Alert! Alert! We're at DEFCON 1

You are all going to think I'm a bad bad ungrateful daughter. My parents are fairly traditional Chinese parents which means, they still call me on a regular basis on weekend nights to make sure I'm safe at home. In college, they used to just drive down on a random Friday afternoon, make themselves at home in my apartment (yes, they had a key, don't ask). I would come home from class, and there they'd be. Dad watching my TV, my mom cleaning my kitchen. Just what I had planned for my Friday evenings (this helps explain why I was not a drinker in college).

Now, I love my parents. I know they love me, and want what's best for me. But, if you could die from parental smothering, I would've been a goner long ago. Which is why I've chosen CO as my home, while the rest of the family lives in Michigan.

I got a call earlier this week from my Dad...

D: "what are you doing from July 1st through the 7th?"

Me: Shit (yes, this is the first thought I had. bad bad ungrateful daughter). "Umm, gee Dad, I'm not doing anything, but I leave on the 6th to go to Telluride."

Dad: "you're going to telluride? where are you staying?"

Me: (where the hell does he THINK i'm staying?) "mom didn't tell you? I'm staying at your condo with Alexis and her family."

Dad: "oh. well, then I'll just leave on the 6th and you can drop me off at the airport on your way."

Me: (since when did the airport become 'on my way' to telluride.) "uh, well, I was planning on leaving REALLY early. can you look for flights that leave on the 5th?"

Dad: "but that only gives us, um, the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th together."

pause (while *I* think, gee, that sounds like an awfully long time to me!)

Dad: "oh, I guess that's plenty of time. Ok, I'm going to go buy tickets."

Me: "Ok. let me know." (and thinking, shit, I'm gonna miss Jenifer's knit night. bad bad ungrateful daughter!)

(side note: that conversation just doesn't sound the same in English)

Now, if you know anyone that's second generation (meaning, parents are immigrants, and they're the first generation to be born in the states), or any ABCs, you're probably familiar with this horrid guilt we carry around. Trying to respect our parent's values and traditions, but not understanding why they moved over here if the 'old country' was so freaking great. Sigh. Bad bad ungrateful daughter.

But yes, we can take it down to Defcon 5. My mom just called and said that they're going to LA instead. Whew! (bad bad ungrateful daughter).

I'm having a few people over tonight. A small gathering of the denver knitting crew.

I can show off the finished OSW made with candy blue cotton ease. I cast on for a different tank, using Classic Elite Provence, a mercerized (WTF does that mean?) cotton in 'heliotrope,' aka purple. I'm using the Soleil pattern from Knitty.

Last but not least. I've decided to do the Rogue a long with Cathi, Stacey, Michelle, and Jenifer. But I haven't got any yarn! Anyone want to suggest a yarn with 18sts/4inch gauge on size 5-8 needles (i would prefer size 7 or 8)? I want a solid color yarn or one with very subtle effects in order to show off the cables.