Self-imposed Ban on Sugar Meets Swift Demise

This week I and a group of co-workers decided to give up sugar for a week. A whole week. Yes, we chose a 4-day work week, but it's best to start with manageable goals.

On Tuesday I was a bit grumpy and I swear I had sugar withdrawal headaches. By Wednesday afternoon the cravings and sugar shakes had stopped completely. This wasn't going to be so bad after all. Then came the fateful Thursday lunch meeting...with cookies...from Specialty's.

Now, if you live in the Bay Area, you know Specialty's cookies. They are simply the biggest and best cookies in the known universe. And, they are probably laced with crack. They're that good. You can smell those cookies baking from blocks away...even downtown where it can be rather stinky...

I managed to get through 75% of said meeting before the smell of warm, delicious, fresh-baked cookiness completely overwhelmed me and I gave in...resistance is futile...and it was so worth it.

Of course, the post-sugar coma yesterday afternoon wasn't ideal, but I suffered through it ready to give up sugar once again. But once you've had a taste of the white devil, you just can't go back...

I ended up have a couple 'o glasses of wine last night in lieu of some chocolate (Yes, I know that alcohol is sugar, but I just don't think wine counts. Period. Even if I hadn't had the cookie, wine was never out of the picture.)

Then, this morning all hell broke loose when someone opened the last package of Hob Nobs. Now, since these fine cookies hail from overseas, they aren't easy to get stateside. And, since the package we had is rather small (15 cookies). It was really a get 'em before they are gone kind of thing...I couldn't resist...

You've bested me this time, sugar. I'll get you next time...next time...

KDD and Huzzah Olympics!

Yes, I am truly a victim of KDD -- Knitting-attention deficit Disorder. I am working on so many simultaneous projects that it is simply ridiculous, including but not limited to:

• cable and rib socks
  
• clapotis
  
• ruffle scarf
  
• double-knitted scarf

It's hard to find something mindless enough to let me concentrate simultaneously on knitting and the olympics. Also, I apologize but I am far too lazy (and the light is too crappy at night) to take pics of the works in progress.



Here's Mabel winning the gold medal in Olympic catnaps. She didn't get off of my lap for an entire day...literally.





Meow.

Time to turn heel...

Well, it's time to work the heel of the sock i'm working on...which means I'll be needing some knitting help...I'm not sure if the pattern calls for short rows or what (I think it does, but it doesn't actually call them short rows).

It could be time to mull over "turning heel" in other things, details TBD.

It's time to sit back and DO NOTHING. I've been waiting for weeks to have the opportunity to do absolutely nothing. Last night I got home from work and immediately took to the couch (with a pile of blankets because I swear it is merely 40 degrees in the apartment despite what the thermostat says). Mabel hopped up and we made a night of catnapping and occasionally catching some olympic action.

Today, I've been working on writing a pattern for Warren. I'm famous for just whipping things up on my own and never writing the pattern down. Which means that when I donate them as store samples and folks want to know how to make them I'm in a bit of a pickle.

Mabel has graciously been helping me by acting as my own personal heater. Cats rule.

What's in a name

When you're a kid, especially a little girl, you covet all things with your name on them. Little license plates for your big wheel, notebooks, pencils, even decorative spoons. However, as a kid I was continually disappointed--they just didn't make stuff for Meredith. They made Mary and MaryAnn and Megan, but nothing with my name.

On occasion my mom, being the original Ms. Crafty herself, would whip up an item with my name on it that was one-of-a-kind. (Thanks for the travel pillow with each letter hand-sewn mom! I will treasure it always.) Even now, if she's shopping and actually finds an item bearing my name, she will buy said item without thinking twice in order to slip in into my xmas stocking. (This year she found a Hello Kitty notepad with my name on it. It's about time, Sanrio.)

Until this year I had never even met another Meredith in person. Now I work two cube rows down from one...it's a little weird. The good news is that we are super different, so people couldn't really get us confused...but I digress...

I've always loved my name, but always wanted more name recognition--more product. So imagine my suprise when nootsmaak managed to send a phone snap of MEREDITH ROAD.



It's my very own street in Fremont, CA.

Baby's first sock

So I'm knitting my first sock from a seemingly "easy" sock pattern from the Fall 2005 Interweave Knits. I finished the cuff last night, and will be starting the cable rib as soon as I get a chance to knit again...I must say that knitting with toothpicks (not literally) is actually more fun than I thought it would be. And hey, this is the perfect commuting-sized project.

Why do I have so few precious knitting moments in store? Because, folks, I have to work my butt off for BigHealthCareCo Inc. I took yesterday off...relaxed, watched the olympics, hung out and knitted with KnitsyBitsy and Janis. It was lovely and relaxing. If only I didn't have to complete the comps from hell by Thursday...

Of course, if if's and buts were candy and nuts we'd all have a merry christmas. Whatever that means.

In other news, apparently Miss Mabel, kitty extraordinaire, peed all over my laundry. Sigh. Luckily it was the dirty stuff. I guess she's feeling pretty threatened by the neighbors cats who literally taunt her from the backyard.

One of them sits there, completely wide-eyed and immobile, just staring right at her. It's a really piercing stare that even freaks me out a little. Eventually, Mabel can't take it anymore and leaps at the window/door howling and screeching. The other kitty sits there, completely nonplussed, steadily gazing in...

Every time I look outside the kitty is there...sitting...staring...freaking...me...out...

The Dumbening--a dull, short rant by an increasingly dull, short wit

It's happening. The longer I work for "the man", the dumber I'm becoming. Pretty soon I'll be a festering imbecile.

Today, after 8 months at said company, I finally got a software upgrade approved. I'd been working with Photoshop 7--that's at least 2-3 versions back. I might as well have been given a stone tablet and chisel. It's pretty sad that I've got newer software at home.

It literally took a litany of phone calls, emails, more phone calls, more emails and a VP lighting a fire under someone's ass (let's just say email with bold, red all caps sent to god and the world) before they agreed to even order the software.

I wonder how long it's going to take to get that new computer...

Damn you, Clapotis

Well, my friend Warren was right...I was almost done with Clapotis and then...blammo...I ran out of yarn. The pattern called for 3 skeins of Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb, and clearly I'll need four. 'Cause there's no way at this point I'm going to rip it in order to shorten it.

Warren, if you're reading this please save me a skein of the Lion & Lamb in Watercolor. *Sigh.*

Bonjour clapotis

In December, at the very last minute possible (i.e. right before I stepped onto a plane to travel east) I decided to make my mom a Clapotis for christmas.

However, I just didn't end up having enough time to finish it. Basically, she'll be lucky to get it by spring. That said, I'm in the decrease section, and either almost done or about to run out of yarn.

Either way, i'm totally loving this Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb. It's wunderbar.





Note: I suppose I'm making the wrap version since it's pretty wide. Honestly, I didn't pay too much attention when I was starting it because I was in such a panic to get started and finished in the course of a week. Ha ha, very funny.

This is most definitely one of my entries for the Knitting Special Olympics.

Overheard on the J-train

Man: Hey, did you guys end up going to the movie?

Couple: No

Man: Sorry we couldn't go, it's just that we had better things to do with better people.

Couple: [stunned silence]

I'm serious. This was a conversation I overheard this morning whilst my iPod was sadly out of juice...good times.