Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Website Wednesday

Brought to you on a Thursday because I thought yesterday was Tuesday. Which might sound pretty bad except a financial reporter on TV was talking about an IPO coming out in two days and started to say: It’ll be out on...... Then stopped, turned to the anchor and asked: What day is today? Now, that’s bad.

So we’ve reached the arbitrary end of another year. Arbitrary because just why is December 31 the end of one year and January 1 the beginning of another? OK, I know Janus was the front and back faced god who could look ahead and back. But why not switch the months around and make the new year at the beginning of spring? Wouldn’t it be nicer to wake up one morning and smell the fresh air and say: Ah, spring. Ah, a new year. Just asking. (Yes, I do know that other parts of the world are not in winter now; but I'm being selfish.)

Let’s end this year, arbitrary or not, with some fun for the bored with:

http://www.bored.com/

I first found Bored.com as a games site but it’s so much more (I think I’m retiring that phrase, even I’m bored with it.

It says of itself:

Bored.com is a place where you can find endless amounts of entertainment. We have free online games, fun sites, and so much more! We update new stuff all of the time, so come back often. So just remember: When you're bored, visit Bored.com

There have quiz and trivia links with a personality test I may take if I can sit still to read through 100 questions. There are good trivia facts here which would have come in handy for our annual Christmas Eve trivia contest. I’m sure someone would have known that "Almost" is the longest commonly used word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order or that "One thousand" contains the letter A, but none of the words from one to nine hundred ninety-nine has an A.

There’s a Romance site with a Pick-Up lines link. (They are soooo corny.) There’s a Bad Date Story link. There’s a Weird site with weird news from around the world. There’s a Video site with no links and a Music site with video links.

The only complaint I have is that once you click a link the Back Button un-highlights and backtracking becomes less intuitive. (Oh, I am so picky, and lazy.) But it’s a fun site for some fast entertainment for those periods of your life when you’re bored. Those periods usually only last a short time and when you’re in them you don’t want to stay on one topic too long.

That’s where Bored.com comes it. Go for the games; stay for the rest.

Happy New Year!

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Movie Monday

Someone said to me last week that all I liked were movies with messages because I didn’t like Confessions of a Shopaholic. I think I didn’t like that movie because I don’t think I like the woman who plays the shopaholic, Isla Brentwood, whom I thought was the star of Enchanted (which is Amy Adams; Amy Adams!, she was Sister James in Doubt.) It’s that bubbly quality they both have in those movies; it wear thin. Of course, it didn’t help my appreciation any when shopaholic Rebecca slides across the conference table during a conference. Give me a break!

But I took the comment to heart and thought about it, and thought about it…..and then dismissed it. I do like good movies with messages; however, I more like good movies within their genre, message or no message. (Quick examples: Michael Clayton - good movie with message (s) and O, Brother Where Are Thou? - good movie, no message, great songs.)

Confessions of a Shopaholic fails for me in many ways. I don’t think it’s a good slapstick-type comedy. I don’t think it’s a good sophisticated comedy. I do think it’s got some very good talent to work with but it just proves the old saw: you have to give good actors good writing, directing and editing.

He’s Just Not That Into You, however, does work for me. This is a real message movie and any woman who has ever dated will find truths in it; but it’s funny; it’s dramatic; it’s packed with episodes which, for the most part, work. Some of these episodes end happily; some don’t. I think what works here is a strong ensemble cast. The Beth and Neil characters do finally achieve a happy ending; the Jennifer and Ben characters don’t and while you may see the seams of Hollywood in the first episode; with Jennifer and Ben, you walk away from the adultery seeing both sides of a very sad marriage.

I read somewhere that Hollywood’s excuse for any dreck it turns out is that if the public didn’t go to see it, they wouldn’t make it. What a cop-out! The public likes movies; it’s a short, entertaining escape for a lot of troubled lives. The public is out there cranking to keep their jobs, their heath coverage, their homes. (And even in affluent times a large section of public has these concerns.) What? This public has the time or the knowledge to start a boycott of movies?

No, the colossal stereotypical movie industry (not true indies) is cranking them out because they have a captive, restless audience and these movies are profitable.

However, movies can be both entertaining and sensible. He’s Just Not That Into You made $172,011,653 on a $25 million budget (Wikipedia) That sounds pretty good to me.

I do know there is one thing I would like at the top of all movie review; just two categories:

Plausible to reality: and Reason for your answer:

You see I really don’t want all my movies with messages; just give me this thumbs up or down fast so I know if I’m going to have to suspend any belief in logic on crappy movie for the few hours. It doesn’t mean I won’t see the movie but I may want to leave my brains at the door

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Knitting Friday

No, I did not post on Wednesday because I was in the middle of three all-nighters needed to finish the Super Mario blanket:


All-nighters seem to be, once you leave college that is, waking up at all times during the night and working on the task at hand. The first night, I was wiped out at 8:30 but back up at 10 for a three hour knitting session. and then at 4 a.m. for an early morning knitting session Finally, by Thursday morning I only had one color to work so I could finish in bed - heaven!

Like the Swan Princess in the fairy tale, I didn't get to the border. I could have worked on it yesterday but I probably wouldn't have finished by last night (the opening of presents time.) As you can also see, the blanket is not blocked. I think the jury finally came in with a split decision on this but the comment: It looks like Mario when he was all pixels swayed me. For now, it's staying unblocked.

I may never be able to do any more work work on Mario, however, since the boy grabbed it and said: I love it just the way it is. No border. He is the gift recipient so he does get the deciding vote. Now, I have skeins of denim blue yarn left over which I had purchased for the border.......I may finally get to knit the Blue Jeans shawl. Here are the links, first in crochet and then in knit:

http://www.techchick.lunarpages.com/knottie/hobbies/patterns.php?pattern=blueshawl&display=1

http://whatgivesblog.blogspot.com/2007/08/blue-leave-shawl-pattern-remember-this.html

I'm afraid that's it for today. I'm still a little punchy from my all-nighters; we have a brunch to go to in a few hours; and (drum roll please) I haven't been on the internet in three days.

To all who celebrate this season religiously and/or secularly: Happy Holidays

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

I keep reading progressive blogs and thinking: I should write more like this. But then I think: As long as they’re out there carrying on the fight so well, why do they need another voice in the choir? What different song could I sing?

And then there’s Voltaire and the ending of Candide which has been gnawing on me:

Excellently observed," answered Candide; "but let us cultivate our garden."

This is what's really interesting me: What the hell does Voltaire mean? Here we have one of the greatest rebels in his time, or any time, and he ends one of his most famous books with this bon mot. Is it satire? Was Candide really as “hot” then as it is now, or was it a throw-away work that Voltaire just penned for the bucks?

This has been gnawing at me for some time. Perhaps it’s just my retreat from facing the decline of the US into a 2nd world nation (if we’re lucky and just don’t go right down to 3rd world); a diversion from a bleak reality. Whatever. Thank goodness for The Google. I may have an answer soon.

Move Monday

Rachel Getting Married and My Date With Drew. The second is a documentary; the first is acting as mock-amentary (I just made that up; as if you couldn’t tell.)

First, My Date With Drew. An aspiring Hollywood player wins $1100 on a game show with the answer of Drew Barrymore. He decides to use the money to make a documentary of his attempt to get a date with the actress. It’s funny, it’s suspenseful, it presents its date seeker goofily attractive and earnest. Drew Barrymore comes across as a very nice person but, of course, she, as everyone, knows the camera is rolling.

I liked the buying of the camera scenes. Now I know why Best Buy and places like that give you a “it lasts till the moment you walk out the door” return time period. Here, they buy the camera, use it during the 30-day return period and then return it. (This is why he has a 30 day deadline to date Drew. Note: He doesn’t make it but the project turns hot again and he goes to another store and buys a camera for another 30 days.)

Charming would be a good description for this movie, in spite of the forging-the-press-ID scenes which I guess might tack on the appellation, criminal. But it is a fun watch.

Rachel Getting Married, however, is Jonathan Demme’s pretend documentary which has the look of a reality show but lacks the punch and lacks a coda.

This movie is about serious stuff. Kym, Rachel’s sister, is a recovering drug addict and returns home for Rachel’s wedding. During the movie we learn the tragic secret in Kym’s background (this is not the cause of her addiction) and we watch her trying to come to grips with her wasted life and with her family.

Anne Hathaway nails the addict look and is very good in this role. She got an Oscar nomination for the role and while I think those awards, as with most of Hollywood, hinges on the “one with the best PR campaign wins", her role is definitely award quality.

I don’t know whom to blame for coming away from this movie disappointed, but I was disappointed because the movie just lies there. This is a movie where you should come away talking and questioning, but I didn’t. For example, in the scene where Rachel confronts her mother and tells her that she (the mom) had some responsibility of the tragedy Hathaway makes Kym's rational very understandable but the mom refuses to take any blame. What a cold, heartless bitch you finally think when at the end of the movie, in spite of Rachel’s request for the three of them (Rachel, Kym and mom) having some quality time together she says she’s busy, kisses them goodbye and leaves.

And then there are the long, long scenes and colorful characters right out of an Altman opus. First the characters, Rachel is pregnant, her hubby-to-be is black, Rachael's father looks like "white bread": and is married to a black woman (Demme wastes the talent of Anna Deavere Smith) the ceremony seems quasi-Buddhist, a Buddhist monk (?) in modern dress seems to be the wedding coordinator, the wedding dance entertainment looks like a mix of African native dance with large touch of erotica provided by the director; this list could go on.

Jesus H. Christ. Kym’s addiction problem is a large enough peg on which to hang this movie, why bring in all these extras which diffuse the seriousness of the story?

Finally, the scene lengths; too long. For example, just two, the dance scene and the filling the dishwasher scene. The dance scene just needed cutting, it was too long. However, the dishwasher scene’s length robs the punch of its ending poignancy. (When Rachel gives her father her brother’s handmade dish.) Very soon, the scene looked forced. The documentary style of seeing real people gives way to us watching actors going through the lines to reach the end punch. It got phony, fast.

Of course, every director must have his own vision but Demme had a real opportunity here to have people walk away from this movie thinking. I didn’t. Kym went to her sister’s wedding, stayed clean, and left. I guess if I were to think about it, considering she attempted suicide once during the wedding, I don’t think Kym is going to have a happy future.

See you next week.

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Knitting Friday

(Note: I'm posting early Saturday though the blog was written early Friday. I'm still waiting for my Mario blanket photo so I'll put that in later today. Edit: Mario has arrived!)

As I wait for Word Perfect to remove the words Not Responding (I worry about WP because it's a far superior word processor to Word; WP gives the word processor platform and allows you to explore and create, Word says: Here, let me show you what you can do on MY word processor.) let me grouse - something I never do.

First, if the Vogue web site offers you the option of checking “Remember Me”after you register for the first time, it should keep that bargain and remember your user name and password. Not expect me to remember all these dinky passwords. Though I have to say, they e-mailed me immediately with my password. Though I also have to say, it’s a password which has no sense to me now. It must of have been arrived at after being shown the red writing of doom phrase: Please choose another password. This one is in use.

Second, it seems that the less complicated the knitting pattern, the more rip-its I have. Here’s the pattern:

CO 50 stitches; US 11 needles
Row 1 and 2: K1, *YO, K2tog* K1
Row 3: K

Can you ask for a simpler pattern? Apparently, I could. I’m even using a row counter but every so often I mess up the row count or drop a stitch in the K2tog. (More on this pattern later.)

Third, it seems that Knitting Pattern Central is listing fewer and fewer patterns these days. Now, when I view the list twice a week I usually don’t find anything I like, and usually there are no shawls. I wonder if Ravelry is cutting into sites such as these?

Fourth, I hope you can get to this site: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/17/fashion/17etsy.html?_r=1&em

it’s from the NYT and I think you have to register but that’s free and this is worth the read. The title is That Hobby Looks Like a Lot of Work and the first section is about a woman who took her love of knitting into a successful business. But that isn’t the interesting part, this is: She knits 13 hours a day with a young child (I’m assuming the child was very, very young when she started because she has now has to hire other people for the business because she has to care for the child.)

What I can’t figure out is how she got such a big chunk of time to knit. As you know, I’m in the middle of my Mario blanket and I’m lucky if I get a one hour chunk of time. It’s possible she started before the child was born but I hear this all the time on Ravelry where people start and finish projects in record time. I must get myself some of that time.

OK, that’s it for grousing. Word Perfect hasn’t crashed, Vogue sent the password (didn’t like the pattern after all since it was the speciality yarn which made it pop) and I’m ready for pictures.

The first picture is the off-white wool (Lion Brand Fisherman wool) scarf/shawl from the pattern above. This pattern evolved because early this fall I tried on this shawl in its first life as a very long rectangular shawl and said: This doesn’t work. It’s too long. So it went to the frog pond and emerged as a trinity stitch triangular shawl. Trinity stitch is heaven for lazy knitters, like me, who don’t want to wash the yarn before the second project but don’t want a crinkly yarn look either.

Then I looked at the yarn remaining (5.5 ozs) and thought: How about making a rectangular trinity stitch shawl? Well, the only problem turned out to be I have no concept when it comes to the amount of yarn needed for, well, for anything. I always buy too much (perhaps started at the Smiley’s Yarn hotel sales) and therefore, I always have enough.

Not this time. Before I even got close to the length in my diagonal knitting, I realized that no way was this shawl going to have enough yarn for finishing, and I was even using US 15.

So for the scarf/shawl pictured above, I weighed the remaining yarn after 9 inches and discovered I had enough for about 63". The looks is crinkly but it’s also all knit so I think I’m going to get away with it. Whether I ever finish the little bugger is another thing.

And finally, a picture of Mario. I’ve started the face and it looks pretty wide to me but Mario does have a big face. I’m hoping to finish up to and including his red cap this weekend. I have my doubts but I’m at the stage where I’m knitting much faster. One crazy thing though, I’m having to knit each face square in US 7 and US 6 needles. Although it’s the same doubled fingering yarn from Knit Picks as the light blue sky , I can’t see to keep my gauge in this color.

I know I said I would begin the pattern instructions this week but I’m going to wait. This is much too big a project to approach instructions in a piecemeal fashion. But just as I figured this out on my own, so can any experienced knitter (No, I’m not bragging. The experience is not so much in the knitting but in the knitting prep. That takes a chunk of time for each color change.) Plus, an experienced knitter may see a better way to approach this project. This project is a huge learning curve for me. More on Mario next week.

Happy holidays to all who celebrate. Happy times to all who don’t.

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

The Banner

I haven’t written much about politics in the US lately except for my pathetic red banner re: health care which accompanies each post. I soon expect it to become a prop in one of those post-apocalyptic movies where you see the vestiges of a town with a banner swaying in the wind and from the banner you get a sense of what life was like once.

Perhaps, if a higher intelligence comes after us, they will look at my banner and say: WTF? They argued about a basic right like health care?

I can dream can’t I?

I’m thinking of replacing the banner with the best reason I have ever heard for going on and keeping the “faith.”

Life is absurd, but you do the best job you can.

Who ever said existentialism is on the dust heap of philosophy?

Website Wednesday

To post fluff or to post serious? That is the question.

By way of introduction, what ever happened to People magazine? And, how long have I been asleep at the switch? I remember People as a “pop” Time (which I remember as a “pop” history/current events magazine.) People was pictures and people; but a diversity of people. Now, it’s 24/7 celebrities. I don’t know how relevant it was in its former life but now, with the internet, it’s just one more pretty face in a crowded field of instant gossip.

OK, I’m going with frivolous, but pithy frivolous, funny frivolous, well-worth-the-look frivolous:

http://www.baconbabble.com/

It says of itself:

This site’s name “baconbabble” has nothing to do with the articles, or the humorous ideas in them. We just liked the words bacon and babble. We were going to go with the name “rustybaconstrip” because it sounded cooler. However, after learning that it is slang for “an old woman’s vagina” while it made us laugh our asses off, it wasn’t the image we were looking for.

Are you bored and wanting mindless entertainment? Thank God you found this site…

…We‘re bored too, and have been waiting hours to be entertained. We hope you pull up a chair and wait with us. (Jon’s got checkers) Just sayin.

For the short version of the “about us” section. Only read the red words. (Note: go to http://www.baconbabble.com/index.php/about/ to see the red words.)

How could you not visit this site? And what will you find there?

Currently, it’s The History Of The Chocolate Chip Cookie and I learned something. The cookie was originally a test or sample cake. That gives me an idea: Why don’t I make a cake batter but bake it like cookies?

Click on What A Nut! and watch a squirrel swallow a nut. Simple, but hilarious. They also have a Funny Signs page. It's been there-done that stuff; but still very funny. In the September 2009 archive, you’ll learn the simple way to make candied bacon. There are a lot of cute and funny kids pages. And, Oh Shit Moments pages which, even if photo-shopped or posed, are very funny and/or very life-threatening.

This is a really nice site to visit and re-visit. In the pretty somber world out there, Bacon Babble comes to the rescue.

And I forgot: they have some recipes!

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Movie Monday

I don't know when I first decided that I wanted to study history nor do I know when I decided that I would only be happy reading primary historical sources. But it has lead to the gathering of quite a wild assortment of books in my house. like The Children of Pride (letters from a large family living during U.S. Civil War times) and Lay My Burden Down (ex-slaves recall slavery and emancipation.) OK, I know there are very good historians out there with secondary source books but you have to understand the shock I got as a child.

I used to watch way too much TV and I used to watch a lot of historical movies. Not The History Channel with its cheesy historical recreations; but movies about history with their pathetic recreations.

I would watch these movies stirred by the heroics and music, and then I would go and check in "what really happened in history" sources. And, damn it!, the movies got it all wrong. Like in Khartoum, Gordon was really more a nut, than a hero (though Queen Victoria was not amused when he died.) Or a current "classic", Beowulf. He never slept with Grendel's mom. OK, I know this is myth, not history, but I think you see the pattern.

For the sake of a good story, movies really don't care if they get history right. The horror! But there are very few things I would go to the mat for. History as accurate as possible is one of them.

So, at a tender age, I was fact-checking the movies. (I must have been a delightful child.) Plus, I've been reading every primary source I can get my hands on, whether on global history or cultural history. And, yes, I do know that primary sources can be propaganda or presented to be such. That's why I'm such a proponent of courses in logic, starting in elementary school. You have to be able to tell the accuracy of what you read - and see.

All this brings me to Doubt. (Pun intended.) I still think it's a must see for Streep's performance (apparently, that was a Brooklyn accent; though my sorry ears hear Boston.) However, to me this movie was only a vehicle for the POV of the author. It was not culturally accurate for 1964 and the Catholic Church.

No young nun would question a priest for putting a shirt in a male student's locker. Sister James says: Why didn't you hand it to him? What? That line doesn't even make sense. He places a shirt in a locker; he waves to the nun; he drinks from the fountain; he walks away. We move from this to pedophilia?

Then there's Meryl Streep's nun. I have no doubt that there was tension between the convent and the rectory in the 1960s. I have no doubt that a strong-willed, conservative Mother Superior would lock horns with the young, Pope John XXIII inspired, priest. But this type of nun also knew the pecking order. She even tells Sister James: You report to me, I report to the Monsignor. She might decide to bring Father Flynn down, however she would not confide so closely in a young nun in order to do this.

So, like the historical movies which so disappointed me, Doubt, in the end, does the same. Adding to its cultural inaccuracies is the fact that the movie is too brisk and brief to flesh out what is a very dramatic conflict. You move from: the opening sermon, the scene of the priest at dinner; the scene of the nuns at dinner, the basketball scene, the classroom inspection scene..... not the actual order but presented more like tableaus to advance the author's theme.

I believe in the end, he (John Patrick Stanley) wants us, all to have doubt. Why was it necessary to re-write history?

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Knitting Friday

(OK, it is Saturday, but this was written Friday morning. However, my photographer didn't get home until dark and suggested we wait till morning for the picture of the blanket. Who am I to argue with my photographer?)

Someone suggested when I told the story about the boy asking how long it takes me to knit a Mario row that I use this as a math lesson: It takes 60 minutes to knit 4 squares (I timed it; boy, am I slow), there are 17 squares in one row. How long will it take to knit one row of squares?

Or, then there is this possible Language Arts lesson: I knit six squares. Then I notice that the first square is the wrong color. Take a pencil and paper and write down the new words you will hear me say. Be sure to watch your spelling.

However, I do seem to have gotten over the learning curve for the blanket. Take a look at the picture. I'm just about half way done, excluding the border. I can see the "Mario" beginning to take form. My next big hurdle is the face since that has got to look like Mario.

Well, that may be only one hurdle because I have gotten two opinions that I should not block this beauty. Two people like the texture of the squares unblocked.

If you look at the right boot, that's blocked. The left one isn't. I did discover that blocking really doesn't add height or width. However, blocking will add the evenness I'm looking for and I'm going to have to get a few more opinions on this.

I could ask the boy re: blocking but I think that's a concept he can't wrap his mind around at his age. (Or, probably, as a boy, at any age.) He does have definite opinions though. The pattern I'm following calls for two squares for the eye but he doesn't like that look so I'm down to one square for the eye. I hope Mario 's eyes don't have that little, beady look.

One thing I won't like without blocking are the yellow button squares. I made those squares thicker to stand out and they are my wonkiest squares. I'm planning to get matching Mario button (sewing type and not the pin type, I hope) to place there. I thought tomorrow, a Saturday 2 weeks before Christmas, would be a good day to shop for them....

And did I mention that the girl looked at the blanket and said: What about making triangles instead of squares? Then you could get finer detail. She's right. My next project?

Next week, I hope to start posting the How-To for this blanket.

Happy knitting.

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Website Wednesday

Two interesting (for me) things from yesterday:

1. The boy asked: How long does it take you to make one row of the Mario blanket? I punted since I had no idea. But later that night I started timing. I took about an hour to finish 4 squares. At which point, I was getting bleary and packed it in for the night. So I learned that I'm very slow with this blanket. Which means I've got to squeeze some "quality" knitting time for it today.

2. We called the NJ Division of Taxation re: the problem I discussed yesterday. The branch office, whose number our town tax office gave us, was answered by a human who told us to copy the check and letter and send the proof in. OK, no problem. But then we decided to call the number (phone number for the main Trenton office) on the actual letter hoping that since we had a reference number from 2006 the matter could be handled over the phone. The call was answered by a robot. We were told that they were experiencing an unprecedented amount of calls and could not even put us on hold. We were told to call back before 10 am (it was 9:30 am) and not on a Monday (it was Tuesday.) Hmmmm...... unprecedented phone traffic and it's not even peak tax season......I wonder how many letters such as ours were sent out at the end of last week......

I have two websites for Website Wednesday:

http://www.ellf.ru/photos/print:page,1,27049-lyuvo-yeto-18-foto.html

These are pictures. Take a look at them. Many of them made me think (I like that with pictures.) It seems to be mainly people interacting and most of the interaction is between young and old(er) people.

I can't tell you much more since it's written in what looks to me like a Slavic language so I wouldn't be able to find an "About Us" if it's there. For all I know about photography all the pictures may be posed, but who cares? Movies are "posed" and I love watching them.

My second website is the "manly" one I promised last week:

http://www.esquire.com/

Ah, the iconic Varga girl photos of the past Esquires from Albert Vargas! I have a feeling this is not your father's (grandfather's) Esquire. The current issue has articles on Alberto Gonzales, the Kennedys, Tiger Woods, and 25 things you don't know about women.

It looks like you get to read the articles and see the pictures without registering. (Thank you, Esquire.)

You may not reading Seymour Hersh-type articles here but it is a "do visit" site. Definitely slated towards men (and why not?) but interesting for women. (Hey! Isn't that a famous ad line?)

I'm looking at the "How to Direct Robert De Niro" piece.

There's a lot here for you. Enjoy.

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Thoughts on Tuesday and Some Movie Monday

It was 4 pm yesterday when I finished my all day project and I had the time to post Movie Monday. I didn’t. I sat and knitted the boy’s Mario blanket and then awakened in the middle of the night to finish the girl’s armwarmers. I bad!

But here’s my excuse:

The New Jersey Division of Taxation. The name strikes fear in the hearts of valiant men. Some background:

In 2006, our tax-preparer put down a deduction on the NJ state tax form which was not allowed. (When we checked the NJ tax code and pointed out her error, the answer was something like: I do it this way for all my clients. - and she is a well-respected CPA)

The state caught the error, we paid the tax (no fine accessed) and closed the book; so we thought.

Saturday, we get a dread NJ Division of Taxation letter. You guessed it; asking for the same amount (again, no fine) for the same 2006 error. So we got the documentation together and today, since we’ll have a big block of time to wait on hold, we’ll call them. This time however, we will not close the book on the issue but keep the documentation handy for the next state sweep.

We were lucky. 2006 to 2009 is a long span of time to keep records in a handy “go to” place. Of course, this was taxes and that’s kept in chronological files. But I got to thinking: What about all the paid bills, banking material, receipts, etc., which are thrown in envelopes with generic labels like “2007.”

So yesterday, I took every manila envelope I could find and removed hundreds of pages of paper and put them in piles. Like phone receipts, water receipts, etc.

I think I got a lot of exercise walking among the piles. I even used my Dollar Tree reading glasses to be sure I got the dates right as I filed.

Now, my “turning over a new leaf” system is to store a month’s receipts in a box and at the end of each month sort them into file cabinet folders. It's too early to laugh at or applaud this idea. I'll let you know.

So by 4 pm, I was through with anything having to do with words. It was a tiring and rewarding day. Oh, and one FYI: when a cash register receipt has faded to white, chuck it. CSI is not coming in to restore the lettering.

Some quick movie thoughts:

1. I watched Living the Legacy: The Untold Story of Milton Hershey School. Well worth a watch. I know it’s good PR for the school but I came away with reinforcement of my belief that we have to try and save every child. Not only for the child, but for a beneficial society. (And, it also makes me want to scream that abortion is still being denied poor woman [unavailable on Medicaid.] It’s not that these anti-choice yahoos are pushing contraception as an alternative or caring for these babies after birth - except cute, white ones, perhaps.)

2. Saw the missing sections of Doubt during the night. Still a powerful movie just for Streep’s performance but I have serious issues with so much of this movie. However, as the Samurai Knitter does with topics in:

http://samuraiknitter.blogspot.com/ - great, irreverent blog

I want to prepare some information for a detailed look at this movie and how it presents twisted social viewpoint.

More on this I hope next week, though I still haven’t discussed Approaching Union Square as I promised weeks ago. I really have got to wrap my mind around something more than Mario.

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Knitting Friday

Yesterday, I wound up at the Paramus Park Mall in Paramus NJ (which was very, very empty in spite of a crowded Route 17) looking at a large photo of Mario. Well, I didn't go to the mall to look at Mario - charmer that he is - but I was killing time while my husband was in Radio Shack. So there was Mario is full splendor and I got to compare my blanket to his happy, bouncy portrait.

I think I have two problems. 1- My yellow buttons are an anemic yellow. Mario is wearing vibrant yellow buttons. Unfortunately a vibrant yellow was not going to be available in wool from Knit Picks until this month and unless I wanted to wait and order the one skein I need and pay shipping (shipping is free after $50), I had to go with yellow, pale wool I had in my stash. 2- Mario's denims are a bright, medium blue. Not really denim-looking as my wool is.

But on the bright side, as you can see from the picture; the gloves look good, the sky is a very light, clear blue and the boots pass muster.

Should the green grass be lighter? Probably, but it'll do.

I'm 1/3 through the rows, not counting the border. I find I get to sleep at 2 a.m. or awaken at 1 a.m. because knitting this baby is addictive. Today, my plan is knitting two full tiers (34 squares.) One tier per day was my goal when I started but I soon realized that was madness.

Right now, I'm thinking ahead to blocking. I'll have black, red, blue and white wool (plus various other colors) and at least three of them are going to bleed. I plan to do a "block and bleeding" Google search and send out an S.O.S. to Ravelry before I ever attempt it.

I'm toying with putting a plastic, cloth-backed tablecloth on the dining table, then some very thick bath towels and then pinning out the blanket. Then, I would steam press it. I just don't want a disaster for the blanket - or the table.

The second picture today is Maggie's Armwarmers:

http://subliminalrabbit.blogspot.com/2008/12/maggies-armwarmers.html

which comes from the same site as Bella's Mittens. If you remember, the girl had decided on the mittens but then she decided on the armwarmers.

The picture shows the left one which is finished except for the gusset. I decided to finish that for both mittens at the same time.

Ravelers, who had made the armwarmers, mentioned potential problems so I wasn't surprised when I finished increasing to 17 stitches for the thumb to find it was a thumb fit for a giant. I scaled back to 11 stitches and that works.

Plus, the M1P and M1K (make one stitch knit or purl) for the thumb area was just wicked. I kept getting a hole at the M1.

Here's how I worked around this (it was cumbersome but it produced no holes):

1 - The RS of the thumb area between your two markers is worked so the purl side of the stockinette stitch faces out.
2- On Row 35, work your stitches to where you should place your 1st marker (it varies for each armwarmer.) On the last stitch before the marker, work the stitch in pattern but also purl an increase into that stitch before you take it off the needle. Cumbersome part: You have made one increase and he pattern stitch and a purl stitch both came out of one stitch. Separate these two made stitches so it's: pattern stitch, marker, purl stitch increase, marker, then finish the row in pattern. So Row 35 has a one stitch purl increase between the markers.

2- On Row 36, you'll be making the increases in knit to get the purl look on the right side. Work in pattern to stitch before 1st marker. Work in pattern in this stitch and then knit an increase in the same stitch. Separate the stitches as above. Knit your increase stitch from Row 35. Remove your second marker and knit an the increase in the next stitch and then work a pattern stitch in the same stitch. Separate the stitches as before (you now have 3 stitches between your markers) and continue in pattern to the end of the row.

Continue to increase this way (on the wrong side, the increases will be in knit) so that every row you get two new stitches in the thumb area (1-3-5-7 etc.) until you have made all the increases you want. While these increases write up tediously, they are really pretty easy.

Now, having pointed out this problem I had with the pattern, let me say, it's a very easy pattern and can be modified for size. Once you start a few rows, you'll see the pattern and won't need the directions. Don't worry about ending on the right or wrong side for the cuff; this is a simple cable pattern with a ribbed cuff. so just use common sense. Oh, I used US 7 for the cuffs and US 8 for the body.

Happy knitting. Now, it's time for my day with Mario.

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

Website Wednesday

Some day I have to spend time and try and spiff up my blog. After all, I just finished punching up my newsletter, which I do every month so I should be able to make a blog "pop." I'll put that on my "To-Do" list.

I was thinking that Tiger Woods really got screwed (and absolutely no pun intended) because he struck a fire hydrant. If he had only driven around his own property. I'm sure there's more to this story - I probably don't even have my facts straight because I'm only picking up pieces from headlines and TV news which I catch in passing. So of course you know, I know very little because the MMM is spending all its time on Obama's troop surge and national health care.....

For Website Wednesday, I have Peppermint Bliss:

http://peppermintbliss.com/

Obviously, I am in a holiday mode because my sites are becoming so happy!

PB says about itself:

Hi. I’m Bailey. I’m 23, which means I’ve been in school almost my entire life. So, last year, when faced with the scariest of all scaries “what will you make of yourself” question, I froze. “Follow your bliss!” people would say. But, what was mine?! WEDDINGS! DESIGN! FASHION! FOOD! And, most of all, BLUEBELL PEPPERMINT ICE CREAM! How could I abandon one bliss in pursuit of the other? I couldn’t–I’m just not that kind of gal. So, come on over! Check out my blog, where I’ll share with you some of my bliss and, hopefully, inspire you to find yours! See you soon!

The late, great Joseph Campbell used to talk about following your bliss alot as he wove his tales about common human myths.

Good for Bailey! Life is too short not to do something you love.

Today, Bailey has pictures of Allison and Wes' wedding. She gives advice on how to have a successful wedding. She presents lovely pictures. It's a delight to read. All that's missing are wedding recipes but then you know I'm a sucker for recipes.

Click Design Bliss and read about the home she is building. Take a look at a gorgeous white kitchen. As you know, I'm looking to redesign my kitchen and I love the all white look.

Click Style Bliss for some neat clothing ideas. Click Career Bliss and read about Bailey's interior designer job in Chicago.

I know Bailey is writing as a young, relatively care-free woman, before children arrive with their angst and aging-producing formulas. But it's refreshing to read Peppermint Bliss. It's Eye Candy plus. Definitely worth repeat visits.

And don't forget to check out Bailey's favorite blogs especially Small Space Style. I love small spaces. I love storage ideas for small spaces.

Enjoy.

Next week: I'll try for a manly blog.

Pass National Health Care With Public Option Now

I know I missed Movie Monday and the cyberworld is crying. But this is newsletter week, or rather this is budget newsletter week where I try to explain the budget to the community without inciting them to arrive at the homes of the Board with flaming torches.

So the entire day yesterday was spent formatting the newsletter and working on a detailed and complicated budget article.

I did want to discuss Doubt yesterday but I couldn't wrap my mind around that since I think there is a subliminal theme in that movie which needs some close examination. However, anything non-newsletter related has been banished from my mind. At least until we print on Thursday.

Plus, I just opened the fridge and discovered unless I really, really like sliced turkey and carrots I'm going to be dieting for a while because: the larder is bare! How did that happen? It used to be full of stuff.

Enough ramblings. I have to go and print out and proof the newsletter.

See you tomorrow. There will be a Website Wednesday.