On Critters:

OK, the guy is watching the snake, but keep an eye on the lizard that comes out of the lower left hand corner:



Seriously, he'll never live that one down in spite of the valiant attempt at recovery...

Thanks to Linda and Marlys for passing it along.

Hello Quizzy

Thanks to KMKat for the Hello Quizzy idea ... I took the virtues test but didn't like the results so I'm posting this instead:

Your result for The Which Looney Tune Are You Test...

Wile E. Coyote!

You are intelligent, sophisticated, and the physical personification of the can-do attitude. No matter how many times something blows up in your face (figuratively or literally) or prized project collapses around you, you will pick yourself up and try, try again. There is a good chance that you are very skilled in problem solving and would probably make a fine engineer. Your main weaknesses (and this is likely obvious to everyone but yourself) are your overconfidence and complete lack of perspective. When you inevitably fail at a task (you can't possibly achieve all of the lofty goals you set for yourself), you tend to take it personally. If you are not careful, you can become thoroughly obsessed with what is not really a very meaty goal. Try taking a step back from time to time and figure out for yourself if it is really worth it, or if your talents could be best put towards a more rewarding goal. Also, your desire for things to work out the way you've planned can make you a bit gullible.

Take The Which Looney Tune Are You Test at HelloQuizzy

Talk to Your Parents

FOs

The problem with having too many projects on the needles is that it takes forever to have a Finished Object. The benefit is that all of a sudden you can have more than one thing done.

The color's not very good, but the fingerless mitts are done (yes, the ends have to be woven in, but the weather is improving right now so that'll be done in a couple of days). The colors are green and lavender:
And a single sock for P is done - the colors are really blue-ish but it seems to be an impossible color/pattern combo to photograph:
Note that no yarn was wasted - that is the end of the skein:
There is also an orange hat somewhere, but the yarn was not much loved, so another will be made with Cascade. You can't go wrong with Cascade.

The weekend will be spent in a mad rush to finish an election day surprise for a certain someone. If it turns out. Pictures to follow. (If it turns out)

The Final Stretch

Because I can't help myself, and because I love Scott Bateman:

John McCain on the polls:


Sarah Palin can't let go of the Bill Ayers thing:

(did the Weather Underground bomb anyone but themselves?)

Fire Flies

So, Girl-child got her picture in the University newspaper today - she's doing this as a volunteer and she's thrilled because they're also teaching her to weld.

(Not what I pictured her gaining from a University education, but as one prof put it, "If she were going to vo-tech to learn welding it wouldn't come with Noel Coward" which is oh-so-true)

Happy 16th Birthday

Yes, Boy-child turned 16 Monday. Big sister came home for dinner and cake:

And there's a story behind the card:

When Boy-child was maybe three years old, my mother was here for a holiday dinner and various topics were discussed. Apropos of nothing, Boy-child announced that his p***s was big. My mother, dumbfounded, asked, "What did he say?" So I repeated it. My mother exclaimed, "That's what I thought he said!"

Shortly after she left the room, he said, "I like to touch it when it's big!"

(We're still laughing, obviously)

On Michele Bachmann

On a brighter note, Michelle Bachman seems to have derailed her candidacy.

Please note:

*A Republican is launching a write-in campaign as a sort of referendum on her

*Her DFL opponent, Tinklenberg, received $640,000 in donations during the 48 hours following her remarks questioning Obama's patriotism

*National Democrats plan to spend $1 million dollars to defeat her (they must be overjoyed that she did so much of the work for them)

Personally, I have always found her to be a major embarrassment to Minnesota - view this encounter with Bush - sort of reminds me of fervant Catholics meeting the Pope:

(Oh, if I could only touch him! )

On Patriotism and Pride

I think it's pretty self-explanatory

Endorsed!

Honestly, I am weeping with joy.

Colin Powell has endorsed Obama.

(thanks, S, for the update)

Stillwater

A girlfriend and I went to Stillwater yesterday. It's a lovely little town on the St. Croix River with an antiquated lift bridge, which you can see behind us here:
The bridge wasn't "lifted" when we were there - I'm sure the folks in town are thankful when it stays down since there is an unbelievable amount of traffic for such a little place. The bridge got stuck in the up position not so long ago, which is not good either. We kind of have a lot of bridge issues around here.

My friend is always trying to measure up - I'm sorry S, but you'll never reach 5 feet in this lifetime:

(You know we love you anyway)

There are a lot of antique stores in Stillwater and a few kitchy things too. I honestly can't believe this fabric was ever produced - and that someone bought it and made it into a bag: Maybe for a lunch bag?

There are other things that are very cool including old-style record players:

But still, there's a lot of kitch:

I rather like this person's sense of humor:

And this building has always been one of my favorites; I'm not sure why. Kind of reminds me of a cross between the barn and silos at the farm we visited when I was a kid:

And the old Freight House is THE place to eat in town. The food is delicious:

And the decor can't be beat:

Not to be stuck in the past, they have electronic advertising in the bathroom:

I thought it was going to be a leafier trip, but the antique stores were just too much fun. Here're some leaves anyway:

I would have taken more pictures, but alas, my camera batteries died.

Guess we'll have to go back...

Joe's 15 Minutes of Fame

As P so succincly pointed out, once again the McCain campaign did not properly vet their new poster child ... Joe The Plumber (referred to over thirty times in the debate? Really?) is not a real plumber, would benefit from the Obama tax plan, not McCain's and is currently behind in his taxes. Wow. Ooops!

I didn't watch the debate - I was at book club with the girls (see below). Am I ever glad. I probably would have blown a gasket anyway. And you know, I was pretty unhappy about Obama going the slow, steady, peaceful path while he was being attacked, but now I can see that it really was a good approach. There's Obama, calm, cool, collected ... steady as a rock. And there's McCain, irritable and cantankerous, making bad, snap decisions in a snit.

Which one would I rather see as president ... hmmmmm ... let me think ...

Odds and Ends

I've always taken the banned books issue to heart. (I probably should have gone with that public library job.) Anyway, this site has some good comics - not as racy as Questionable Content and certainly not as cynical as Unshelved.

We managed to pull together a party of four for book club last night. The book was A Prayer for Owen Meany, which I read some time ago and enjoyed very much. We didn't talk about the book though; never do with this group. Most of the talk was of pregnancy related issues. I wonder why?

As a result of book club, I was spared watching the debate. Thank goodness. And while I don't think we have to worry about it any more, here's a fun little site that helps envision President Palin - mouse over and click for sound (thanks Kate).

In News of the Weird - Who knew that "going postal" could ever apply to librarians? An adjunct librarian at Northeast Lakeview College in Live Oak, Texas walked into the library and shot a librarian. Apparently they had quarreled about work ethic in the past. Well! That's some ethics issue, isn't it?

Third Party Candidate Makes Headway

This just in from The Onion:

Monday Silly

Sunday's Questions and Update

So, I heard some news show this morning and the talking heads were discussing the opposing positions of Obama and McCain on capital gains taxes. Now tell me the truth here ... if our houses are worth less than they were five years ago, and the stock market has crashed, just who is concerned at the moment with capital gains taxes?

Also, I was cleaning up the house today ... something I have fallen severely behind in what with all the upheaval in the household over these past two weeks ... and I found a grocery bag that Girl-child had deposited in the kitchen during one of her visits. In the bag I found 1) a sun dress, 2) two pairs of boxers, 3) a W and a Vogue magazine and, 4) the instructions and software for the printer we recently purchased that she took to the U with her. ??? Interesting combination, Sweet Pea. Thanks.

Speaking of Girl-child and the U, yesterday we went to see the U Theater Department's production of The Woyzeck Project. Wow. Very interesting, a bit disturbing and quite cool.

For knitting I made some sock progress that is too boring to mention ... I also made Boy-child a new purple alpaca hat ...

... and then ... I discovered colorwork. The project from the Mississippi cruise was seriously attacked, albeit with modifications (the actual colors are green and lavender):

It's going to be a fingerless mitten designed by Pam Allen ... the yarn is Fresco by Classic Elite and it is delicious.

Back to Normal

***Whatever normal is ...

***I always hate it when the Nobel winner of literature is someone I've never heard of. Must. check. this. guy. out.(From the Associated Press): France's Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio won the 2008 Nobel Prize in literature on Thursday for works characterized by "poetic adventure and sensual ecstasy" and focused on the environment, especially the desert.

***Did you hear that the US Debt Clock has run out of digits? Read about it here. The square used for the dollar sign will now be the extra digit needed until the sign can be replaced (that is, if someone can come up with the money for a new one).

***Which one?
Or this one? I guess "That One" might be one of the more memorable lines from the debate this week. How much lower can we go? (Not much, I hope)

***Here's a book blog that is geared toward book groups (from Booklist) - looks like a great place to get ideas for good reads.

***And just for fun, take a look at the Strange Maps blog for information on the colonial state of San Seriffe. What a kick! Be sure to read the whole thing, and note the use of the word "condominium" which actually means Joint rule or sovereignty according to the OED.

Baffled

What makes him tick?

Mississippi Cruisin'

So yesterday was the big knitting cruise down the Mississippi - our fearless captain is behind that glass with all the reflections:
My fearless cruise companion:
The weather was beautiful and the fashion show was very enjoyable. This particular cardigan was shown in two enticing colors. (Beware, however, as the yarn to make this all cashmere beauty is about $500 retail):

We had various speakers including Pam Allen, creative director of Classic Elite Yarns and former editor in chief of Interweave Knits:

And a mitten project, using Classic Elite yarn and a design by Pam: But perhaps the best part was just the day, the river, the beautiful weather and the fascinating trip through the lock and dam.

This is what the initial approach looks like:

And once you get inside it feels just a little claustraphobic:

But as it starts to fill up with water, there's more sun and you can see the Ford bridge (which is three blocks from my house):

Then the gates are opened and you come back out onto the "high" side of the river:Did I mention it was a beautiful day?

Who Rocks?

Knitters rock ... but sock knitters rock beyond all else.

Just look here for the story of getting Barack Obama to hold a sock in progress for a knitter. Then look here for Harlot's challenge to get politicians (and royalty, but we're very short on royalty here in Minnesota) to hold socks in progress for photo opportunities.

I wonder what Al Franken is doing tomorrow ... I know he has a sense of humor...

On the Palin "Win"

Thanks, Kate, for the flow chart.

I'll try to refrain from ranting. Let me just say that I initially resented the fact that Palin "won" because she didn't fall on her face. I guess now they're saying the undecideds are not so impressed after having a couple of days to think about it.

I'm also very proud of Girl-child, who has fallen in love with Joe Biden.

Five Friends

thanks to Aidan for the link

Laugh Therapy

So here's something I should try - maybe we could find some clown noses and get a group started right here.

Otherwise, maybe I'll be going to Madrid.

Perspective

What was lost is now found.

Many thanks to all who were of great support. Worry over a child makes all other issues pale by comparison.

That said, I will continue to rant and whine in this space.

Stay tuned.