So Many LoLs, So Little Time

Okay, She Was Talking About Me

In case anyone was still wondering what Julie was talking about at the end of this post, she is talking about my nervous breakdown. ... Seriously, Jeff and I are going to get married. We don't have a venue or a date set yet, but I do have a dress and it is beautiful! So, there, I've officially said something, and now everyone (that reads this blog) knows about it. After 7 years of dating, followed by almost 5 years of engagement, we are finally going to make it all legally binding.

This level of stress, which involves me not sleeping much, would be the reason that I've not been blogging. Pretty much the only post that I've had in my brain is, "AAARRRGH" and that just isn't interesting to read. If you see less of me lately, then you can assume it's because I'm off in a corner rocking back and forth as I mutter over a calculator. If you see Jeff and I in public, you'll know why we have a glassy-eyed stare. Pity us, and try not to ask questions that involve complex answers, like things that aren't yes or no.

Pictionary

Pictionary,
originally uploaded by Tara DuBose.

This was how I finally communicated to my Korean co-worker what I
meant by "pot sticker".

What a Ride

I had a great time with the bus trip yesterday. The bus left Hill Country Weavers at 9am and I got back at 6:30pm, with more yarn, a decent amount of knitting accomplished and a growler of beer. Over the course of the trip I got to know Cyndi better, who I had met before but not had hours to socialize with. I also spent a pleasant lunch break with Sue and Dee, and at that fantastic gas station barbecue.

I don't think that there is any way that I could actually blog about our trip in a way that makes it interesting to anyone that doesn't knit/crochet/or at least collect yarn. We were rowdy in a controlled manner, and nothing was defaced. We knit all along the highways and byways between stores, and I've almost knit an entire sleeve for the big purpleness that it appears will be too small, but that's likely an entire post to itself, and a boring one at that.

I really had a great time in Boerne. If you're ever in town there are 2 other places that you should check out that are not in the gas station. The first is the yarn/toy shop Ewe and Eye. The proprietress is a hoot and the shop is beautiful. She has great yarns for the crafters, wonderful samples knit up for everyone to admire, and a terrific selection of toys and even some children's clothing.

As we walked from Rosewood Yarns to the Ewe and Eye (they're super close by, maybe two or three blocks) we passed by the Dodging Duck. Okay, if you click on that link you should know that I didn't see any wait staff dressed that way, there were in screen printed t-shirts and blue jeans. Still, I had quite a surprise at the Dodging Duck. I ordered a "ducks in a row" sampler without even knowing what beers I was going to get. Of course it showed up with some porter, and I didn't have a Jeff to trade it to. Being as I cannot in good conscience let beer go to waste, I tried the Sir Francis Drake Porter... and I liked it. I liked the porter enough that I ordered a half pint to see if I would like it in a larger quantity. I liked the half pint enough that I bought a growler to bring home to Jeff. Let me tell you, if you're worried that you've bought too much yarn just bring home a half gallon of beer, and all is forgiven.

So on top of all the expected fun and yarniness of the day, I came away with a new taste for beer. Who'd have thunk it?

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday,
originally uploaded by Tara DuBose.

You gotta love it. DG has a birthday and I get cake!

Boerne BBQ

Boerne BBQ,
originally uploaded by Tara DuBose.

All these folks are standing in line to get BBQ at a gas station. The
line was pretty much this long the whole time we ate there. That was
some kickass brisket. The beans need work, but the meat was tender and
delicious.

The Wheels on the Bus

The Wheels on the Bus,
originally uploaded by Tara DuBose.

We're almost ready to go. Everyone get on because we're getting ready
to roll.

Am I Hardcore or What?

Well in a few hours I'll be boarding a bus with a horde of knitters, setting off on a quest for new adventure. We shall descend en masse upon the distant yarn stores of faraway lands, and we shall claim our rightful prize... of yarn.

Okay, I'm done with that. Hopefully there will be some food to grab in Boerne, because all I have for lunch are a couple of apples and some diet soda. That's not enough to get me through 10 hours of travel with a bunch of women. I wonder if there will be any men at all? Jeff isn't going to come with me. He's going to stay and hopefully get a little work done, but also get some hanging out time with his dad. The current plan is for them to grab some Indian food for lunch before Dan leaves town.

Time to see if I can get back to sleep. I woke up in the middle of the night, and after I got a glass of water I was too awake to fall back asleep. Don't you hate that? So I came in here to goof off, but actually stopped to balance my checkbook and pay bills. Yay for taking care of bills before they are past due and I'm out of funds! So now that I don't have that hanging over my head, and I'm not thirsty, and the cats have been fed a late night/early morning snack so they won't stomp on my head, maybe now I can get a couple more hours of sleep.

Get Out of Jail Free

I am just so excited! This is my scheduled weekend to work and cover our area here at work. We have a schedule that is drawn up for a few months at a time, and that's how we determine who works when. So all of a sudden my weekend snuck up on me. There are so many fun things that are going on this weekend that I was really bummed when I figured out how it was going to line up with each other. Working from 7:30-3:30 really isn't too bad for doing most things, but it is limiting.

I have been freed from my shackles of workitude though. Now I have an entirely new dilemma. There are too many fun things to do, and I am limited by the fact that I can only be in one place at one time. I do have to work from 8-12 on Saturday, and I have a nail appointment Saturday evening at 5, but I don't have to work Sunday at all.

Fun things:
1) Jeff's dad is coming in town - We are definitely having dinner with him Saturday night, but other than that I have no idea what his plans are. I'm not sure when he's coming in town, or when he is leaving. I hear that he may be camping out some place Saturday night instead of staying with us, but I'm not positive.
2) Yarn Shop Hop - I may actually be able to hit 5 shops and qualify for the drawing. (Not to mention pick up enough free yarn to be able to make a decent shawl.) There's a bus driving to San Antonio and Boerne on Sunday that I could get on, maybe. This is fairly dependant on Jeff's dad's plans. Will he be here Sunday? If so we'll likely hang out with him instead. If he's driving home Sunday morning after camping some place else, then there may be yarning in my future.
3) Octoberfest - I've missed this event every year, and I think I need to go. Saturday night is probably out unless Jeff's dad wants to go, and wants to spend the night with us instead of driving to a camp site in the middle of the night. The event ends Sunday at 6, so it might be difficult to cram this in with a yarning trip. I for sure couldn't do it if I get on the HCW yarn bus, because they are estimating that they will get back to Austin between 5 and 7pm.
4) Other miscellany - hanging out with peeps, drinking some beer and/or wine, watching DVRd tv, knitting, playing video games, cuddling cats, etc.

There's just so many things to do, and although I'm not a huge fan of the super-busy weekend I feel compelled. I think it's the fact that prior to this afternoon I was sure I could do none of what I wanted that makes me want to do it all now. How can I bend space and time to be able to have all the fun I want without going insane from the stress of trying to cram 3 days of fun into 1 and a half days???

Red Velvet To Go

Jeff and I stopped by Hey Cupcake today, since it is conveniently parked next to Hill Country Weavers. I had a red velvet cupcake with cream cheese icing, and Jeff had the carrot cake also with cream cheese icing. I tried to get mine filled with whipped cream, but they had run out, so no dice.

I want to say that this was the best cupcake that I ever ate, and that it's worth driving across town to get a $2 cup of heaven, but that wasn't my experience. I do heartily recommend that if you are nearby, when they are open, and they aren't sold out of cupcakes, and you like carrot cake, that you try the carrot cake cupcake. I couldn't get too into it, since I don't like raisins, but the cake around the raisins was superb.

The red velvet was pretty much on par with red velvet cake that you get anywhere else. There are red velvets that are horrid pieces of red dirt, and it wasn't like that. It's just like any other not sucky not great version I've ever tried. They have vanilla and chocolate cakes and vanilla and chocolate icings. I believe I heard the woman inside telling a woman on the outside that the vanilla icing is pink. (It matches the cupcake on the roof.)

So there you have it. It's surreal to get trailer-cakes, but not all that mind blowing. Who knows, you're mileage may vary.

Lord Help Me

11 Balls of Purple,
originally uploaded by Tara DuBose.

I've almost finished the Hexagon Bag, and I fell down into a yarn buying fit at Hill Country Weavers today. The 1st Thursday sale was for sweater yarn, and I happened to find this purple pretty on the list. I've now bought a sweater/cardigan pattern (only $5) and 11 balls of this yarn (2 were technically free with the 20% off sale) to knit it up. And I'm going to Christmas knit when???

I could claim that I'm going to wait and knit it after the Christmas knit is done but that would be a bold faced lie.
1) I need it before Christmas, because it's usually cold before December.
2) I signed up to take a finishing class on October 15th to learn tips and tricks for seaming and whatnot, and I plan to have a seam to sew.
3) How can I ignore11 balls of variegated purple yarn?

Patience is a Virtue

Last year I decided to make Jeff a laptop bag for his birthday. Jeff's birthday happens to be March 29th, and when March 29th rolled around I was no where near done with the bag. It was quite sad how much faster I thought I could knit. I still have some delusions, but I am much closer to realistic these days, and I've already begun the Christmas knitting.

Anyway, sometime during the knitting of the laptop bag, Jeff's laptop bit the big one. Once there was no functional laptop to squeeze into the bag time was less of the essence. I believe it was in October of 2006 that I finally completed the knitting and seaming together of the bag. This thing was monstrous, although I haven't got a clue where I might have hid my notes on it's production. Still, there was no reason to felt the bag, since I didn't have a working laptop to fit it to.

Well just a month ago Jeff tore apart the bag he'd been hauling his computer support gear around in. Then a couple of weeks ago he got his new MacBook, then the free bag that used to be my knitting bag started falling apart on him, and that's when he remembered that I still owed him a handknit machine felted laptop bag. That boy is persistent when you've promised him something that he wants.

Today I finished the final stitch work and I think it looks pretty good. So only a year and a half from start to finish... could have been worse. I could have insisted that he wait until his next birthday.

The pattern was based on the Candy Stripe bag in Stitch N Bitch Nation. Jeff wanted a messenger bag style flap instead of a zipper closure, and the wanted a real strap as opposed to a knitted and felted strap, so a strap was purchased from REI, and just clipped onto the sewn in D-Rings. All the knitting was sewn together before felting. The D-Rings and pocket separation seam were sewn after felting and drying were complete.

Yarn Shop Hop

Columbus Day Weekend: October 5-8, 2007
7 Hill Country area yarn shops

To participate, buy a passport from any participating yarn shop for $5. This makes you eligible for a free ball of yarn from the designated basket at each shop. You can use the yarn to make a shop-hop shawl (free pattern provided). To be eligible for the Grand Prize of over $250 in gift certificates and merchandise, you must visit at least five of the seven shops and get your passport stamped. Turn it in at he last shop you visit. The winner will be drawn at Yarnivore in San Antonio on October 10. (Winners will be notified; you do not need to be present to win; you must be at least 10 years old to participate.

Shop Details
Hill Country Weavers..........M,Tue,W,F,Sat 10-6
1701 S Congress Ave.........Th 10-9 (special 1st Thursday hours)
Austin, TX 78704................Sun 1-5
512-707-7396

Bluebonnet Yarn Shoppe ................M-F 10-6
2800 E Whitestone Blvd, Suite 127 ..Sat 10-5
Cedar Park, TX 78613 .....................Sun 11-5 (only for the yarn hop, normally closed on Sundays)
512-259-4646

Yarnivore ..............................M,W,Th,F 10-7
2325 NW Military Hwy #109 ...Sat 10-5
San Antonio, TX ....................Sun 11-5
210-979-8255 ........................Tue Closed

The Yarn Barn .........M,W,Th,F 9:30-5:30
4300 McCullough ....Tue 9:30-6:30
San Antonio, TX ......Sat 10-5
210-826-3679 ..........Sun Closed

Rosewood Yarns .............M,W,F,Sat 10-5:30
455 B South Main ...........Tue,Th 10-8
Boerne, TX 78006 ...........Sun 12:30-4:30
830-248-1195

Ewe and Eye .........Tue-Fri 10-5:30
512 River Rd ..........Sat 10-3
Boerne, TX 78006....Sun Closed
830-249-2083

Stonehill Spinning ...........M-Sat 10-5
104 A East Ufer Street ....Sun Closed
Fredericksburg, TX 78624
830-990-8952