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).

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.

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.

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. :(

Happy Canada Day!

I am doing absolutely nothing to celebrate Canada Day.

I worked instead. It took me two (yes, two!) hours to get home from work (I could have walked faster) and I'm fucking pissed off.

But, I know that I wanna be Canadian.

This is one of those nights

where I am feeling sorry for myself.

Youtube videos always make me feel better.



I'm drinking wine, and singing along at the top of my lungs.

This is not the blog you are looking for

I have a dirty little secret: I know how to sew.

I have chosen to concentrate on knitting, because I find it much more satisfying. But, I learned to sew nearly 30 years ago, and yesterday, I hauled out the machine for the first time in nearly ten years.

It's amazing how quickly it came back to me. Which is good. I sewed four dresses yesterday, another one today, and the sixth and final one on Wedesday. I hope.

God help me if these dresses don't fit. Also, I hope the people intended to wear them have slips, because I seriously cheaped out on the fabric.

What am I doing, you ask? Well, I'm working on my show, Nuthouse and Other Stories. We are performing this Thursday and Friday. You should come and see it, just to see my amazing handi-work, if nothing else.