2011 Rhinebeck Report

This morning I was sneezing so much, I took cold medicine. My nose has been running all day long, and is now sore from being blown so much. In fact, I noticed today that the box of tissues I took in to work last week is half gone already.

And if the Bruins play a great game tonight, I will have such mixed feelings, as this afternoon I was offered a pair of half-price tickets, and I was just too tired to even contemplate going. It killed me to turn them down, but there was no question in my mind: when you're wondering if you have the energy to pick up a pizza after work*, you have no business going in to the city for a game, and getting to bed late instead of desperately-needed early. It would be wasted. But still, Argh!

*I managed to summon the energy.

Thus, I am super-happy to think about Rhinebeck, not reality tonight.

Side story: At stitch and bitch last night, when I mentioned that I hadn't finished unpacking, one of the other women who went on the trip said that she had "just thrown everything in the washer", and I refrained from mentioning that not everyone has their own washer. Later, though, I got to thinking about how she's retired, and telling someone who isn't retired that you got more done than they did isn't...politic. Or terribly nice. Like, I would have gotten a lot more done yesterday if I hadn't been at work all day, you know?

In fact, I kind of want to smack her. But that's probably the tired talking. If this year's mid-October-crazies established one thing, it's that I'm too old (or too whatever) to do the two consecutive trips with no time off from work. I'm tempted to put in the time-off request for next year now.

But then, I haven't decided what would be best. Option A: take the Friday and Monday around each weekend. Option B: take the whole week in between. Both have benefits. Decisions, decisions.

Feel free to weigh in on that decision. But in the meantime, I hear you calling for the sheep pictures! Llamas! Alpacas! (Get a cup of coffee, this will take a while.) Here we go...

I was going as part of a group of 5. I went to the driver's house at 8 Saturday morning, still rather bleary-eyed, but getting excited. I loaded my stuff into her sister's van (borrowed for the occasion), and we made stop number one, where we got two others of the party, and stop number two, where we picked up the last one (the 11-year-old niece of the driver, who was very excited).

I don't know exactly what time we got properly on the road, but we had no issues on the way, switched drivers a few times (more knitting time for everyone!), and arrived around 12:30. This year, we traveled farther down the Taconic State Parkway than before, meaning that we didn't get on route 9 at all, but came in to the fairgrounds the back way, and it worked out really well, as in previous years the backup on route 9 was considerable. Definitely do that again.

The drawback to arriving when we did was that the Yarn Harlot was signing her new book from 10-12, so we missed that (and in fact I never saw her over the weekend at all, though one of my friends saw her in passing). However, we were in time to go shopping! Yarn pictures to come, but I got a skein of Socks That Rock at The Fold's booth, as I did last year and the year before. I also wanted to get more Foot Notes yarn from Fiber Optic, as I finally knit the skein I got two years ago, and really liked it. The Fold had some of her fiber, but not yarn. However, in the next building, I found that she had a whole booth of her own! I caved and got two lovely skeins, and got to tell her how much I liked what I got before (and she was so pleased), which was nice. I bought a signed copy of Stephanie's book, too, at the author area. I bought some buttons, pictures to come. I bought more yarn, details to come. And I saw llamas and alpacas and goats and...


Wait, that's a rabbit. Well, you can't deny that he's a fiber-bearing animal, can you?


More rabbits!


Ah, here's a sheep. I don't think he was pleased by the flash, but he kept moving his head, and the blurry-horns pictures were not working for me.


Spots!

Speaking of moving, first the white one...

Then the black one. They planned that.

At one point, I bumped into a knitting friend of mine, who hadn't thought she'd be able to make it this year. How random! Then I saw her at least three more times on Sunday. Isn't that funny?

Saturday was simply a great day. By the time we left, I was plenty tired, but in such a good way. We ambled down to the motel to check in, and I took the time to check the length of my sock, which I'd worked on during the drive and during rest breaks throughout the day.

Toe time!


I started it at SnB on September 26th; this is pretty fast for me. I finished it at dinner, which we had at the classic Eveready Diner in Hyde Park, and started the second sock at once because what, I'm going to not knit? Since when?

We went back to the diner for breakfast (of course), and I snapped some of the classic cars in the parking lot. Either they rally every sunny weekend, or they happened to be rallying this year and last year over the sheep and wool weekend. Anyway, we saw fun cars in the parking lot and on the road later.



Gorgeous!

And back to the fair. Saturday's weather was mostly overcast, some sun, and one passing downpour (which I was lucky enough to be inside during). Sunday was sunnier, though still plenty of clouds, and since it wasn't as windy it wasn't as cool. Both days I wore a mock-turtle under a t-shirt, and I brought fingerless mitts and my Frost Diamonds for when I needed a little more. I got several compliments on that, which was unplanned but very pleasant. It was fun to be in a crowd where so many people had lovely knits on, appreciated knits, and were knitting everywhere you looked.

Sunday is much less frenzied than Saturday, though of course there is a drawback to that:

Isn't "booth minion" a great description, though? Anyway, Sunday is a good day for seeing the animals and checking back on booths that were too full to get into on Saturday. I did get a bit more yarn (naturally), but not as much as Saturday.

Can ice cream be farm fresh?


These guys were in the prize area:

This was my second breakfast. Light pastry and solid chocolate in the middle. Too big, but too good to waste. Was I ever full after that!


The pumpkin chuckin' contest was, sadly, cancelled this year, I don't know why, but at least I got to see the Leapin' Llamas (and alpacas) again.

I'm still no expert, but I think I have a way to tell llamas from alpacas.

Llamas are beautiful and elegant:


And alpacas are cute!

Of course, there's plenty of variety in each.

The local 4-H club, the Spitters, did very well in the contest.

Seriously cute, right?





Now, I know this guy was talking to the human near his llama, but, you know...

With a little cropping, doesn't it look like he and the llama are deep in discussion?


A lovely wall of color:

The biggest crochet hook I ever saw.

Don't worry, this was not the start of a fight. The dog was Really Interested in the sheep, and wanted to get closer, while his owner was holding him back. The sheep was not at all bothered.


Really. See?

The dog was allowed to get the closer sniff he was dying for.
It was very cute.

This sheep, meanwhile, has dreads. Just a little forelock of dreads.

Like the llamas at Apple Festival, this sheep was sure that next door's hay was better.

I love the variety in coats. There's deep crevice-type:

And curly-coat! (These are not technical terms, in case that isn't blindingly obvious.)

In his coat, in the sun, this guy was content. What, you thought only cows were content?

And sheep of a feather(-coat) flock together.

Is she smiling?

This goat walks into a barn...

Ha! Good one!

I don't get it.

Earrings!
And curls, too.

You has treat for me?

This is how you put a ribbon on a sheared sheep.

Doesn't that coat look deep?

You has treat for me?

Did you hear the one about the goat who walked into a barn?

Hey!

Ha! I heard the one about the sheep that walked onto a barn ... and fell off!

Even with the hints, I can not tell which end is which here.


Was this rabbit soft? Well, my finger went in to the second knuckle and I still wasn't touching bunny body, just fur.


Not spectacular trees, but pretty.

True!

Did you hear the one about the sheep...?

That's an old joke.

Well, I think it's funny!

Ha!

I don't get it.

Now, if it was about llamas...

Hey, did you hear the one about the hayseed?

I was so worn out by four. Honestly, by three. But the drive home went fine, some sprinkling but nothing major, and I got more knitting done:


(I'm at the heel flap already.) I was home just after 9:30, and in bed by 10. Slept like a log, and the same last night, and the same tonight I'm sure. For now, it's time for some cat-lap-and-hockey-game.

The Placeholder for the Rhinebeck Report to Come

I had a wonderful time.

I got such lovely yarns.

I would do it again, just the same.

I am also so-so-so tired, and my life, home, and things are all kerfuffled, which is disorienting shall we say.

But it was worth it.

Anyway, the bags are not fully unpacked and yet there is stuff everywhere (mail on the table is one thing, but shawl on the stovetop is less conventional) and the pictures are still in the camera and I think but am not quite sure that I can stay awake long enough to get ready for bed. I think I can.

In other words, I'll be back tomorrow. Nighty-night!

Good Night. Weekend! Rhinebeck!

This week has seemed long, what with my allergies and being so tired and travel last weekend, but the oddest effect is that last night and again today, I had to remind myself that yes, the end of the week was finally coming. Last night, I was double-checking myself, "Is it Thursday? It's Thursday, right?" And this morning, the thought crossed my mind that I was going to Rhinebeck tomorrow, and it startled me! My mind is an odd place.

My packing is done, save for the in-the-morning items, and I've figured out when I need to leave the house (7:45 at the latest, and if I'm ready earlier I'll have time to swing by Starbucks). Now it's time to get ready for bed, hope that the thunder and lightning doesn't bother me, and cuddle up with the kitty (I need to store up the snuggles for my night away). Here's hoping for a good night's sleep, a pain-free drive, good wooly fun, and more of the same on Sunday!

I hope you have a good weekend, too, whatever you're up to. Forgive me if I can't see how your plans could be more fun!

Here, and Then Again There

I'm a bit frustrated at the things I want to show you, and the lack of daylight in which to photograph them well. Some things will have to wait, I guess (I hate waiting).

Or use bad pictures. For my birthday, my aunt got me a couple of lovely things at Apple Festival. Want to see bad pictures of them? Of course you do!

A beautiful wooden bowl:



And a beautiful skein of yarn (more alpaca sock yarn, from the same vendor as the socks I'm working on right now).


For that matter, here is the current sock in progress, or here it was as of last weekend anyway. It's a bit farther on now.


That to all those people who think what I'm knitting couldn't possibly fit on my foot. Does too!

There were both alpacas and llamas at the Fest. Nope, I still can't tell which is who by sight. I think these were the llamas.


Whatever they were, they had a bad case of the grass is always greener going on. It all looked the same to me.

If I could just get all the way out...

So that would make these the alpacas? Maybe?

I'm hurt that you don't know.

As always, there were some fun signs:



Amen to that. I learned from children that I have no patience.


Fortunately, we were going to the workers lot. Because, chase cars? Huh?

The rest will have to wait until I'm home in daylight. Which will be ... a week from Saturday, I think. Sigh. I have a love-hate relationship with this two-week period of October.

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While I am, naturally, sorry that the Bruins lost last night, I have to say that a week into the regular season I am already tired of the sturm und drang about their record. Early media and fan panic is nothing new, but this year there is the slightly malicious tone of "Stanley Cup Hangover!" that makes it seem even sillier. Whatever, people. It's a hockey game. A game. I love hockey, but the world will not end because the Bruins started the season 1-3. Forget the world: their season will not end by starting this way. Outside of fantasy world, no team is going 82-0. Calm down.

**********
Here's an example of my perverse nature: I don't like the constant pressure and deadlines at work, but yesterday I was cranky because it was slow. Now, that's because I was drooping with tired and coughing/sneezing/blowing my nose* all the live-long day, but still. You can't please me. I spent more than half the day on a time-filler project, and while it did need to be done, and is a project that allows for somewhat perceptible progress, still, too much not enough. Today was a better balance.

*These allergies! If we don't get a hard freeze soon to kill this stuff off, I don't know what I'll do. I'm taking cold medicine, and cough syrup, and I still woke myself coughing last night. Thank god for cough drops (I like the ones I got yesterday, they're Burt's Bees, and not overly mediciny), but I don't want to need one 24-7. Can you believe that I'm wishing for a freeze? Me?

**********
Learned the hard way: Apparently, if a roller-ball pen is left close enough to the surface of a mouse pad, the mouse pad will suck the ink right out of it. In this case, "the hard way" means deeply ink-stained fingers that no amount of washing will remove. This morning's shower took care of 99% of it, but yesterday no amount of sink-scrubbing helped.

The mouse pad went into the trash. Some things are not fixable.

**********
Sentence I never thought to hear (on NPR, yet): "Now the US embassy in Syria has responded on its Facebook page..."

The US embassy in Syria ... has a Facebook page?

Do they expect people to "like" them there?

In my mind, there are serious things and frivolous things, and they don't always mesh well.

Serious:
US embassies
Syria

Frivolous:
Facebook

You? Frivolous, serious? Thoughts?

**********
A wonderful story in The New Yorker on the fiftieth anniversary of The Phantom Tollbooth.

And, some of the cast of that amazing movie, The Princess Bride, gathered on its 25th anniversary:



Thanks to my brother for the tip.

Gone fishin'

Nah, you know me better than that, don't you?

Gone Bruins-watchin'.

Title? Let's Call It the Tuesday Night Report

I sometimes feel as though I shouldn't be complaining all the time about being tired because there's no particular reason for me to be so tired, it's not like I'm working 20-hour days or caring for a newborn* or something, and yeah tired so what.

*After I typed that in my draft e-mail, where I jot down ideas for what to write later, I noticed that the Google-ads were listening:

Funny, in a creepy stalker way.

But ohhh, I am so tired. Thinking I shouldn't be doesn't change anything. I turned off the light last night at nine oh five, slept like a rock, and dragged myself out of bed after several exchanges with the snooze button this morning. I basically never get as much sleep as my body wants anyway, and throw in this bout of allergies or whatever has me congested to high heaven* and bang. Doomed.

*Which reminds me, is it time for more meds yet?

On to more cheerful topics. Thanks for the birthday wishes! Not only did I get them here, and on Facebook, but I got e-mails from my optical shop, my university alumni association, JetBlue, and the company that has my IRA (though theirs was less of a happy-birthday message, and more of a "time for the annual review of your beneficiary designations" message, which is a little less whimsical). I got e-mail messages from friends and family near and far, as well as some actual mail. Including this:


Isn't that cute? And the cake we had this weekend:


The cake-decorating supplies gave my aunt some trouble, and the green candles she'd put aside hid until well after dinner, but overall I think it turned out well, don't you?

Happy birthday to me ... make a wish!

Overall I'm enjoying the birthday season very much. And though the leaves weren't spectacular this weekend, the foliage was more advanced there than it is here. See?

Pretty.

There's more to show you ... another time.

I'm looking forward to watching the Bruins game tomorrow night. I saw some of last Thursday's home opener, but I was packing and getting ready for my trip, so I spent more time half-listening as I moved around from room to room. Saturday night I was out of town. I did listen to part of yesterday's matinee* on the radio, but I was working on a project with audio during the afternoon, so I couldn't listen all the time. I just want to watch a game, you know?

*The Bruins subscribe to the idea that Columbus Day is a holiday. My company does not. Though to be fair to them, if they did, I would have been driving back from New York during the game, so in that sense it's much the same.

I did, by the way, really enjoy watching the coverage of the raising of the Cup banner last week. It was, perhaps, a little over the top, but it's my team and I loved it anyway. However, I was perplexed to read that before tomorrow's game, Versus is showing a half-hour show those events. Coverage of the celebrations of the achievement ... very circular.

Yeah, that makes sense. Time to go to bed!

So, So ... What is the Word? Tired, That's It

Oh, boy.

I had a great trip, a great visit, and have much to show and tell you.

But not tonight. My allergies kicked into a higher gear starting on Saturday, and the congestion in my head is a bad thing.

I'm going to sleep now. Later!

Happy birthday to me!

Happy birthday to me!

(I'll be getting home late on Sunday, but I hate to miss posting this on the day. While I love to extend the birthday celebrations before and after, there's just something about the actual day. Happily, Blogger allows post-dating. Post-dating posts? That sounds wrong.)

Also:
Whaddaya tink? I buyed him 4 urburfdai." title="funny pictures - Whaddaya tink? I buyed him 4 urburfdai." height="512px" width="382px">
Not Carlos...but it almost could be, couldn't it?

No Coherence, I'm Afraid

Spoiler alert: I did not get laid off today

Oh, I really want more time to blog tonight. I want to get this out of my head, and I also want to pack for the weekend, and I want to watch the Bruins raise the banner and play their opening game. Would that I were triplets tonight.

Briefly, anyway. It wouldn't have been a great day in any case. I started to get a migraine mid-morning, and while the pill I took worked eventually (thank heavens), what that meant is that after I felt briefly even worse, I then felt not so bad, but not great, the rest of the day. And that's before a woman in my department, and another half-dozen people in the company, were let go without warning due to the economy and the company not meeting its goals.

Urg. I hate the idea of someone having a job in the morning and not having one at lunchtime. I was totally flashing back to my sadly frequent recent memories of layoffs. I basically pulled into myself this afternoon, like a turtle that's been poked at. Retreat...

Recently, I received my free-birthday-drink postcard from Starbucks, and I decided to use it for Friday after work, before I hit the road for Grandma's. And starting yesterday, it's been randomly popping into my head, the image of leaving work, stopping at Starbucks, and heading out. I was puzzled at first--I mean, I like the caramel fraps and all, but not usually to the point of daydreaming about them. I thought it over, though, and I came to the conclusion that it's because that's the point when the week, with all the things I have to do to get ready, will be done, and the weekend begins. Of course that turning point is on my mind. Even before the layoffs.

Gotta go, much to do, but my brain will be churning, I know it.

Um ... have a good weekend?

Hockey Shows, Weather, Cats

Scattered around the floor, there are always plenty of the pull-tabs from milk bottles. Pan loved them, and now Miri does, so it's years since I haven't been stepping on the things. Carlos doesn't usually pay any attention to them, but tonight he played with one enthusiastically for about 30 seconds, bending and twisting and pouncing, then walked away without looking back. Silly cat!

I did manage to get to CVS tonight to pick up my prescriptions (I craftily drove into town another way, so that I didn't have to pass the house, since that was what tripped me up last night). I even got a parking spot near the door! Unfortunately, they did not have the new SI in all its Tim-Thomas-cover glory, so I have to get that another time. I wonder if Petsmart carries SI? I do want to pick up more cat food before I go away.

Speaking of going away, I checked the weekend forecast for my destination and was pleasantly surprised:


We all know that the actual weather could be very different, but at least this gives me pleasant thoughts about it ahead of time. Don't worry, I'll still bring my boots. And coat.

I enjoyed watching the Bruins special on NESN tonight about some of the places they took the Cup this summer. My hockey viewing actually started at 7, with Andy Brickley's season preview (fun!). It's a half hour show, and for some reason they played it at 7 and then again at 7:30, so I switched the channel to something else until 8 (no, I couldn't get up: cat lap). When the Cup show ended at 9, it started again from the beginning. Isn't that rather odd programming? No matter how I enjoyed the shows, I wasn't going to watch them again immediately. And if I'm not enough of a Bruins fanatic to do so, few are. Weird.

Tomorrow night is the season opener, and between that and packing, I will either blog briefly or not at all. In any case, I'll be back here next week, before Rhinebeck! My, October is busy. At least, my October is!

Life's Like This

Work is better since I had the reality check, aka review, but it still has its moments. Just this afternoon, in fact, I had a moment when it felt like my head would explode, but I dug my nails into my palm to stop myself saying what I was thinking*, and the feeling passed.

*Basically, Are you fucking kidding me?

After work I went to get the oil changed in the car, pre-trip, and in the end also got a new battery, since having one that will likely fail at the first cold snap sounds like a bad idea to me. (Apparently it's unusual for them to last 5 years? And since I've had the car 5 and a half, well, there we are. Cha-ching.)

I was, of course, knitting while I waited, and when I held the sock up to my ankle to measure it against the sock I was wearing, another customer said, "Oh, you're making a sock!" Well, duh, though I guess I can see how it might not be obvious to muggles. Theoretically. (Really, it looks like the arm of a baby sweater. But trust me, it's a sock, and yes, it will fit. Yes, me. See?

It's an awful picture, but it proves my point. Not that I tried it on for him: one must draw the line somewhere, and for me today, removing my sock at the car repair shop was over that line.)

It's only Tuesday, but that was my second knitting-muggle-realization moment of the week. The first came yesterday at lunch, a meal to which my boss invited me and the rest of the group (six of us) for no apparent reason. After we ordered, of course I pulled my knitting out, like I'm going to just sit there? But after a while I realized, I'm kind of used to knitting in public opening at least a brief conversation. Oh, you're knitting; what are you making; that kind of thing. That's not why I do it, but it's often what happens. This time, no one said anything. Interesting.

Back to tonight: I successfully fought off the urge to stop at McDonald's even though I drove past two of them (yay me! willpower FTW! for once), then was going to stop at the pharmacy to pick up some prescription refills, but found myself in my driveway, having turned on auto-pilot. Whoops. Tomorrow is another day, CVS!

Which is fine, as long as I'm home before 8, to catch the show on NESN about the Bruins' Summer with Stanley! They got their Cup rings tonight, and, um, wow, words fail me:

(found on NESN)

Well, one: shiny.

And you know what else? Apparently I have to pick up this week's Sports Illustrated! Timmy Thomas, look at you. (I guess I was meant to go to CVS tomorrow: I can pick it up then!) Then the banner is raised Thursday night at the home opener. Whee!

And I'm jumping around a lot tonight, but I have to close with a quote from Rachael Herron's new book, A Life in Stitches, which by the way is excellent and I very much enjoyed.

...I'd wager that all knitters, even on the strictest of yarn diets, invoke the Souvenir Yarn Clause when we travel. Souvenir yarn--especially if it's just sock yarn--doesn't count.

Laughter, sniffles, nods: Good book!

Told Me

The thermometer* tells me that it's 60 degrees out, though the air coming in the window** feels colder. My ears tell me it's raining, again.

*Actually weather.com, but same difference.
**Of course the windows are open; the baby likes open windows! Have to keep at least one open as long as possible.

Nobody told me that no one else would show up for stitch and bitch tonight (though one person did call to say that she wouldn't be coming). Kind of a bummer, but I went and ran some non-exciting but necessary errands, so the time was put to good use. Those of us going to Rhinebeck need to firm up our plans, though. For the calendar tells me it's October. And four days until I leave for Apple Festival, which is a week before Rhinebeck.

(Not taken tonight--it's dark out!)

The baby tells me it's bedtime, though his internal clock is not reliable. Hard to be, when you sleep 20+ hours a day, you know? Still, it behooves me to listen, I think. I didn't sleep well last night, so I've already taken a unisom tonight. Sleep well!