And here's the gold

How cool is this? The medal was designed by Franklin, and I'll have to figure out how to put it in the sidebar but I am not messing with that tonight, thank you. I got a headache Saturday night that seems to be gone now, but the intervening time was Not Pleasant. (Worrying that you are going to miss seeing the Olympic-gold-medal-winning-goal-in-overtime because you have to go throw up isn't the best feeling. [In the end, I did see the goal, as well as all the Sidney Crosby adulation that followed.] Of course, feeling like you have to throw up, but being unable to because you haven't eaten anything since the last time you threw up, is also not fun, and that was 9-10 last night.) Hang on...

I think I do this a lot, veer parenthetically sideways, and lose track of my original path. Where was I going with that? Who knows. I stayed home from work today, but summoned the energy to go stitch and bitch tonight wearing the new vest, yay! Going back to the socks-in-progress, with the skinny yarn and little needles, was a bit of a shock. And now I'm wiped out, and getting ready for bed.

A follow-up note for the book contest winners: Mary Ellen and Deb, I need your mailing addresses! Send'em in quick (ccrinma at hotmail dot com), so I can send them to the publisher to send you a book!

Ow, hands, grumble, work, and oh, WINNERS

I don't blame the knitting fates for my sore hands this morning, though I was surprised how sore they (and my arms!) were. I even dreamed that I ran a marathon, which in real life is about the most unlikely thing I could ever do, but I think it was my body telling my subconscious that if I was that sore, I must have done something!

And I don't know if I can blame the knitting fates for how irritating and "tremendously full of hand-tiring tasks" work was today, especially this afternoon, but ow all the same. It was tremendously tedious, to the point where I was having to remind myself that no, no one was picking on me, and yes, I could do it. (Though it didn't all get done, meaning that at least tomorrow morning will be aggravating too. Sigh.)

So this afternoon at work was very annoying and trying, is the point I am subtly trying to make, and when I saw a new job listing pop up on Craig's List*, I thought "Maybe this time..." with more than usual fervor.

*No, I don't expect to find a job this way, but what does it hurt to get the listings delivered to my Google Reader?

The job listed? Pashto Annotator. Nice one, job-hunting fates. Very deflating.

And my hands still hurt, enough that I stopped writing this to go take more tylen0l. Ow. My musings on the Olympics will have to wait (you: no! how can I live with the suspense?). I know what you're here for tonight, anyway: winners! Who wins Laurie's book?*

*From me, anyway. Have you read any of the other reviews? Just saying.

Without further ado (you know how I am about ado), the winners are:

• Kali
• Adrith
• Mary Ellen
• Deb
• Kate P
  

I'm sorry that everyone can't win, but at least here the odds were pretty good (not that that's much comfort, really). (If you don't read Joshilyn Jackson's blog, you should; what made me think of it now is her strong feelings on the evil ways of the Random Number Generator, "that capricious sow".)

Meanwhile, you few, you lucky few, you band of ... readers, send your snail-mail address to me via the old ccrinma at hotmail dot com, and I will forward said addresses to those with power to send you your book! Congratulations!

Very Random, with Photos

Boy, today kicked my ass. One thing after another ad ifinitum without pause all day. What's next: which fire is closest to me? I got home and had to lie down for half an hour before I could do one thing.

In the spirit of going to bed early, here's the story in pictures. I loaded various pictures here, so let's just roll with it.

Miri has been investigating Carlos on his perch.


She hasn't jumped up with him ... yet. This morning, she bumped up against him as I was petting them both ... and she didn't flee, hiss, or panic in any way. Two weeks. It's working.

I've been enjoying Crazy Aunt Purl's book, and you can see there are some parts I want to tell you about:


Good book, people. You're going to follow the rest of her virtual tour, right? To support Laurie, and her lovely publisher for sending me a free book? And oh, did I mention, giving five copies away to my lovely readers? Yes, it's true! But you have to wait for February 19th: that's my date!

Miri says, book? What? Why?


I bought a bulb garden at Trader Joe's the other day.


I purposely bought one that was only just starting, and it's moving along already.


So pretty! I need this in February.


This or a trip to Florida. But I didn't get organized for that.

A dilemma, a review, and a photo

I'm going out tonight, and rain is coming into the area, which gives me a dilemma. I've been sticking with the flip-flops, even as the weather has gotten chillier, because shoes and the blisters are still not a happy combination. The blisters are improving, really, but they're not healed yet, particularly the heel ones. The blister-specific bandages are helping, but... yeah. We're not quite there.

When I got ready to go out this morning, I tried a couple of different pairs of shoes before resigning myself to the flip-flops again*. I'll have to walk a little bit tonight, and slipping on wet flip-flops sounds as unappealing as wearing shoes that rub the blisters. What to do, what to do.

*I was actually sitting on my couch, weighing the options: pain or cold? pain or cold?

So where am I going tonight? To see Franklin speak. I'll tell you about it tomorrow. Should be fun!

Before I leave you today though, two things. First, I read a good book recently and I want to tell you about it before it goes back to the library. It's called My Husband's Sweethearts, by Bridget Asher, and I was fascinated by the premise:

Faced with the imminent death of her charming, cheating and estranged husband Artie, Lucy Shoreman decides to call the names in his little black book and invite the ladies to his Philadelphia home to say a final farewell.

And I felt it lived up to that interest. There was one denouement that didn't shock me, but it was handled well and I didn't feel cheated or anything by it. Good idea, well-written, very enjoyable. Check it out!

And the second thing is a photo I forgot to add yesterday, from the farmer's market. Fishermen speak of the one that got away; I write about the item I didn't buy.


Did you know that sprouts grow on little Christmas trees? Neither did I! Learn something new every day.

Stephenie Meyer Rocks Burlington B&N

AKA, if I'd waited to have my book signed, I'd still be there.

So, Stephenie Meyer writes this excellent series of so-called Young Adult books* that have some vampires (and werewolves) in them, and not just vampires but ones that all her readers really, really wish and in fact want to believe are real. Edward is the "hero" vampire, Jacob the biggest-name werewolf, and before the Q&A started there were rival factions shouting "We love Edward!" and "We love Jacob!" back and forth. (I would vote for Edward myself, since my feelings for Jacob range from friendly to big-sisterly, though I wasn't shouting.)

*I was far from the only non-teen there tonight, though when she arrived, it did sound like the Beatles on Ed Sullivan.


There were the official t-shirts, like this one from the fan club (sorry it's fuzzy, I was trying to be slightly subtle; it says Official I Love Edward Cullen Fan Club Member, and then it's just her website, linked above), but I also love the girl wearing the Red Cross Got Blood? t-shirt:


These two had matching shirts, and I don't know if they did them themselves or bought them somewhere, but I managed to Kinnear a shot of them front-and-back. Can you read the front? It's a quote from Bella: I'm Your Brand of Heroin. (You have to read the book!)


And of course, the 'I have a t-shirt and a magic marker' classic, "every guy should be a bit more like Edward!"


When I got there, they were out of wristbands for the signing line. That is, they had passed out red, teal, pink, and green wristbands, and white ones in groups A, B, C, D, E, and I believe F. Maybe it was only through E. What that meant was that they couldn't guarantee I would get my book signed, if I stayed until all the wristband groups were done. I'm not blaming them, you understand. Just, wow. Lot of people there (photos below).

And after all, she was in Ohio yesterday and is in Pennsylvania tomorrow, which makes me wonder who put her into Massachusetts today*, and how firm their grasp on geography is. (She was running late, and said she had been on planes and in airports all day. Ahh, the glamor of the million-copy book author!)

*Again, not complaining!

After a wide-eyed look around the store, I went back to the car for my camera. I knew you had to see this. Although I missed out on the wristbands, I just made it into the store before they stopped letting people in:


I don't think these people got to hear the Q&A at all, poor things. (They were going to let them in, but only after others left.) It was short, but fun. Best question: does Edward wear boxers or briefs? (Answer: boxer-briefs.)

The first arrivals (and at heaven alone knows what time), the red wristbands, got upstairs, where I couldn't even see (I never saw Stephenie herself, by the way, just heard her). The next group, the teal, were seated here:


and here:


This should be pink (hence the pink square, I get it now):


My, people everywhere!


The white wristbands were downstairs, with group A lined up:


And up there somewhere, greenies:


A jungle. She mentioned how amazing it was that something she wrote for her own entertainment was appreciated by so many others.


The screams when she appeared!


And the line when I left:


...went around the corner of the building:


With, remember, no guarantee she'll still be signing by the time it's their turn. Unbelievable.

They are good books, though. I like them a lot.

Finally, this isn't related except that I took the picture in the Cafe tonight. Any other Depeche Mode fans out there? Ever seen this drink?


Too funny! I guess they have fans at Jones Soda, eh?