Happy New Year!

So far during the holidays, JP and I played lots of Rummy. I won for the first three days but last night it was pretty even, dang! I like winning! We've also caught up on the first 3 seasons of Scrubs. My only fear is that JP already did and will start to sound a whole lot more like Dr. Cox. That's a bit scary. I've been staying up later and later and not eating proper meals so I am looking forward to getting back to a routine starting January 2nd. Although laying in bed all day watching DVDs was fun - it's time to become productive again.

Just like everyone else, New Year's means hope for a good year, and hope for changes for the better(of course). Sure, I have plans- not resolutions, which I do intend to keep. I think we always need to have plans don't we?

We'll be picking up the kid today and JP will have him all next week, he doesn't go back to school until the 8th. But I go back to work on the 2nd -that's going to tough to work at home when 2 other people are around all the time.

We're going to stick around home tonight and I'm making Tacos. We don't like being on the roads on New Years so we've made it a tradition to stick with the boy.

Happy New Year! Wishing everyone a fabulous and prosperous 2007!

I took some books out from the library for some holiday reading for JP. One was called "Lessons from the Top" by Thomas J. Neff & James M. Citrin. After JP finished reading it, he told me that three of the people profiled are in jail, (and perhaps others we just aren't aware of). So what lessons are we really learning? The authors wanted to show us leadership. Does leadership also include a lack of scruples or ethics?

Perhaps our world is just moving too fast?

Back in the 80's when Tom Peters wrote In Search of Excellence I think the people that were profiled 20 years ago had very different agendas than people today.

What does it mean to be a business leader? Oh the $64,000,000 question. I'm not even going to attempt to answer that one.

But here's another question: what does it take to publish a book? About 10 years ago as the popularity of the computer was steadfastly rising and there was a buzz about e-books, etc. it looked as though the lowly book might fall the way of the LP record. There was so much competition for our attention, who had time to read? Or the money to buy a book? Or the space to keep them? And then a revolution happened and Chapters and Barnes & Noble became household names and on everyone's radar. And some grocery stores created deluxe aisles with faux hardwood flooring and wooden bookshelves and people learned about Amazon. com so gaining access to books and lots of them was as easy as buying a dozen eggs. And it was no longer nerdy to sit at Starbucks with a gigantic coffee and a book. And all of that caused a huge demand for books and publishers were in a tizzy and books had to get published so fast, that sometimes proper research wasn't done on the author or the subjects or both. (remember "A Million Little Pieces" by James Frey, anyone?)

That and the fact that humans are completely unpredicatable and continue to surprise each other on a daily basis by doing and saying the craziest things! And not just wacky celebrities but also Heads of State or CEOs, etc. No one and no profession is exempt - it's just that for some unlucky folks their trainwreck of a story winds up on Craigslist or the national news etc.

As children, schools taught us to believe what books had to say. As we grew up we heard about text books that gave us a very skewed history of the world - textbooks that had omitted facts or changed the outcome of wars. How many times have you read the newspaper and noticed a small little box with a correction notice - sometimes just correcting a store's flyer, but sometimes correcting a pretty damming allegation. So we must learn that we can't really take anything too seriously and to always be on the lookout for the truth, or for the lies. We must learn that unless you're wearing a lab coat and standing in a sterile environment, that there most likely won't be any absolutes in our daily lives.

Is that why so many people come home from a hectic day of work, after battling horrible traffic, eat their dinner from a can or box and vegetate in front of the TV watching Survivor, or those evening game shows? Have people given up trying to decipher all of this? I know there are many who don't even try, they hide in their own worlds never listening to the news, or reading a paper or journalist magazine and decide to avoid the world and watch sports instead. Many, I am sure, have not even made a conscious decision to do so.

Perhaps that should be our New Year's Resolution? To try to become more aware of our world, to not follow any one person or ideal, to become a "jack of all trades" and to be afraid of having an opinion? Gee, this sounds like a whole book topic, I'd better call an agent.......

Yesterday, I thought we might get a White Christmas as I woke up and saw that it was snow-raining. The verticle lines in the photo are the snow flakes: Yes, that's Jazz standing there. She's hanging her head - she doesn't look like she likes the weather, but she's not running into the house either. Perhaps she's deciding too? Notice that the grass is tinted white with snow. It didn't last - it turned to rain after that and it's pretty much been raining all weekend. That's a pretty typical Christmas in the Vancouver area.

I wish my garden looked better in the winter, but I have noticed that lots of gardens don't look so great this time of year - don't you think?

It's a big disapointment that the Dogasaurus Rex sweater doesn't fit my mom's dog. So, yesterday I knitted another dog sweater for my mom's schnauzer. This one should fit his chest. I added 10 stitches to the underside and it's got buttons on the sides. But I fear it's not long enough from neck to tail. It's always something; I'm just not used to being around a small dog. But don't worry, I'm not giving up. This one is a denim blue with a 'cargo" pocket on the top. I just need to add a button to the pocket flap. Top view:

Side view:
I did some baking today. I only made two kinds of cookies as it's just the two of us and we don't have alot of people coming over. These are JP's Great Grand Nanny's Chocolate Chip and Rice Krispie cookies:
and here are some sugar cookies:
I'll probably pick up the sticks and start another project tonight, I can't go too long without working on something. What are you working on?

Drop me a note and say 'hi'.... and a Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Two days until Christmas!

Well my mom said that one of the parcels I sent to her "fell on the ground and split open" so she finished opening it. In it was the Dogosaurus sweater, which JP named Terriersaurus Rex (because my mom's dog is a Schnauzer).
I won't be at my own computer for a few days, but here's a link to a photo on Craftser.

I'm all set for presents. Just need to deliver two. I'll do some cookies today and other cooking I suppose, and then we wait for Monday morning.

I'm currently knitting a dog sweater from a library book, but it just may be too small. That's the problem - my dogs are larger, in fact all the dogs I've been around are 50 pounders+ and so I just can't seem to grasp the schnauzer sizing - I keep making things too small or short because the chest size my mom gave me is the same for a large dog.. oh I don't know how I've messed things up....

My mom received her parcel of Christmas goodies and opened one for her doggie - here's a knitted blanket I made for him. It's pale yellow with navy blue doggie paws and a navy blue crocheted edge. I sewed a navy backing to stop the knitting from curling. It's my own creation (not much design to it, is there?)

It's kinda tough to see as he's already settle on it:

Last night we saw Holly Cole with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. She put on an excellent concert and had plenty of great jazz arangements and cut Christmas songs. That was JP's Christmas present to me. It was a really good concert. Funny, I've been listening to her for about 12 years, and I've never seen her on stage, not even on TV.

Amaryllis Update

Here's a photo of my amaryllis. It currently has 3 flowers with 2 more on the way. It's about 2 1/2 feet tall!

It's a white flower with pale pink striping. It's very top heavy though, next time I grow one, I'll have to get a different pot.

So yesterday JP went to buy some jeans at Old Navy. After trying on a couple of pairs he found he had to move down a waist size in order to have them fit. While he was in the changing room and looking at pants, I was looking at doggie coats (found a cute one that looks like a little ski vest) but I noticed that the doggie sizes were also big. In all my knitting patterns, my mom's schnauzer is a medium - here he was a small. And my dogs are often considered large, would have fit the medium clothes at this store. Does Old Navy go for the vanity sizing? Ladies, do you wear a smaller size at this store too?

Chapters vs Amazon.ca

The other day we were in Chapters and found a book we liked. It was $54 but the cover was significantly damaged. I being an Amazon.ca fan, suggested JP wait and we'd get the book from them. So while in the Chapters store, he pulled up the Amazon.ca website on his Blackberry and found the book was $35. He then went to a clerk in the store and asked if he could get a reduction in price because of the damage. The clerk said his maximum was 10%. So we put the book back. When we got home we processed the order. No PST, no shipping and it was less money - why would I buy from Chapters?

I was a bit concerned that since I couldn't pick the book myself that the Amazon.ca version could have a damaged cover as well. But we took the risk. And it was worth it.

The book arrived in perfect condition, never been opened. And it arrived within 4 days of the order (even though Amazon.ca had warned us it would take longer to arrive). In fact, thanks to Canada Post, it was was delivered on a Sunday. A Sunday!

How long do you think Chapters can afford to stay in business? I hope the Starbucks in the store pays lots of rent......

Bo the Snowman

I just finished Bo the Snowman from Roxycraft, isn't he cute?
Too bad I didn't have time to get him in with the mailed Christmas presents. I'll just have to start earlier next year.

Yay! I did it

Today I finished wrapping Christmas presents and packed up parcels to be mailed. at 11:33 I left the house and was back in 1/2 an hour! I just beat the Post Office rush! Plus I got my usual girl, who knows how I like to ship so I didn't have to go through the long list of questions.

Now, we have to hope they will arrive on time.

that was the easiest trip to the post office at Christmas ever!

Locked-bin Law

JP saw this headline, and asked, "Locked-bin Law. Isn't that a known terrorist?"

Homatoma

So I was talking to JP in the kitchen and as I was walking out of the room, I managed to walk into a very sharp corner of a counter which has always been there, slamming my hip. As I cursed, I made a comment about the stupid house and this is how it marks our 8 year anniversary together. "That'll leave a bruise" I said.

To which JP replied, "But it's called a home-atoma"


(Get it? Instead of a hematoma? )

She always gets her (Leather)man

Well here's the story - last Wednesday, in our big snowfall, JP got his car stuck backing into our driveway. We were going to leave the car where it was but when he got in the house and began to empty his pockets his Leatherman was missing. He was really pissed, it's about $150! So we dug around outside in the snow, and eventually got him unstuck so he could go to the last two places to search and leave his card in case someone found it. But nothing.

Everyday, I'd go out to the end of the driveway, twice a day and look. He's a Gemini and so was my brother and they always seem to be lucky, so I asked St. Anthony and hoped that it would turn up. The other problem was that I had shoveled the driveway so even if it had fallen straight down in the snow, I may have tossed it farther with my snow shovel.

Well by now the snow has been disappearing rapidly. I did a check this morning and nothing. But then around mid-day I had let the dogs out and noticed it started to rain so I figured I'd better check again because the snow was melting fast and damn it if some paperboy was going to snatch it up in our driveway. And guess what? I found it! Only about 2 cm was sticking out of the snow but I found it! Yay!

Of course, he already bought a replacement.

It was a bit rusty and he spent a good hour cleaning it but he's got it back. How great is that?

So like the mounties who always get their man, I always get my Leatherman!

Mr. C - update

It's been 5 weeks since Mr. C had a 'stroke' or something(?). Here's how he looks today. He doesn't always have his head upside down, but it's tough to get a photo of him in the cage, and out of the cage he looks a bit garbled:

Mohair Scarf & Ponytail hat

From the book Last Minute Knitted Gifts I made this Airy Scarf in mohair for a Christmas present. I didn't have a full skein but it was as long as the pattern dictated. It does stretch and can be knotted around the neck.
Detail of the knit, every 5 or 10 rows has a 'lace' row:
I think it's beautiful and hope the recipient will like it as much as I do.

Also, from Mag Knits I made a variation of the Nippertails for my brother's friend who has long hair:
It was a bit tough taking a picture of the back of my own head, but you get the idea. The pattern was inspired by my sweater, which must have been inspired from a work sock. Since I have never met my brother's friend, and I didn't want to give him just a plain greay hat, I added the detail. I really wanted to add a mouth/muzzle and turn it into a sock monkey hat... but like I said, I don't know the guy.

Cave In!

We've had a fair bit of snow recently, and then typical to the Vancouver area, we get rain. Of all the crappy weather in November, this is the worst that happened to me. It's sad but not irreparable

WIPs: finished 1 little project, have a knit scarf and a knit hat on the go. Other projects are Christmas presents and I can't tell you yet. I really want to tell you and post photos, but I can't ruin the surprises. "Y'all know how it is oh wait hold up y'all don't / Look here y'all don't say nothing then I won't" - lyric's from Will Smith's Don't Say Nothin'