a filmmaker...
Oh, and one last bit of trivia - Hitch's appearance. There's actually supposedly 2 in this movie. If you look at the signs outside the window of the apartment where the whole play takes place, one of them is the stylized caricature of Hitchcock. You know, the one that's all round lines, that was the picture in the opening to the Hitchcock Hour? Well, it's that but in neon lights :) They said in the extras, though, that Hitch wasn't comfortable with the cameo being just the sign, so he's one of the pedestrians walking the street outside of the apartment during the opening credits.
Overall: 4.5 of 5. Not one of his best, but still a very good Hitchcock. Certainly shelf-worthy.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
WIP Wednesday
Knit Night was supposed to be tonight, but I decided to catch the cold going through work instead. (sigh...)
Still, that doesn't mean no knitting was done! Actually, that's about all that got done today - sleep, watching movies, and knitting. But, am feeling much better now, and should be back to abnormal tomorrow!
And so I present the results of my hard work :)
The Bananarama Wrap is almost done! I hope to have the pattern up soon. It's nice and long and drapey. It's turning into a good casual party wrap. Not something for balls and the like (the yarn's a little too quirky for that) but good for the casual parties we are asked to attend from time to time. Fun!
I've got sleeve bands on the Abrazo, and just have to do the neck band, and I'll have a cute little vest, just in time for the crazy Windy season out here. The fall winds have already started arriving (high wind warnings the past few days, including gusts in the 50-60 mph range - fun stuff). So, layers are good in weather like this!
And the Shaken Not Stirred scarf is moving along slowly but steadily. Almost have the first martini glass done!
Still, that doesn't mean no knitting was done! Actually, that's about all that got done today - sleep, watching movies, and knitting. But, am feeling much better now, and should be back to abnormal tomorrow!
And so I present the results of my hard work :)
The Bananarama Wrap is almost done! I hope to have the pattern up soon. It's nice and long and drapey. It's turning into a good casual party wrap. Not something for balls and the like (the yarn's a little too quirky for that) but good for the casual parties we are asked to attend from time to time. Fun!
I've got sleeve bands on the Abrazo, and just have to do the neck band, and I'll have a cute little vest, just in time for the crazy Windy season out here. The fall winds have already started arriving (high wind warnings the past few days, including gusts in the 50-60 mph range - fun stuff). So, layers are good in weather like this!
And the Shaken Not Stirred scarf is moving along slowly but steadily. Almost have the first martini glass done!
So, yes, that's been my day today. Lots of rest and knitting and tea, and I have to admit, am feeling much better than I was this morning! Knitting - part of the cure for the common cold :)
Friday, October 23, 2009
U is for...
UV Rays!!
Now, you might say that this isn't a picture of UV rays, but a sand dune. Well, it's a sand dune in the desert (Kelso Dune in Mojave National Park) and with it being early in the morning, you get a great view of the sun rising :)
I live in the desert. And I work outside. My natural coloring falls in the pale-and-freckly end of the spectrum. All this combines to mean I go through a LOT of sunscreen in a season. And the three seasons after that, come to think about it. The whole year, pretty much. And, because of my constant vigilance in regards to my color, I am proud to say, I have only had one mild sunburn while living out here! That's quite an accomplishment!!
That's not to say I haven't gained some color, though. I have a permanent sunglasses tan, and my family was flabbergasted when I went home in September at how dark I was. No sunburns, though, just the darkest tan I've had in years. And I've come to the personal conclusion that the California aesthetic of very-tan-and-blond (you know, the Pamela Anderson look) isn't for any particular beauty reason; it's because everyone ends up that way anyways! I'm a pale, freckly redhead in any normal environment, but I definitely have blond streaks in my hair after 2 years out here!!
For comparison - the two picture below. The one on the left is from July 2007, the summer before we moved out here. The other is from September 2009, after about a year and a half in the desert (including 2 summers). In both, my hair is natural, no coloring or anything. Granted in the older one, my hair's a lot shorter and therefore a lot curlier, but you can definitely see it's JUST auburn, no strawberry blond. In the other, I have those crazy strawberry blond streaks framing my face. They are really noticeable some mornings in the bathroom mirror, with the light over the mirror catching them. Freaks me out every time, because it hasn't been since I was very small that my hair has been this light. Seriously, this post nearly was "W is for When Did I Become A Blond??"
I live in the desert. And I work outside. My natural coloring falls in the pale-and-freckly end of the spectrum. All this combines to mean I go through a LOT of sunscreen in a season. And the three seasons after that, come to think about it. The whole year, pretty much. And, because of my constant vigilance in regards to my color, I am proud to say, I have only had one mild sunburn while living out here! That's quite an accomplishment!!
That's not to say I haven't gained some color, though. I have a permanent sunglasses tan, and my family was flabbergasted when I went home in September at how dark I was. No sunburns, though, just the darkest tan I've had in years. And I've come to the personal conclusion that the California aesthetic of very-tan-and-blond (you know, the Pamela Anderson look) isn't for any particular beauty reason; it's because everyone ends up that way anyways! I'm a pale, freckly redhead in any normal environment, but I definitely have blond streaks in my hair after 2 years out here!!
For comparison - the two picture below. The one on the left is from July 2007, the summer before we moved out here. The other is from September 2009, after about a year and a half in the desert (including 2 summers). In both, my hair is natural, no coloring or anything. Granted in the older one, my hair's a lot shorter and therefore a lot curlier, but you can definitely see it's JUST auburn, no strawberry blond. In the other, I have those crazy strawberry blond streaks framing my face. They are really noticeable some mornings in the bathroom mirror, with the light over the mirror catching them. Freaks me out every time, because it hasn't been since I was very small that my hair has been this light. Seriously, this post nearly was "W is for When Did I Become A Blond??"
Monday, October 19, 2009
Review: The Bourne Movies
This one's on the series altogether, since we watched them in a relatively short stretch. Well, not as quickly after each other as Zach would have liked, but when work keeps me busy and bouncing around all hours, it's hard to find the time and energy to watch a movie some nights. Still, we did (eventually!) get them all watched, so here they are: The Bourne Movies.
So, yes, another series of movies that you'd have to have been living under a rock for the past few years to not know the plot. But, for those fellow troglodytes, here's the summary: The three movies center around Jason Bourne, an amnesiac picked up off the coast of Marseilles with bullet wounds in his back and a fancy bank ID chip in his hip. Bourne doesn't remember who he is, so heads to the bank for a lead. This sets him on a road trip across Europe evading people trying to kill him while he tries to find his answers. These answers turn out to be top-secret government secrets, like his training as a government-sponsored assassin (no, that's not a spoiler - the next two movies advertise that fact very well). He spends the next two movies trying to avoid the government, avoid the assassins, find some answers and find some peace. By the end of the third movie, he has found much of what he was looking for, as well as cleaned house of corrupt CIA staff.
GREAT CASTING!! Matt Damon is one of my favorite actors of his generation. He makes the character very believable, which is always nice to see from someone who could simply coast by on a pretty face. I'm a huge Brian Cox fan, and he was perfect for the role in the first two movies. I just love his voice - it's so perfect for that "I'm quiet and unassuming, but with the power to erase your existence, so don't mess with me" sort of character. The supporting cast is very strong in each movie, and got even better as the series progressed. After the success of the first, they were able to attract some big names for the other two movies, so I was well pleased. And I mean big names in the talented way, not in the box-office-draw sort of way. Albert Finney is a great actor, but you don't think of him as a blockbuster draw like, say, Tom Cruise. Same with David Strathairn and Scott Glenn. I've been finding I appreciate good character actors more and more, so I liked seeing the cast here.
The story is a good suspense adventure, broken into 3 parts. Not a mystery, really, but good adventures that do ask you to think at least a little. I did figure out the twist in the second movie before it was explained, but it wasn't so formulaic that I figured it out as the movie started. And even though you know the answer to Bourne's searches in the first movie, it's still a good ride watching him uncover them himself. Not total escapism like the Bond series, but still good adventures for a Saturday afternoon.
GREAT SCENERY! They filmed all over Europe and elsewhere, and it's beautiful! Yeah, that's really all I have to say about that. Is pretty :)
Biggest drawback: the filming. The camera crew were definitely of the school of thought which believes jerky filming adds to the intensity of an action scene. Yes, to a limited degree, that's true, particularly with car chases and running through crowd scenes. However, it was a bit heavy-handed here, particularly in the second two movies. I remember Mom fussing about that way back when she and Anne saw Supremacy in the theater. It really bothers her because she's got bad eyes to begin with, and it's simply hard to follow on a big movie screen. It bothered me because it deprived the viewer of some awesome fight choreography. It particularly irked me in the 3rd movie, because the fight scene in the Morocco apartment had some great moves - the opponent threw in some capoeira, and Bourne used some sash weapon moves (well, he used a towel, but that doesn't sound as impressive). And you couldn't really see any of it because the camera was bouncing around so badly! I ended up watching the extra on the DVD about the fight choreography, just to watch the moves, since you could see the fights from a steady camera! I know some movies use that as a cover up - Batman, for example, can't move so well in his costume, so the camera jerks around more to cover up any mistakes in the fighting. Here, the characters were in street clothes, so there was no such excuse. I'm sure you think I'm harping on this, but after years watching kung fu movies with Dad and several years training karate on my own, I like seeing the fights in a movie.
Overall: 5 of 5. No major faults, other than the jerky camera work. No actors that irritated me in their parts (no irritating parts either), plenty of good acting talent in the cast, great scenery, a fun suspenseful action series. Definitely shelf-worthy.
GREAT CASTING!! Matt Damon is one of my favorite actors of his generation. He makes the character very believable, which is always nice to see from someone who could simply coast by on a pretty face. I'm a huge Brian Cox fan, and he was perfect for the role in the first two movies. I just love his voice - it's so perfect for that "I'm quiet and unassuming, but with the power to erase your existence, so don't mess with me" sort of character. The supporting cast is very strong in each movie, and got even better as the series progressed. After the success of the first, they were able to attract some big names for the other two movies, so I was well pleased. And I mean big names in the talented way, not in the box-office-draw sort of way. Albert Finney is a great actor, but you don't think of him as a blockbuster draw like, say, Tom Cruise. Same with David Strathairn and Scott Glenn. I've been finding I appreciate good character actors more and more, so I liked seeing the cast here.
The story is a good suspense adventure, broken into 3 parts. Not a mystery, really, but good adventures that do ask you to think at least a little. I did figure out the twist in the second movie before it was explained, but it wasn't so formulaic that I figured it out as the movie started. And even though you know the answer to Bourne's searches in the first movie, it's still a good ride watching him uncover them himself. Not total escapism like the Bond series, but still good adventures for a Saturday afternoon.
GREAT SCENERY! They filmed all over Europe and elsewhere, and it's beautiful! Yeah, that's really all I have to say about that. Is pretty :)
Biggest drawback: the filming. The camera crew were definitely of the school of thought which believes jerky filming adds to the intensity of an action scene. Yes, to a limited degree, that's true, particularly with car chases and running through crowd scenes. However, it was a bit heavy-handed here, particularly in the second two movies. I remember Mom fussing about that way back when she and Anne saw Supremacy in the theater. It really bothers her because she's got bad eyes to begin with, and it's simply hard to follow on a big movie screen. It bothered me because it deprived the viewer of some awesome fight choreography. It particularly irked me in the 3rd movie, because the fight scene in the Morocco apartment had some great moves - the opponent threw in some capoeira, and Bourne used some sash weapon moves (well, he used a towel, but that doesn't sound as impressive). And you couldn't really see any of it because the camera was bouncing around so badly! I ended up watching the extra on the DVD about the fight choreography, just to watch the moves, since you could see the fights from a steady camera! I know some movies use that as a cover up - Batman, for example, can't move so well in his costume, so the camera jerks around more to cover up any mistakes in the fighting. Here, the characters were in street clothes, so there was no such excuse. I'm sure you think I'm harping on this, but after years watching kung fu movies with Dad and several years training karate on my own, I like seeing the fights in a movie.
Overall: 5 of 5. No major faults, other than the jerky camera work. No actors that irritated me in their parts (no irritating parts either), plenty of good acting talent in the cast, great scenery, a fun suspenseful action series. Definitely shelf-worthy.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Ridiculousness!!!
Ok, I love my new phone and all it's capabilities, but this is the first time I was motivated to take a picture of something in the grocery store.
ADVENT CALENDARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You know, the type with the little windows where candy goes! On sale, near the checkout line in the commissary. And yes, that was during the grocery run this morning, which (last I checked) was Columbus Day in mid-October.
What the heck is Christmas candy doing in the store!?!?
The only time seasonal goodies should be brought out early is for Easter, because Cadbury eggs are not available other times of year. All other seasonal candy is the same as normal, but colored specially for the holidays (Halloween M&Ms for example). There is no need for Halloween candy in mid-August, and there is no need for Christmas candy in mid-October. Seriously, who buys it? It's not still going to be good when December rolls around, and where are you going to put it for a month and a half before you start using it?
Just rubs me the wrong way...
You know, the type with the little windows where candy goes! On sale, near the checkout line in the commissary. And yes, that was during the grocery run this morning, which (last I checked) was Columbus Day in mid-October.
What the heck is Christmas candy doing in the store!?!?
The only time seasonal goodies should be brought out early is for Easter, because Cadbury eggs are not available other times of year. All other seasonal candy is the same as normal, but colored specially for the holidays (Halloween M&Ms for example). There is no need for Halloween candy in mid-August, and there is no need for Christmas candy in mid-October. Seriously, who buys it? It's not still going to be good when December rolls around, and where are you going to put it for a month and a half before you start using it?
Just rubs me the wrong way...
Look - we actually saw a movie in theater!
Earlier in the summer, while the weather was still unseasonably pleasant, we went down to Silverwood Lake State Park again, to go boating. We met up with a friend down there, and actually had a really pleasant afternoon, until the weather started turning. Once the wind picks up that strongly, being on the water is no place for someone who prefers staying warm. So, we had to find something else to fill our afternoon. Quite aghast that we hadn't seen anything recently in theaters (well, since last summer, I think), our friend talked us into seeing something in Town on our way back to post. In our defense, the closest real theater is in Town, almost an hour and a half away, and the little 2-screen theater on post only shows second run movies. If there's nothing good at the post theater, we just wait and depend on our Netflix instead. Driving a round trip that's longer than an actual movie time doesn't always seem worth it :\
Anyhoo, while in Town, we did indeed stop at the theater there and catch a show. We decided on Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
Anyhoo, while in Town, we did indeed stop at the theater there and catch a show. We decided on Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian.
The story follows Larry (Ben Stiller), the former night watchman but now successful but unhappy entrepreneur, as he travels to DC from NYC to rescue the museum displays headed for storage there. As everyone remotely impacted by marketing knows, these displays come alive at sundown every night, and are taking with them the magic that will wake up the entire Smithsonian complex of museums. Meanwhile, to make matters worse, one of the awakened characters at the Smithsonian (Hank Azaria) is an ancient Egyptian bent on world domination.
A warning for those reading: The Smithsonian holds a special place in my heart, of all the many many many museums I've visited. With grandparents living just outside DC and being of a family of the bookish type (read: dorks! but we admit it!) we made the trip into DC to the Mall just about every time we visited the grandparents. My sister and I could pretty much recite the Metro Red Line heading in from Bethesda to downtown where we'd get off. So keep in mind that this movie focuses on a place I love. Anyways...
For Hollywood sequels, it's the usual more-but-less philosophy. More explosions, more of the same jokes, less of a movie. (National Treasure 2, anyone? The 3 Star Wars prequels? Still make me cry...) But, as I haven't seen the first Night at the Museum, and quite frankly love the Smithsonian with all my heart, I was prepared for a mindless bit of fun, not expecting too much. Which is mostly what I got. It was better than I expected though, with several laugh-out-loud moments. It is still a Hollywood sequel, so they aren't going to break the formula this time around, but I wasn't expecting it to be groundbreaking. And it's a kid's movie, after all, so not much in the way of plot or making-you-think moments, but plenty of fun to be had.
The acting was good. Hank Azaria is hysterical as always. That lisp just kills me! Apparently it's a nod to Boris Karloff in the original The Mummy, whose undead king also had a British accent with a lisp. Azaria is just so good at these part, too, that the funny voice is just icing on the cake. He also voices two other characters - Honest Abe (from the Lincoln Memorial) and The Thinker (who's really more of a dumb jock when awake). Seriously, if you have a talented voice actor in the cast, make use of him! Amy Adams was fine as Amelia Earhart, but the character was a little over the top at times and could border on the irritating. Ben Stiller is not my favorite comedian, but he plays the straight guy here very well. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan return from the first film, as the model cowboy and tiny Roman soldier, and have some great (albeit underused) chemistry. Definitely could have had more scenes with those two in them. A favorite scene was the minis charging into battle 300-style, but being so tiny, they are just stabbing toes.
Honestly, one of the best things I liked about the movie was all the shots of DC and the Mall and the Smithsonian museums. There's lots of fun exhibits coming to life, many of which I remember from spending COUNTLESS hours in the Smithsonian every year. Granted, all the exhibits aren't from the Smithsonian (the Degas ballerina is in the Tate Modern in London - I know, I've sketched it there!) but they made for some fun jokes around the edges of the action. Like the bartender from Nighthawks breaking a bottle to use as a weapon during a fight scene! It made for some very busy scenes, those I-don't-know-where-to-look shots, but it didn't bother me like it did in Star Wars 3 (those were busy scenes, but no inside jokes or anything in the background, just business to show off the CGI capabilities). And I LOVED the Roman soldier riding in on the squirrel. Unless you've lived in the VA/MD area, you just don't know how tough those grey squirrels are! We used to laugh about that at W&M - the college just had permission from the squirrels to exist there, that it was really the squirrels who ran the place!
A warning for those reading: The Smithsonian holds a special place in my heart, of all the many many many museums I've visited. With grandparents living just outside DC and being of a family of the bookish type (read: dorks! but we admit it!) we made the trip into DC to the Mall just about every time we visited the grandparents. My sister and I could pretty much recite the Metro Red Line heading in from Bethesda to downtown where we'd get off. So keep in mind that this movie focuses on a place I love. Anyways...
For Hollywood sequels, it's the usual more-but-less philosophy. More explosions, more of the same jokes, less of a movie. (National Treasure 2, anyone? The 3 Star Wars prequels? Still make me cry...) But, as I haven't seen the first Night at the Museum, and quite frankly love the Smithsonian with all my heart, I was prepared for a mindless bit of fun, not expecting too much. Which is mostly what I got. It was better than I expected though, with several laugh-out-loud moments. It is still a Hollywood sequel, so they aren't going to break the formula this time around, but I wasn't expecting it to be groundbreaking. And it's a kid's movie, after all, so not much in the way of plot or making-you-think moments, but plenty of fun to be had.
The acting was good. Hank Azaria is hysterical as always. That lisp just kills me! Apparently it's a nod to Boris Karloff in the original The Mummy, whose undead king also had a British accent with a lisp. Azaria is just so good at these part, too, that the funny voice is just icing on the cake. He also voices two other characters - Honest Abe (from the Lincoln Memorial) and The Thinker (who's really more of a dumb jock when awake). Seriously, if you have a talented voice actor in the cast, make use of him! Amy Adams was fine as Amelia Earhart, but the character was a little over the top at times and could border on the irritating. Ben Stiller is not my favorite comedian, but he plays the straight guy here very well. Owen Wilson and Steve Coogan return from the first film, as the model cowboy and tiny Roman soldier, and have some great (albeit underused) chemistry. Definitely could have had more scenes with those two in them. A favorite scene was the minis charging into battle 300-style, but being so tiny, they are just stabbing toes.
Honestly, one of the best things I liked about the movie was all the shots of DC and the Mall and the Smithsonian museums. There's lots of fun exhibits coming to life, many of which I remember from spending COUNTLESS hours in the Smithsonian every year. Granted, all the exhibits aren't from the Smithsonian (the Degas ballerina is in the Tate Modern in London - I know, I've sketched it there!) but they made for some fun jokes around the edges of the action. Like the bartender from Nighthawks breaking a bottle to use as a weapon during a fight scene! It made for some very busy scenes, those I-don't-know-where-to-look shots, but it didn't bother me like it did in Star Wars 3 (those were busy scenes, but no inside jokes or anything in the background, just business to show off the CGI capabilities). And I LOVED the Roman soldier riding in on the squirrel. Unless you've lived in the VA/MD area, you just don't know how tough those grey squirrels are! We used to laugh about that at W&M - the college just had permission from the squirrels to exist there, that it was really the squirrels who ran the place!
Overall: 5 of 5. Predictable but lots of fun. Gave me the feeling that a lot of jokes came from the original, so makes me want to see the first. Good mindless bit of fluff, and better than a lot of other things that came out this summer! Also, very good for the homesick! :)
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
T is for...
Tractor!
Back in September, when we were visiting all the family in VA, I became an official member of Zach's family. Doesn't matter that I have been married to the guy for a year and a half or so. I had not yet learned to drive the family tractor(s).
For a bit of background, my in-laws live on a farm, and I mean farm in the hundreds-of-acres sense. The family has several tractors (I think Phil counted 12, including the ones awaiting repairs). Big John Deere people :) EVERYone coming into the family learns to drive the tractors, and I had not yet had the chance. Both my sister-in-law (Zach's brother's wife) and my other sister-in-law's boyfriend (Zach's sister's boyfriend) had learned, college friends visiting the farm had learned, ex-girlfriends of both brothers had learned. Yet, since Zach had not lived at the farm much while we were dating, I had not yet had the opportunity to give it a try myself. Something was missing.
So, the weather being gorgeous and all, we trucked down to the barn and, suitably accompanied by the folks, the dogs and the cameras, I got to try. I ended up driving 4 tractors that morning. They started me on one of older ones (1951) and then we went through some newer models, ending with one they were calling the Cadillac of tractors - radio, AC, power steering - all the good stuff. Even my inexperienced self appreciated the difference in them :)
While I was giving all this a try, I also drove the Dixie Chopper that morning. The Dixie Chopper, for those with yards not small enough to have ever needed one, is a lawn mower with about a 60 inch cutting radius. My mother-in-law's very favorite piece of yard equipment. Very sensitive controls, and can turn in place once you get the hang of it. I wasn't very good, and felt like I was driving a bumper car, because I kept jerking myself around :) One of those machines that gets better with practice, I'm told.
For a bit of background, my in-laws live on a farm, and I mean farm in the hundreds-of-acres sense. The family has several tractors (I think Phil counted 12, including the ones awaiting repairs). Big John Deere people :) EVERYone coming into the family learns to drive the tractors, and I had not yet had the chance. Both my sister-in-law (Zach's brother's wife) and my other sister-in-law's boyfriend (Zach's sister's boyfriend) had learned, college friends visiting the farm had learned, ex-girlfriends of both brothers had learned. Yet, since Zach had not lived at the farm much while we were dating, I had not yet had the opportunity to give it a try myself. Something was missing.
So, the weather being gorgeous and all, we trucked down to the barn and, suitably accompanied by the folks, the dogs and the cameras, I got to try. I ended up driving 4 tractors that morning. They started me on one of older ones (1951) and then we went through some newer models, ending with one they were calling the Cadillac of tractors - radio, AC, power steering - all the good stuff. Even my inexperienced self appreciated the difference in them :)
While I was giving all this a try, I also drove the Dixie Chopper that morning. The Dixie Chopper, for those with yards not small enough to have ever needed one, is a lawn mower with about a 60 inch cutting radius. My mother-in-law's very favorite piece of yard equipment. Very sensitive controls, and can turn in place once you get the hang of it. I wasn't very good, and felt like I was driving a bumper car, because I kept jerking myself around :) One of those machines that gets better with practice, I'm told.
So, yes, as of September 4, I am officially part of the family :)
Sunday, October 4, 2009
And the knitting ADD strikes again!
Hello, my name is Lara and I'm a cast-on-aholic.
Two projects started this week. Very different, but both begun this week.
First up: The Shaken Not Stirred scarf from The Knitter's Brewery.
Two projects started this week. Very different, but both begun this week.
First up: The Shaken Not Stirred scarf from The Knitter's Brewery.
Or, as I'm calling it, the Purple-tini! (Though the name of the yarn I chose is actually Plum Wine). This one is actually a knit-along, but due to Life rearing it's ugly head, I did not begin the project on September 1, as the KAL says. Instead, it began on September 25. So, it is highly unlikely that the project will be completed by October 16 for the prize drawing. I don't mind. It's still an adorable scarf, perfect for Girls' Night Out sorts of events (assuming I ever live in a climate where I need to wear scarves again!). There are few patterns that end up as impulse buys for me. This was one. :)
I've got the border done already. 5 Little olives! It's all the cute details that made it so irresistible! Again, though, the unimpressive-ness of unblocked lace :\ Still, trust me! - that border is 5 little olives!
I like the yarn, and adore the colors (I stared at her color choices for a LONG while when deciding!) The only downside I've found is that it does tend to split a little. Nothing obnoxiously so, just a small price to pay.
Oh - one of the other cute accents to this pattern - the scarf pin she has in the picture is a fancy swizzle stick! Hehe!
Next up: Banana yarn!
Going to be a wrap sort of thing. Just a basic diagonal lace pattern, nothing special. The yarn itself is special though! Banana fiber! Talk about random! It's interesting to knit with. Some sections are twisted very very tightly, so that you almost have to unwind a little to keep it from twisting on itself. And then other sections are looser and fuzzy. The yarn's texture and sheen it what really makes it though. It's like the recycled sari silk yarns - neither are smooth yarns designed for fancy stitch patterns. Just need a basic stitch pattern, cast on and go! The yarn does all the talking for you ;)
Since I'm winging the banana wrap, I'll write up the pattern eventually :) Promise!
I've got the border done already. 5 Little olives! It's all the cute details that made it so irresistible! Again, though, the unimpressive-ness of unblocked lace :\ Still, trust me! - that border is 5 little olives!
I like the yarn, and adore the colors (I stared at her color choices for a LONG while when deciding!) The only downside I've found is that it does tend to split a little. Nothing obnoxiously so, just a small price to pay.
Oh - one of the other cute accents to this pattern - the scarf pin she has in the picture is a fancy swizzle stick! Hehe!
Next up: Banana yarn!
Going to be a wrap sort of thing. Just a basic diagonal lace pattern, nothing special. The yarn itself is special though! Banana fiber! Talk about random! It's interesting to knit with. Some sections are twisted very very tightly, so that you almost have to unwind a little to keep it from twisting on itself. And then other sections are looser and fuzzy. The yarn's texture and sheen it what really makes it though. It's like the recycled sari silk yarns - neither are smooth yarns designed for fancy stitch patterns. Just need a basic stitch pattern, cast on and go! The yarn does all the talking for you ;)
Since I'm winging the banana wrap, I'll write up the pattern eventually :) Promise!
Friday, October 2, 2009
S is for...
Shedding!
As you might have gathered from reading, I have two furry pets (as opposed to un-furry ones like lizards or fish or something). Also, I live in the desert. These two factors combine to equal LOTS of pet hair all over the house.
Joey (the fuzz-butt above) is a mini Rex rabbit, meaning his coat is very thick and plushy and velvety. This also means when he molts, it's ALL OVER! Not as bad as long-haired breeds, I'm sure, but it's still SO MUCH HAIR! When we moved out here last spring, he'd already had a spring molt in SC, but arriving in the desert sent him into a second one. It's just too hot! And this year there was a second molt in August, right before we went back home to visit. Don't know why, just he was suddenly just SHEDDING!!! This picture was taken right after we got back from VA. I was playing with him and the new camera and caught this picture showing the after-effects of a molt.
And then there's Scruffy, a regular ol' short hair, but he's got the thickest coat I've ever seen on cat! You can brush and brush at him, and it just doesn't make any difference! And the poor guy has a sensitive stomach, so hairballs get him upset. He'll put up with the brushing for a little, but then wants to get down, so we have to pet him as much as we can to get all that loose hair out. Occasionally he'll even get a bath to wash out all the loose hair trapped in his coat. He puts up with it surprisingly well! All that, and we still have coats of gray fur covering the couch and anything dark he chooses to make a resting spot.
Poor little guys. Furry pets just aren't meant for the desert!
Joey (the fuzz-butt above) is a mini Rex rabbit, meaning his coat is very thick and plushy and velvety. This also means when he molts, it's ALL OVER! Not as bad as long-haired breeds, I'm sure, but it's still SO MUCH HAIR! When we moved out here last spring, he'd already had a spring molt in SC, but arriving in the desert sent him into a second one. It's just too hot! And this year there was a second molt in August, right before we went back home to visit. Don't know why, just he was suddenly just SHEDDING!!! This picture was taken right after we got back from VA. I was playing with him and the new camera and caught this picture showing the after-effects of a molt.
And then there's Scruffy, a regular ol' short hair, but he's got the thickest coat I've ever seen on cat! You can brush and brush at him, and it just doesn't make any difference! And the poor guy has a sensitive stomach, so hairballs get him upset. He'll put up with the brushing for a little, but then wants to get down, so we have to pet him as much as we can to get all that loose hair out. Occasionally he'll even get a bath to wash out all the loose hair trapped in his coat. He puts up with it surprisingly well! All that, and we still have coats of gray fur covering the couch and anything dark he chooses to make a resting spot.
Poor little guys. Furry pets just aren't meant for the desert!
Thursday, October 1, 2009
It's October again!
Thankfully our family has not been touched much by this particular disease, but I've had friends' families affected by it. So, check yourself, check a loved one!
For Breast Cancer Awareness, this celebrity endorsement caught me by surprise :)
Remember get yourself checked! Help save the Tatas!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I love my friends!
I found a lovely surprise on my desk this morning when I arrived. A friend from another department had dropped by a little gift for me, knowing that the past few weeks have been rough, to say the least (see yesterday's post!).
Yay! Friendly surprises are the best :)
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
R is for...
Running! And Race! And Rock & Roll!
All sorts of R's this time of year! The race pictures are all taken from this year's R&R Va Beach 1/2 Marathon. I ran that back over Labor Day weekend when we were home visiting VA. (Lovely week, that - feels like ages ago now!) That race was part of why we chose that week to go home. I'd run it twice before moving out here, and it's always fun to go back and run a race close to home. It wasn't my greatest time, but it was consistent with the rest of the year. No, seriously - my 3 1/2 marathon times this year from Jan, Mar, and Sept have been within seconds of each other! I am nothing if not consistent! So, not bad considering how crazy the summer is at my job, how miserable the weather in the desert is to run in, and how rarely I run in the summer as a result of those two factors ;)
I always laugh at my race pictures. The one above and the one right below are from about mile 11-12-ish. The Boardwalk is along the very final stretch of the race, and, obviously I'm running on it! Yet, my smile's still big and they aren't bad pictures at all! My very best running pictures were like that - about mile 11 at the R&R a few years ago. Dunno - apparently mile 11 is a good point in the run for me, my photogenic peak of the race :) The race this year... well, honestly I think it helped that the photos were taken after we turned onto the Boardwalk. Couldn't see the finish line, but could see and smell and feel the ocean again. Hadn't seen the Atlantic for nearly 2 years at that point, and hadn't seen any big water since May, running in San Diego. Well, we went to a lake in June, but it's not quite the same, is it?
I always laugh at my race pictures. The one above and the one right below are from about mile 11-12-ish. The Boardwalk is along the very final stretch of the race, and, obviously I'm running on it! Yet, my smile's still big and they aren't bad pictures at all! My very best running pictures were like that - about mile 11 at the R&R a few years ago. Dunno - apparently mile 11 is a good point in the run for me, my photogenic peak of the race :) The race this year... well, honestly I think it helped that the photos were taken after we turned onto the Boardwalk. Couldn't see the finish line, but could see and smell and feel the ocean again. Hadn't seen the Atlantic for nearly 2 years at that point, and hadn't seen any big water since May, running in San Diego. Well, we went to a lake in June, but it's not quite the same, is it?
And, being a VB race, Mom and her running buddy were there too. And lo and behold: Mom crossed the finish line and got a picture with her head up!! Not that surprising that she finished - the amazing thing is that after all the races she's done, she's always looking down at her feet or her watch in her pictures at the finish line :) But look - you see her face! Way to go Mom! :)
And for complete silliness, all 3 of us realizes that neither our house nor Ms D's had Epsom salts, for that post-race soak. So, on our way back home, complete with medals and race numbers still, we stopped at the grocery store to restock :)
And another reason that R is for Running, is that Zach and I found the running club on post this week! There are several people I know in the club, and several right about my pace, and several training for races I'm doing or ones at about the same time as mine. Wonderful news! I need that friendly "where were you for the long run yesterday?" prodding sometimes. So, it also works out that it coincides wonderfully right now as I'm belatedly posting my letters. :)
Maybe with some training buddies, I'll be consistent enough in my training to bring my 1/2 Marathon time down. My next goal is to be under 2:15, but I'd really love to be under 2:00. Here's hoping I can stick with it!
Maybe with some training buddies, I'll be consistent enough in my training to bring my 1/2 Marathon time down. My next goal is to be under 2:15, but I'd really love to be under 2:00. Here's hoping I can stick with it!
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