And the Mighty Marmosets are back...

After a rather difficult loss last week, the Mighty Marmosets have again found their softball groove and posted two more to the win column. I basically did my job by not injuring myself or others. Success for all!

Leaving on a jet plane at approximately o'dark thirty and alas, not a stitch of clothing is packed. Quilt fabric... check... Knitting... check... Oh, wait, I should bring underwear? Hmmm... must wash some then. Oh heck, I'm going to visit the 'rents, I'll just pack dirties and wash when I get there. Makes me feel youthful to do this, as in, I'm still a wild and carefree college kid instead of a poor, miserable graduate student who can't seem to get out of college... ever.

Anyway, there will be posts of Missouri in all her grandeur. Or there will be posts about me melting away in the Missouri summer heat. Not looking forward to reaquainting myself with the phrase, "with the humidity, it's about hot as blazing hell." Can't I bring some Buffalo snow along, just in case?

Since I theoretically made this a crafty blog, thought I'd post some knitting pics before I cleared them off my camera. I'm still working on the arty "look at my artsy knitting" pics. These are pretty basic, but at least it will help me remember how I spent my youth. Yes, you can laugh at me spending my youth knitting... pathetic, so pathetic.

This is Pascha the penguin, done for Nels' first birthday. Cute, eh? And you should see Nels! Anyway, the pattern is at Knitty, the hipster site where all the cool kids play. I tackled this bad boy using stash yarn, which gets me points, right? It's all acrylic all the way so ready to be tossed in the washer (with orange crayons). My first of many knitted toys I do believe.


This would be a crochet cloche that I made for a lady at work. I'll have to find the pattern. It was online somewhere and I believe I cobbled together a separate pattern for the flower. This was also stash yarn, sportweight, and rather soft. I tried to look at suitable hats for cancer patients and pick something lightweight for summer but soft enough for sensitive skin. It was fairly easy, but I'm not great with crochet. I think my gauge was nowhere near what it should've been. Nonetheless, it was a hat.

That's all for now, folks. Have to find a way to keep my stinky socks from setting off alarms at security. Or maybe I'll just hit Target so I have clean ones to bring along.

Mean Old Knitters

Just a short little post as I don't have much exciting news to share. Should we be excited or disgusted that the new version of mean Ruth on SFU was knitting last night? First of all, what ugly thing was she knitting? Second, did she make the bad sweater she was wearing? Out of cheap, brown yarn? Is knitting going to be forever associated with grouchy women with ignore their (crazy) husbands and use the needles as weapons?

It was a rather odd moment to be sitting there knitting and cross stitching with the girls while watching what we all hope to never be... the crazy old woman with an ugly scarf.

Overall, a productive Monday with some work, some writing, and a good workout that was made obsolete with Shelby's amaaaaaaazing cookies. Who knew peanut butter chocolate chip cookies could be so heavenly?

Live Today

“All we have is right now, this moment. So, if you're going to live your life, you have to do it today. Live your life today.” ----

This is a horribly rough paraphrase of Nate's little sermon from last week’s Six Feet Under. Yes, my English teacher ways are cringing with my lack of correct detail here, but I think it sounds like Nate's warbling I'm-a-hip-Californian-talk. Perhaps I'll never be as astute a faker as Vivian Grey, but I never claimed to actually be a successful dandy. (For all of you who have yet to peruse the wonders of Benji Disraeli's novel Vivian Grey (which would be nearly all the literate world), Vivi is a dandy extraordinaire who makes his way in the world by a lot of schmoozing and a special knack at being able to imitate nearly anything he has read. That and he's hot, if you're into that Regency dandy look.)

Anyway, I never intended to go a week without updating this thing I’ve started. But, first I didn’t want to post because I didn’t have anything clever to write about. Then it was a lack of pictures. The bigger question became my artistic direction… or basically, what the heck am I supposed to write about? As many of you know, I have a habit of being a teency bit on the “last minute” side. No, mom, I didn’t intentionally finish my graduation speech in the minutes before I read it. No, I’ve never given any of you birthday presents six months late. (Hey, in my world, six months late is only a teency bit last minute… they could be eight months late, right?)

I know you’ve all got your theories on the Leslie schedule, but really, it’s generally because I tell myself that I can’t do something before it’s the perfect time, day, phase of the moon. Can’t start sewing until I finish the last project. Can’t write the paper until I’ve finished all the smaller assignments first. Can’t do the blog until I have some wonderfully artistic pics, a tremendously funny story, or a hip and happening life to write about.

Well, kiddos, it ain’t happenin’! Although I’m not sure about the wisdom of taking life philosophy from an HBO program, I think Nate’s little tirade is going to be the theme for the blog and hopefully something I’ll be better about doing. I can’t wait until I’ve got the perfect job, the perfect dissertation, the perfect knitting needles, the perfect crafty room. You’re going to get a messy work in progress.

I know this is much more for me than for you. Shoot, you’ve all put up with me and patiently waited in parking lots for me to show up fifteen minutes late, frazzled, confused and generally lost. You’ve all been excited to get your gifts twice (once in the “idea” stage and once when I actually get the darn thing done). You’ve all laughed at my apartment with dishes piled to the ceiling because I didn’t have time to get them washed before you came. And most of you have even helped me in said messy kitchen trying to finish up some crappy Martha Stewart appetizer that I’d decided to throw together at the last minute. (You know you love to arrive decked out in your finery to be sent to the kitchen to chop mushrooms!)

So, in all my perfectionistic charm, I intended this to be the coolest blog on the planet, imagining that I’d be able to tell you about the coolest life on the planet.

And then I woke up and realized I was supposed to be writing about me.

And then the real light bulb moment… my life is pretty cool, dirty dishes and all.

So, I’m going to try this again this week. It’s going to be a very busy one since I’m leaving for Missouri on Friday. I’m sure funny things will commence…

Oh, and since I believe blog etiquette requires you to respond to comments, thought I’d answer questions.

Erica, my non-crafty-but-still-delightful friend, a fat quarter is akin to crack in my family. Technically, it’s a bit more than a quarter-yard of fabric. Simple enough… But to the lovely ladies I call my relations, it’s something that must be purchased in the hundreds because (a) they’re so cute all folded up in baskets, (b) like those potato chips, you can’t just buy one, and (c) they say they’re going to make something out of them. Believe it or not, I’ve not really succumbed to this family disease as of yet. Of course, it’s only because I tend to buy whole bolts of fabric instead of teency little fat quarters, but that’s another issue…

Coming Clean to my Fellow Addicts

Okay, since we all know that 30 different dish patterns isn't enough, I had to go out and scour the streets looking for some little thing to hold my peanut butter sandwich. I mean, really, I was eating off paper towels. (And if you believe that one...)

Really, I just caved. I fell off the wagon. I was being so strong and then I lost my sponsor's number, crawled into a dark alley, hid my face from the light of day, and bought another set of dishes, all the while thinking "Screw 12 step. I want a new creamer and sugar set." Can I justify by telling you that they're from our best friend Homer? I've liked them for a long time?

Who am I kidding? They were $30 for the entire set. Do I need to tell you more? You know you'd all do exactly the same thing so I don't want any lip from any of you. (Those of you that helped me move the last time may be justified in giving me lip, but we're going to wipe that awful day from our memories for the time being.)

They may be heavier than fat quarters, but they're my weakness. Or one weakness... We won't talk about yarn or new shoes or the infamous tote bags...

Anyway, these are my latest find. And yes, I really got them at Goodwill. Don't you want to come to Buffalo again to hit the thrift stores?





Just so you can all see the pattern if you need inspiration for future dish hunting (hint, hint... look for big plates)

Like I need another set of dishes... but what a bargain! 

An Invite to Dinner

While this certainly is not as formal as an invitation to a Regency dinner, nonetheless, this will serve as my invitation for you to join me on my little saga of life as depicted in the blog world. Just like one never can tell what bit of intrigue will take place between the soup and the claret, who knows what may be posted here.

My scheme is to post about my progress on my dissertation (yes, I know, yawn), my training goals for a race this fall (stay with me, I promise I'll be exciting eventually), my knitting (can you stand the thrills?), and the general insanity of life (this is where it'll get good).

So, with that in mind, I intend to do some playing and try and figure out this blog monster thing. Stay tuned.