Lazin' A Long

With my summer. Seriously folks, I'm just too lazy to upload/download pictures this week. I do have some funny stories and tidbits to share.

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First off, please note that I have contracted another severe and acute case of knitterstartitis, a condition often confused with knitterly ADHD. I am unsure about the treatments for either problem, but would love to hear any ideas/thoughts about different treatments and their rates of effectiveness. My initial round of treatment included allowing myself to blithely cast on for whichever and whatever project caught my fancy. The effectiveness? Er... I haven't crunched numbers, but I think it's not good. Not good at all. Prognosis grim. I don't think I finished more than 50% of the projects I've cast on for...

examples include (but are not limited to):
1) Spork: need to finish the reinforcing strip. HOW freaking hard can it be to do stockinette, 20 sts wide, for 5 feet?

2) Soleil & Gatsby Tank: these two are in time out until I lose all the weight I've gained due to a) knitting, and b) the last year of hell in finishing my master's degree.

3) Rogue.

4) winter weight clapotis. (does it count when I've completely frogged the sucker?)

5) denim purse (kit from Black Water Abbey)

6) Fair Isle Jazz- scarf style

7) DB alpaca silk scarf for NYC friend.

I'm scared to keep thinking.

So... since I'm not aware of what other treatment options are available to me, I went ahead and joined the Mystery Stole 2. Last year's project was stunning, and I thought since it's almost kinda kinda sorta a competition, it would be right up my alley. I think you have until July 14th to join, though the first 'clue' will be given on July 7th. Click on the link above, or on the button on the left (under 'join me') to join the group. You know you want to.

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Amusing stories from my Boston trip.
I'm a single 30 yr old woman. I'm content with my life, happy with the people I've chosen to surround myself with, and excited about my future. Of course, there are people out there wondering when and if I'm ever going to get married. As I've shared with quite a few friends, I do want to share my life with someone. My reasons for wanting to be married... do not include wanting to have children or sharing a household. My most compellinging reason to get married is that I want/need someone to help me when my furbabies kick the bucket. The second reason? So that I can have a dog. I don't think either of these reasons are strong enough to actually get married... The third reason, the most abstract one, is probably the most sane reason. I would like to share my twilight years on the front porch with someone. Someone to watch sunsets with, read/share the newspaper, etc etc.

That reason was SOUNDLY crapped all over while I was in Boston with my parents. The first morning, we all got up and got ready for a day full of apartment searching. Of course, we needed a good breakfast. My parents decided we would eat at the hotel's restaurant. No, we were not staying at some 4 star hotel. We were at Holiday Inn Express. My dad was disappointed with the fruit selection, which consisted of honey dew, canteloupe, and pineapple. He exclaimed that the fruit juice was sour. He spit up not just one, but TWO mouthfuls of fruit back onto his plate when he felt like they weren't ripe. Since that display of table manners was followed by a conversation about bowel movements, I quickly lost my appetite. Is that what being married in your 60s looks like? Sounds like? Why? I suppose there's something sweet about feeling so comfortable with your spouse that you can sit there and have a 10 minute conversation about your daily B.M.s. I have to stop that train when my mother turns to me and starts asking me about MY movements... which I feel have not been her bidness since I became potty trained at 3 yrs old. EUW EUW EUW.

The second 'amusing to everyone else but me' story I'll share from Boston... If you've ever rented any property in Colorado, and you have pets, you're familiar with pet deposit and pet rent. I think a pet deposit is pretty standard in most places, but I hadn't ever heard of pet RENT. Neither of my cats earn an income, so I'm unclear how come they need to pay rent. Anyway, it's not that uncommon out here in CO for apartment complexes to have these addendums to their standard leases. When I met with the first realtor out there in Boston (and I think in Boston, a 'realtor' is more like a property manager), I told him my minimum requirements. Pet friendly. Close to school. Parking available. Laundry on site. minimum of 600 sq feet.
The kid asks me... "pet friendly? dog or cat?"
me: "I have a cat"
my dad: "she has TWO!"
me (to my mom, in chinese): "WHY is Dad such a freaking idiot? WHY would he feel compelled to share that?"

I was about ready to shoot my Dad on site. I suppose since there is no pet rent in Boston, it's all water under the bridge, but all I can think is... "bung dow mung"
which is a Chinese saying my mom used to say to me when I was 'helping' her do whatever. Which meant, while I thought I was helping her, I was really just making more work for her. That's my dad. he thinks he's helping me, and he's just making everything 10 times harder for me.

Don't get the wrong idea. My innate pessimism worked out for me. I really didn't think I would survive the trip to Boston with my parents. 5 days. Just the three of us. In the same hotel room? AUGH. I made it so horrible in my mind, that the reality wasn't that bad. I know my parents love me, want what's best for me, and want to help me achieve my dreams. But still.