My weekend started out with a bang! On Friday I got to go see the Flaming Lips. I am getting really pumped for their new release Embryonic. I especially like Convinced of the Hex.
Their opening got me pumped. It’s been a long time since I’ve been that excited at a concert.
They played all the songs I wanted them to and then a few songs I hadn’t realized I’d wanted them to.
Of course, with a Friday like that my Saturday was pretty lame. Shelving books all day is especially boring after a sweet concert. However to make up for that, my Sunday was pretty freaking awesome since I went to A Wool Gathering. (You might remember it from before?) I got there via rocket car, Julie’s rocket car that can and does go faster than the speed of sound. We sonic boom’d our way there for sure.
When I wasn’t watching the herding dogs be wicked cool I was falling in love with angora bunnies again. While that was happening, Julie was having a Stevie Wonder moment with her yarn.
Before I ran off to join the circus I actually finished some knitting. Lately though, me saying I finished anything sounds like a damn dirty lie. It would probably sound more realistic if I told you I stole these from somebody who was incapacitated, which is what I actually did.
Spring Forward in some beautiful and amazing Malabrigo sock. I freaking love these socks!
Although I kind of jumped the shark on them. See, I was so excited because I tried out some new techniques on these. I made them using magic loop, which I’d never done. I did them toe up! Two at a time even. See, I had one skein of Malabrigo so I didn’t know how much yarn I really had or how long I could make them. So doing two at a time made sense, otherwise it would suck if I made one really long sock and then ran out of yarn for the second and had a midget sock. It would be like when Eric and Bill interact:
I think I would have resented the midget sock. Much like I resent Bill.
I also (thanks to Julie) made a short row heel! Which was really nice and I think I might be a convert.
So I was super excited about these socks because I felt like I achieved so much with them. In my haste I cast off and foolishly wove in the ends for the first sock. Because what could go wrong, right? Well it was soooopa tight. That k1tbl, p1 ribbing just doesn’t work with my calves that are what? Freakishly huge? Too big to wear boots anyways. (However I believe most, if not all boots are made for people with tiny children legs. These are people I’m not friends with because that’s just creepy. I’d rather have man legs than tiny children legs.)
Anyways, it was tight. I was disheartened. It took me a long time to pick them back up and fix them. Which made me realize: knitting has shown me that I’m not a fixer. If it’s broken, who cares? I sure as hell don’t.
So yeah: pattern, super awesome. Yarn, super nice. Together… I think it looks like water. I like it when my knitting comes together like that.
On your toes yet? I am!
I’m in love with these which leads to a very lame post. Knitting needs more angst than just “oh I love you so much knitting, let me tell you how much I love you.” I’m sorry, I’ll try to deliver with like a sweater or a puppet or something.
While we were on vacation we randomly took a trip to Portland. Which was awesome because we got to check out Powell’s Books. A bookstore that’s the size of a whole city block. That’s where I picked up these babies:
Most of which were used. I pretty much confined myself to one room. It wasn’t until we were leaving that I noticed the knitting wing and John and Alison had to reel me back to reality. Speaking of Alison, she was our tour guide for Portland. Which rocked! Because of her we rode the light rail and street cars all over the city.
She also humored us in our tourist need to try Voodoo Doughnuts. They are to doughnuts what Jeni’s is to ice cream. So if that question comes up on the SAT you know the answer.
Don’t they all look deliciously weird? It was a great side trip to a fun trip in general. Both me and John enjoyed Portland a lot, even though he was starting to get the flu. Which, if you’re keeping score that makes him 2 for 2 on getting sick on vacation this year.
Anyways, Portland is fun, donuts are awesome and I could have spent a whole week just browsing at Powell’s.
I think the next place we want to travel to is Texas. What do you guys think?
Were you hoping for more Seattle? I hope so! If not, IGNORE ME.
(I can’t time stamp that video and it’s kind of long- the link is better to watch.)
So, we went to PAX and guess what? Got the pax plague. Yay, thanks West Coast, it was nice meeting you too. Well at least I also got to meet the prince.
Before the convention though I had John come up with something to do on Thursday since we didn’t have anything planned. Here he is in our cool room using their awesome wireless that worked on the first go, which was a nice change.
His plan? Drive around the Olympic Peninsula and check out different yarn shops. Which led to this interaction:
John: Forks? That’s a funny name for a town.
3 hours later.
Me: Wait, did you say Forks? I thought that was the made up town in Twilight.
John: Yeah right, that ho has never had an original idea in her life, of course it’s a real place.
Me: No way, there’s no way that exists.
Which led to:
Well now I know and that’s worth… something I guess.
Anyways, back to Pax. John got to check out Global Agenda, which he freaking loved, so I was glad for that. He talked to one of the artists for a good long time and we went back several times during the weekend.
My favorite game was definitely Scribblenauts. Although I was sad when my unicorn got humped to death by my minotaur.
But yeah, besides trying to kill us (which it still might succeed) Seattle was okay. Now here are my WTF moments towards it:
1) The crows. There were crows everywhere. I wasn’t expecting that. It was kind of creepy, like we were in some sort of gothic novel.
2) The traffic was bonkers. Sure you think you’re being nice when we all get to an intersection that’s an ‘all way’ stop and you wave me forward. Everyone wanted to do that “you go” “no you go” “no YOU go” bullshit. You’re not being nice, you’re pissing me off- how about we observe the traffic law and whoever has the right of way goes, fair enough? Heh, I think traffic school instructor Julie is rubbing off on me. Plus there were a lot of five-way stops and I’m used to the typical four way stop. There was a lot of John yelling “turn left- no the other farther left- crap!”
3) The food. It was expensive. Like we always paid at least $10 more and we got a lot less. Which I get it, that’s why the Midwest is fat. Still, if I’m paying more and getting less I’m feeling a little burned.
4) Another traffic WTF: on side streets cars could park whatever direction they felt like. So a lot of times I freaked out thinking I was on a one way street but people just all parked their cars the same direction. Or they’d be all haphazard one way, the other, however they felt.
Now you know how I really feel. (Besides crappy that is. *coughdie*)
(Taken outside the EMP/SFM, which was pretty sweet. We got free comic books and I got to explore Arrakis.)
I’m not one to look for constant affirmation about my life (ha! such a lie) but I really think you should all give me a pat on the back. It’s not like I actually blog when I’m sitting around at home doing nothing- no I wait until I’m on vacation (which I am right now!) to give you a blog post that is rife with these run-on sentences. I’m sure you’re as pumped as I am. :p
Here we are! You can kind of see the space needle in the background which means one thing: we’re in SPACE!
We’ve been in Space two days so far (starting the 3rd here soon) and I’ve got to say, not so impressed with Space. Although yesterday we went on a tour and I was impressed with the aquarium.
I think I watched sea otters so long I blacked out. It was awesome.
We also went on an Underground Tour, which was hilarious and informative. However, since I lost the charger for the newer camera I only have the old camera, which is not a fan of working in dark places.
Anyways, there was a fire and when Seattle rebuilt they built up, to the “second story” as the tour guide put it to solve their sewage problem. He also told us how a lot of their money early on came from a Madame Lou. I guess when an early census was done, there were 25,000 people living in Seattle and on one street or area there were 2,500 women… who all listed their occupation as ‘seamstress’. Madame Lou came in and classied the ladies up. When she died she left a quarter of a million dollars to the city… which that kind of donation hadn’t been matched until Bill Gates started feeling generous. However she doesn’t get much respect in history because of her creative sewing skills.
We had lunch at a park, which was cool. (Although part of my complaint, which I’ll tell you about in the next post probably.) Then we went to Ballard Locks. Where there are a couple signs warning you to beware the fish stairs.
Anyways, the rest of my pictures are in my Seattle set on flickr. Check it!
