Spam, Part Deux
I've closed all but the last week's entries to comments until I can get this Blacklist business working. The spam just keeps on coming, and I'm having none of it!
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July 31, 2004
July 30, 2004
Spam
I wanted, nay, planned to write a scintillating entry today. Alas, I was thwarted by spam.
Instead of penning brilliant witticisms, I have spent the last hour installing MT-Blacklist (something I should have done ages ago) to attempt to halt the ever-increasing amount of lucious spam attacking my comments. Deleting a comment or two every 3 days or so was not a big deal. Getting hit with 20 first thing this morning was.
If you've used Blacklist and have any suggestions for success, I'd greatly appreciate them.
July 27, 2004
Sittin' Here Restin' My Bones
Been relaxing today in an attempt to get over the icky head cold I had yesterday. I watched Beaches this morning while working away on the Nymph Pi, then ran an errand or two. My return home was uneventful and the remainder of the day has passed fairly painlessly.
And thanks again to Ann for reminding me of something I wanted to blog a bit about. If you haven't seen it already, check out Mason-Dixon Knitting, the July 2004 entry titled "Plotz of the Year," to see a gorgeous rendition of the EZ Pi. This is truly a work of art and one that I aspire to when I become a Big Girl Knitter. Or when I finish knitting the current Pi--I just got in a couple of cones of Cotton Fine and I'm itching to get working on them...
July 26, 2004
No Pixies I'm afraid
Ann, I promise, as soon as those Pixies show themselves, I'll send one your way!
The knitting continues apace on the Nymph Pi. At this point I'm feeling the truth of the old fable's moral--"slow and steady wins the race." I've reached the tortoise part of the knitting, the hare left behind as the stitches increased to 576 around. The yarn (Brown Sheep Cotton Fine) feels divine on my fingers, and the strange pouchy shape of the shawl gives the whole shawl a chrysalis effect; I can't wait to finish this baby and block 'er so that she can be a beautiful blue butterfly.
But enough about that. My time in Louisiana is winding down, and I've finally managed to set a KIP date for myself in the area. My youngest brother's girlfriend, Mindy, is home visiting her family, so she and I are going to grab a cuppa and our needles this afternoon. Pics to follow!
July 23, 2004
Two Drifters Off to See the World
The Nymph Pi and I are, indeed, two drifters off to see the world. We've been traveling together weekly, touring various Best Westerns, LaQuintas, and Courtyard Marriotts in south Louisiana, pursuing the perfect hotel spot. We cemented our bond tonight, watching one of my all-time fave films, Breakfast at Tiffany's. I only watch this movie with folks I truly love.
The shawl is coming along nicely, although I must say there's something really deflating about hitting 576 stitches. It takes so long to get around...surely there's some magical pixie dust I can sprinkle on my shawl to make me knit faster?
July 19, 2004
Back in the Saddle
Working along on the Nymph Pi--she's corrected (whew!) and I'm motoring through the second lace panel:
Can't write much more at the moment. My mom and I are headed to a workshop for museum fund raisers. Yes, I know, I don't work in a museum, but she wanted company and I might be able to transfer some of that knowledge to other philanthropic areas.
I leave you with my nephew, Trey, an able assistant in packing up teaching supplies!
Ciao!
July 15, 2004
Ain't No Sunshine
One day and well over 300 frogged stitches later, I'm ready to face the Nymph Pi again. Yes, I had to rippit and I may have to rip some more. When I get home (I'm taking advantage of Kinko's and T-Mobile to do some non-dialup computing...I'm so spoiled!), I'm going to count the stitches on the needles now and see if what I fear is true. I think I've got one stitch too many somehow and will have to rip back two or three rows further. Of course, I may be able to figure out a way to correct the problem without ripping, but I don't want to jeopardize the integrity of the lace pattern...so I sense a trip to the frog pond may be forthcoming.
To top it all off, I'm just feeling basically snippy today. I'm disatisfied with the level of dissatisfaction that people seem to be feeling. Don't get me wrong--I can gripe with the best of 'em, and I enjoy a good gripe. But when I have a gripe overload (which I'm really feeling today) I get out of balance and then I take it out on the world. So perhaps this isn't the best time for A Visit to the Frog Pond. Maybe I'll just read a blog or two.
July 13, 2004
Fear Factor
So during my errands today I took time out for a little KIP at the carwash. Of course, I was knitting on Nymph Pi, which is where the Fear Factor comes in. My nephew, Trey, was with me, so my attention was split between the shawl, the car, and the kid.
I am on a solid knit round, which means I am dreading its completion. Will I discover, much to my dismay, that I've made a Dreadful Mistake in my knitting? When I got to the end of the previous round, I had to knit an extra stitch to make things come out right which Can't Be Good. The pattern is a bit sketchy on the ends of these rows where you have to move the markers...so I'm hoping for a minor miracle.
Keep your fingers crossed. I shudder to think about how I'll redo these yarn overs if I have to back the knitting out.
July 10, 2004
Sunshine and Lollipops
If only I could call it all that. But I must say that I am feeling quite good.
A pic of the Nymph Pi:
And another:
I love the pouchy-ness of the whole thing; it's so cute and I know that it's going to just grow and grow. It takes longer to go 'round now, but the lace is fun.
Buzz Clogs are felted and Steve promises pics soon, along with some snaps of Zeus playing with his favorite toy!
July 08, 2004
Darn! No Pictures!
When I got to the hotel last night (at 10:30 p.m. CST), I set about the oh-so-arduous task of uploading pics, a task that would have been a breeze had I remembered to bring the cord for my camera along on the trip! Alas, no picture transfer = no pics for the blog.
I did turn my sights to a bit more knitting. The Nymph Pi is coming along fine and, as EZ promised, it's excellent travel knitting. Oh so small and portable! I need to get a photocopy of the lace chart so that I don't have to lug the book around, and then I'll really be cooking with gas!
On the way home from Lake Charles today I stopped off at Barnes and Noble (I really miss Borders!) to look for a yoga book. I found Yoga to Go which has routines to counter various travel related physical ailments (as well as some mighty good advice about adopting a great travel attitude). I've been really struggling with back pain lately, I think from Poor Posture when standing (which I do a lot of) and Lifting With My Back (which is the devil's way, apparantly). We'll see if this regiment helps with the pain because, in the wise words of Carly Simon (who is, I think, one of my personal goddesses) I haven't got time for it.
The teaching went really well today and yesterday. I think I'm getting the hang of it and enjoying it a lot more. I shouldn't speak too soon, though, as I have 6 classes this weekend in a Big City (Lake Charles, where I taught yesterday and today is small) and the kids may be a bit tougher to crack. No matter--I'm having fun and enjoying the experience. And every class taught brings me one class closer to finishing and getting home, which is where I'm longing to be.
Go on and hug a pet or a loved one or both. The world is a beautiful place.
July 07, 2004
Louisiana is for ???
First full day in LA was, well, full. After a ripping session of book unpacking, sorting and packing (ably assisted by my nephew, Trey), I took a shower, had lunch and headed out to J.P. Thibodeaux Automotive Superstore (they have about 4 different car brands on their huge lot) so that my sweet little Civic could have her alignment checked. An hour and 3 or 4 rows on the Nymphy Pi later, I had my baby back and headed off to Lafayette to visit with my grandmother while waiting for my mom to meet me.
My grandma is really great. She tells lots of stories about growing up, stories I've heard many, many times, but they always are interesting. One of the stories is about her father and what happened when he found out that she and her brother were secretly attending school instead of picking pepper in the fields. This was the first time that a crucial bit of information was revealed: her godfather and his wife apparantly would secret away enough pepper in their picking to cover for my grandmother and her brother. Anyway, the story is that this godfather had made arrangements with the local priest for them to attend school, so everyday they went to an empty tomb in the graveyard where they hid their work clothes and changed into school wear. They went to school, then picked up the peppers, went home and had dinner going when their father got home. Their mother knew they were not working in the fields, but kept it from their father. He found out finally from the godfather's daughter, who I suppose was a rival, and wend to the schoolhouse. My great uncle ran away, but my grandmother stayed and faced the music. She says that her father didn't beat her, but she never went to school again and has maintained that she has a mental block regarding learning to read. She can recognize familiar names and phone numbers, but she can't write.
This story, one I've heard many times over the years, never ceases to fascinate me. I wonder what she would have been like had things been different for her. And I thank her for the attention she paid to our education, encouraging me to read to my heart's content and making sure that I always got to watch Sesame Street and The Electric Company.
After a visit, I called my mom and we arranged to meet at the ball park, where Trey had All-Star practice for Little League. We pulled out the folding chairs from the trunk of her car (de rigeur for moms and grandmas, I guess), and sat down to watch the practice and wait for Trey's mom, or stepdad, or my brother, to come. I did some more knitting on the Nymph Pi (no qualms about KIP-ing for me!) while we chatted about my mom's latest project. In retirement she is keeping busy, currently working with both her elementary school (St. Paul's) and her high school (Holy Rosary) in an attempt to do some historical preservation. There is a book waiting to be written about the history of Catholic education of African Americans in South Louisiana (and if there is a book, please point me to it), and my mom is determined to do her part to help. Of course, sometimes people don't always have the same agendas, so I know she gets frustrated, but she perseveres.
When Trey's stepdad arrived, we packed up and headed our separate ways: Mom went home and I went to Hobby Lobby (to check on a couple of prints she was having framed) and to Target (to get an alarm clock). Both stops took too long, and I was wiped when I got home. My dad, who had been out fishing earlier in the day (he checks the tides daily to see if it's a good day for his favorite activity or not), fried up the catch of the day, which was delicious! With a full belly I headed for bed.
Ah, what a day. Today I head off to Lake Charles to start my classes there. I'm staying in Sulphur (aptly named, as the city is built atop a sulphur mine. I won't comment on the smell), where I'll be uploading pics to my server space so that you can see the fruits of my labors. Enjoy your day!
July 06, 2004
Home on the Range
Arrived at the Family Manse last night around 11:45 CST. Glad to be done with that part of the journey--good weather, but really, really long drive exacerbated by the fact that I had a flat tire to start off the day right. $200, four new tires, and four hours later (I planned to leave at 8:00 a.m. EST), I was on the road.
*heavy sigh*
I made a last minute addition to the knitting project list: the Mexican Wave that I bought for sweaters for Steve's granddaughters made it into the car before I left GA. Such cute colors, so cuddly...how could I resist?
I'm off now to:
1. Sort out my books and get them into piles/boxes for this week's teaching;
2. Unpack my clothes...the suitcase is BULGING;
3. Get my alignment checked and the car washed;
4. KNITTING!
I've gotten to the 288 stitch section of the Nymph Pi. I'm nervous about the lace pattern here, not because it's particularly difficult, but because it requires concentration. I hope I have enough of that! :-)
Enjoy your day!