Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Paddling upstream. Or not.

I am... not tactful. In certain situations, I can be downright blunt. And in commemoration of a particularly memorable phrase shouted in a bar during a meeting I was chairing, one of my dearest friends made this for me:



I think it's awesome, and as soon as I can figure out where to hang it, it will proudly be the first piece of art on these walls (it's only been four years).

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Eight rows forward, four rows back

I have been on a knitting marathon this summer, and I'm rocking the complicated stuff.

Different gauge? I own it.

Tricky shaping? Let me do the math.

Finishing? You are my bitch.
However, the knitting god (must be a man) has to smack a knitter down, every once in a while.
This is what it should be:




This is what I did:


Yup, I ripped. And I had wondered why I only had 29 stitches when putting my row markers back on the purl row after the double decrease.
Perhaps listening to extremely compelling audio novels is not a good idea while knitting a lace pattern.




Monday, August 16, 2010

A recipe

I'm not much of a cook. I like food, there's no doubt about that, but I'm not really that interested in cooking for myself. I mean, I cook, quite a bit, but it's not my favourite thing to do.

That said, I love gardening. And, I grow tomatoes and basil for just one reason.

And, that reason is something I only know in Spanish. Tomates salades

It's stupidly simple. I don't know why I didn't think of this before I went to Spain.

Slice some provolone or goat cheese, and layer slices of tomato and red onion. Top with a fresh basil leaf. Drizzle with olive oil, the best you can afford.

Nom, nom, nom.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Don't worry, I'm still alive

My house is currently 28 degrees C. It is only 25 degrees outside (at nearly midnight).

Since it's been like this for the better part of the past two months, I've pretty much been living outside (one of these days, I will get a laptop and wifi).

Here's a little snapshot of some of what I have been doing:

Want a closer look?

Plus, there's this:



And a few odd things that are shaped like feet:



It's not all about the sticks and string, though. There's a mountain of greenery. Most of which is producing food:




There's been the occasional quick trip out of town. Mostly involving babies. Some two-legged babies, as always, but a particularly memorable trip was one involving four-legged babies:


In summary, I just haven't felt like writing. Not sure if I am depressed, not sure if I am just not into it. Lots of good things are happening in my life.


Some not so good stuff, either. I just registered for a course, and that is indeed a sign that summer is over. :(