Boo

So I spent yesterday in bed feeling sick. I only actually got out of bed about 4 times all day...and once i did I got a big splinter in my foot! We need to replace out wood floors in our bedroom. Maybe once the magic tax return fairy comes to visit we will.

Anyways, besides that, DNA scarf was sort-of-gifted this morning. I need to do two more repeats of the pattern and am out of yarn. Hopefully it will be gifted for real by the end of the week! Pictures will of course come once it gets blocked!

Finally, I wanted to urge everyone to go see Brokeback Mountain if you haven't yet. The film is truely gorgeous. It was much more simplistic that I thought it would be and the performances were much more powerful than I thought they would be. The old folks were also quieter than I thought they would be. For some reason every time we go to the art theater in town, we are in the minority of people there under the age of 50. It is sort of strange. Anyways-I haven't been able to stop thinking about the movie since Saturday. Usually I want to see movies than never make the effort to actually see them till they are on Netflix or HBO but I am so glad we saw this one (We also ended up driving an hour to go see Walk the Line a few weeks ago because I was lazy till it left the theaters around here- it was also great). anyways, I think as an ensemble, the actors were robbed at the SAG awards but I never saw Crash so I can't really say that too definitivly. I have to point out though that at the awards, who was walking the red carpet with Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams??? Audrey (Busy Phillips) from Dawson's Creek! I had to look three times but it had to be her in the black dress, red-ish hair and black headband! Way to go still hanging out all these years after Dawson's! Now only if we could get poor Joey Potter there with you...

I love me some animals

V and I have a zoo of animals at home. We can entertain anyone with our creatures....dog, cat, fishes (only one tank at home but more at work/school), lizards, toads (spadefoots, red-spotted, regular old Bufo), frogs (Whites' tree frog, green tree frogs, some other tree ones I don't know the names of), salamanders (raised from eggs collected in the field), newts (adult and efts), turtles, and a tortoise (Demetri).
You'd think that'd be enough right? Well, thanks to CuteOverload and Stuff on Cats, I want more. I want to devote my whole house to tiny, adorable creatures.
Holy crap are they awesome! They will fully ensure that you don't get a manuscript to your advisor this afternoon (wait that might just be me!)

usurp. I have no previous posts starting with a word that starts with U.

A quiet weekend was had by all. Saturday brought knitting, reading, and watching DVDs of Scrubs- plus a fantastic Italian dinner out with friends. It is weird- I honestly can't rerally remember DOING anything yesterday. Hmmm.
Today was shopping for new pants for V;s interview on Thursday! He will do great but despite 3 hours of shopping and lunch-ing- he still needs to get some good pants. Found some but then they don't match the shirt that was at home. Blah. I have a love and hate relationship with shopping. I love browsing, but I hate trying things on as they rarely fit anyways and then if they do I stress about spending the money. I should give it up and shop online more often.
Also, I should get back to knitting or actually finishing my reading for class tomorrow but...

Really, I don't think there is anything cuter than when cats stick their toungues out.
Resident cat: Seymour (who doesn't have toungue out in this pic but does right now laying next to me...)

My first Knit-A-Long!

So I stumbled upon what I think is the best first KAL for me....the “Homer Simpson Olympic Knitalong.”
Check out the rules....
1) Don’t even think about casting on or knitting during the opening ceremonies. For that matter, why would you be knitting from February 10th to February 26th anyway. I mean, geeze, it’s the Winter Olympics---prime TV watching time. Plus, how can you knit while you're holding a beer bottle.
2) Between February 10th and February 26th, you are forbidden from starting a new knitting project. Don’t you all have too many WIPs anyway? Why take on another project?
3) Relish in your utter failure to complete anything by February 26th. In fact, those who do complete a project will be kicked off the island.

Not finishing things? Not starting things? This is the majority of what I do anyways...now I even can get a button for it!

Off to enjoy my lazy Saturday working on the DNA scarf that is due for a Jan. 30th B-day. I must put some major time into it or it isn't going to get done. Let's hope my homework gets done too!

Snowball Earth Dance

This past weekend Amandamonkey threw a fantastic Snowball Earth Dance. Anything with drinks, dancing and dressing up and I am happy to be there! V and I got our formal picture taken- him in his finest and me in head to toe sequins (nothing is more formal than sequins right??)
It was a great time and a nice final hurrah at Amandamonkeys home which she will officially sell in a matter of days.

In other dance news,. I can barely walk from the two classes I took but I had a fantastic time. Snex and I were the only ones who looked like we were actually enjoying the thing. I know it is serious but come on kids- at least you can smile during your grande jetes! In the jazz class, I was the oldest non- mom but I think I held my own. I was a bit scared for the 60-70 year old woman next to me- I didn't want to mess up and end up breaking her hip or something! She rocks for getting out there still though- she had some sass too!

Finally, V is obsessed. If I were as obsessed with my hair as he is- I would never hear the end of it. He is very proud of it and it is fitting for being a scientist/mountain man. I doubt it would fit any other profession as well. Either way, 3 months in the making....V's beard (which he wants to turm into as handlebar moustache)!

Seriously? I thought this was over

So this semester REALLY should be the LAST CLASS EVER. I know I said that last time but this semester is Another One (edited to take the name out). I don't even think I can spell those words correctly let alone master the subject. Wish me luck...please.

Classes started today and that is fine- I need to finish 2 manuscripts by the end of the month and tomorrow will be the first dance class I take in almost two years. A jazz and a ballet class. I am super excited- the instructor asked me how many hours a week I used to dance and I was amazed...on average it was probably 4 classes a week but at the height of rehersals it was up to 5 hours a day. It might have been a while since then but I have no doubt it will bring me as much joy tomorrow and for the next 8 weeks as it always had....

NYC knitting

While walking in SoHo to get from the Evolution store to the PATH train yesterday, we stumbled upon both Purl AND The Point! Purl happened to be on the way but I had no idea where the Point even was. I thought Purl was crowded and, although there are a lot of yarns, it was too much in too small a space for me. I thought the Point was awesome! lots of variety, lots of room, AND coffee! V and I talked about going to hang out there sometime when we have something else to do in NYC.

I saw this quiz and look which one I turned out to be...


You are The Point!
http://www.thepointnyc.com
You want it all. You might have a hankering for
the most luxurious handpainted silk yarn. Or
maybe a couple of skein of Kureyon. Don't
worry, you can sit down, have a latte and
absorb it all...


What NYC yarn store are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

A few details...

So, upon request, details of my DNA scarf. I am pretty ghetto and haven't ever spent more than mmmm, 20$ on a single skein of yarn so I don't really use anything fancy. I also am still new so I don't KNOW a lot of yarns yet. For the DNA, I am using Lambs Pride worsted. Since it is a gift, I wanted to make it functional and warm in addition to the DNA-ness of it. It is in color M-83, Raspberry. I am very happy with how it is turning out- the pattern really shows up well. I also thought a lighter color might be better for the pattern but once it is blocked I think it will be fine. To cut down on any itchy-ness (and hide the wrong-side-cable) I might sew some off-white satin or something to the back once I'm done. I think a cashmerino/microfibre would also work well (and be softer) - really anything that isn't too fuzzy to mask the pattern.
It goes pretty quickly once you get into it and it is turning out so cool that I have already decided on making at least two more (for me and V)!

I hope this is helpful! I have updates on Darwin, NYC knitting and some cute animal pics but I also have cheescake and a cocktail in front of me.... blogging will have to wait!

Angelina Joile cannot carpool in AZ

In Pheonix, AZ a judge ruled today that carrying unborn fetus does not qualify a woman for the carpool lane. Awesome! I hope that the woman who thought this up was just trying to get out of a ticket and didn't really think about it beforehand and think that she was in fact carpooling.

In other cool news today, ants can teach. Lots of animals can learn but TEACH? More on this later as it comes out in this weeks issue of Nature.


Tomorrow we are off to see Darwin! A last fun day in New York before classes start next week!

Need a laugh?

Well first off you could check Stuff on My Cat. Best. Website. Ever. I myself have been inspired to pile pillows and small stuffed unicorns (which we have due to the BAND the Unicorns-not just cuz we are nuts) onto little Seymour. Alas, that was before the digital camera came into my life.

Or you could post a comment. On what you think the finding of a scientific paper on penguin poo would be. What could you study about penguin poo? Even if you read the paper, make up something else! I will fill you all in on the reference and ACTUAL findings of the paper later this week.

I love science.

DNA scarf

I am done with 2 repeats of the pattern...I think it looks good so far but I am far from done...

Whatchu lookin at?

Alright! Here we go kiddies....a picture recap.
While in Chicago we went to the Shedd and saw ArtGirls' FAVORITE fish. I always look up the name and always forget what it is... ArtGirl renamed it the Rothko Fish and you can see why!





Then we went to the best pizza place in Chicago. It was my first time there but it was fantastic. It is deep dish and there is this great carmelized cheese on the sides- it is seriously amazing. Check out Pequods if you can!



And now the knitting content you have been waiting for! I got great Xmas presents from ArtGirl. A mini-scarf and two skeins of Noro Silk Garden! Noro is my favorite yarn and I don't know what to do with this stuff yet. Got any good ideas for me?
We will have an update on the DNA scarf later but I am managing the dog and cat in the same room right now- I would put pics of both of them in this post here too but I don't want to go too overboard with the new camera!!

happy

Congrats to Amandamonkey on all things happy in her life lately!

Did you know that humans are the only terrestrial mammals that can hold their breath? True story.

My cat is making typing, let alone knitting difficult right now...at least he's cute!

# 1

The eyes of Texas are upon us........

V graduated from UT, I was trained by my friend, Chicken Wing to love college football, understand the BCS and most importantly- by a Texas Longhorns fan!
Every prediction I read yesterday said Texas by 3 and looky looky what it was- TEXAS BY THREE. If you didn't watch- Heisman runner up QB Vince Young had a touchdown with 19 seconds left in the game to win it. It was a great game and both teams played well..but the best one certainly won!!!!

Hook 'em Horns!