All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

I've lost count as to how many Sookie Stackhouse books I've read. I'm thinking that this may be book number 7! 

All Together Dead picks up in the aftermath of the trip Sookie took to New Orleans, where she met the vampire Queen of Louisiana and witnessed the death of the vampire King of Arkansas. She is now fully embroiled in the world of the supernatural: vampires, werewolves, fairies, and demons, to name a few. Now she has returned to Bon Temps. Hurricane Katrina has forced the vampires of New Orleans to relocate, including the Queen. Sookie is also still estranged from her ex-boyfriend Bill. 

The main action of the novel takes place in the city of Rhodes, where Sookie is going to a vampire convention. While there she meets up with Barry Bellboy, another telepath that she met in Dallas. He works for the King of Texas in the same capacity Sookie works for the Queen of Louisiana: they ferret out information from the other humans who work for the other kings and queens. The main event of the convention is the  trial of the Queen of Louisiana for the death of her husband. While the vampire convention seems to be going smooth at a vampire hotel, the Fellowship of the Sun has been protesting the entire event. 

The usual cast of characters shows up in this book, including Eric and Quinn the were-tiger. Harris is really ratcheting up the tension in this book and hinting at future problems between vampires and humans. Harris created a believable world, using reality as her backdrop for the supernatural.  Her voice is consistent throughout the series, yet she manages to show a growth in the character of Sookie, who has grown more world-weary and sarcastic. I'm not sure how much I like this new Sookie, but it's understandable. 

B+

More Knitting!

I know, it's been a while since I've posted! It's been a crazy January, but in a good way. First was getting back to work after the Winter Break, then I went to Savannah to go dress shopping with a friend getting married in May. Then this past week I was off on a "business" trip for the State Department. 

I've finally learned how to knit with DPNs, which means I can avoid sewing a seam up the back of hats. Berets seem to be really popular this year, so I started with this orange and pink confection, with the pattern (Baroness Beret) off of Ravelry. I was going to give it as a gift, but I love the colors and I love the hat. So I kept it! Now I just have to make a scarf to match it! 

Then I had to find a gift for a friend, because that beret was going to be it! So, I went with a vintage pattern in my grandmother's correction. Here I am modeling it! I used Hobby Lobby's I Love This Yarn! and Featherwhisp. It looks gorgeous! 

This is the picture of the pattern from my grandmother's collection. Very straight-forward pattern from "Diamond Angora". I haven't been able to find a copyright date, though judging by this pattern and the other three in the pamphlet, I'm gauging it at the 1960s. 

Now, the hat that I'm wearing doesn't wear the same way as the model, but I think I know why. 

1. I don't really have thick enough hair to pull into the hat. 

2. I didn't use Angora, but a thicker acrylic yarn and the Featherwhisp. 

3. I modified the pattern to have a tubular cast-on instead of sewing a hem. 

Regardless, I like the way it looks, and the recipient has gorgeous, thick hair! 

Never Romance a Rake by Liz Carlyle

Never Romance a Rake is the third book in a trilogy about the siblings of Neville shipping. The first book was about Miss Xanthia Neville, the second was about their family friend Gareth Lloyd, and this book is about Kieren, Baron Rothewell. 

Rothewell is a dissolute drunkard whose past, like many romance heros, haunts him. He attempts to escape it by playing cards and drinking himself into an oblivion, but this plan backfires on him by ruining his health. One night he is playing cards when the pot is sweetened with Comte Valigny's daughter, Camille. He wishes to get his ungrateful daughter off his hands, and she wishes to be away from her father. Her pickings are slim, and in a rare burst of compassion, Kieren cheats because her other option that night is even worse than him. 

Camille's background is equally sordid to that of Kieren. Her mother had been married to an English lord, but she ran off with the comte early into her marriage. The husband divorced her mother, which was scandalous, and Valigny never married her mother thanks to some Church rule about divorced people marrying.  After her mother's death, Camille found that her maternal grandfather left her a large bequest, and she pushed Valigny to find her a husband. 

Neither Kieren nor Camille want anything more than a business-like marriage. As time passes, though, this becomes impossible. This is one of Carlyle's books that doesn't have a mystery behind it--it is more character-driven than plot-driven. The questions brought up in this book are about Camille's parentage and Kieren's health. 

Carlyle is very good at writing tortured, yet realistic, characters. They have good reasons for being the way they are from their pasts, and this goes beyond a mere "I was a spy for the English government during the Napoleonic Wars" spiel that so many books have. That or the "My mother died when I was young" or "My daddy didn't love me" chestnuts that are thrown about. No, Carlyle's characters have been through a lot. And I respect her in that not all of her nobles are earls or dukes. She uses those titles, but lesser noblemen are acceptable as well. 

A. 

End of the Year Knitting Blitz

Okay, they're all scarves! What I like about scarves is that they are quick to knit up, so there's instant gratification. And when I start to make one scarf for someone, I usually have to make at least two more! 

This one is for my friend Lisa. She asked for it to wear while she is coaching softball. The scarf is 100% acrylic (and proud of it!) and is in the blue and gold colors of LCHS. 

This scarf is for my friend Amishacoe, who loves the color purple! Everything I've ever made for her has been purple, so why ruin a good thing? 

And this one was for Justin. Very simple pattern, same as Amishacoe's. It's knit one row, then k1, p1 for row 2. Then alternate until it's done! 

Christmas Song Round-Up: Lou Monte

This year I can't say that I've been in the Christmas spirit to the extent of those around me. I bought gifts for my loved ones and dearest friends, but I didn't put my tree up and I don't do Christmas cards. Why no tree? Well, I don't spend Christmas at my house, but at my parents, so I don't even enjoy my tree on Christmas day.  

And then there are the Christmas songs on the radio. Why do they start the day after Thanksgiving? I think what tires me out and keeps me out of the Christmas spirit is the crass commercialism that every holiday has embraced. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, even MLK Jr Day and President's Day is yet another excuse to have a long weekend. So, when I hear Christmas songs for four weeks, I am driven crazy. If they were good Christmas songs, then I wouldn't mind so much. But no, I am forced to endure things like "Don't they know it's Christmas time at all?" or "Dominic the Christmas Donkey." 

Hee Haw. Hee Haw. 

So, imagine my surprise and lack of delight that Lou Monte had more than one Italian animal hit! There was "Pepino the Italian Mouse", which, according to Wikipedia,  "tells the humorous tale of a mischievous mouse who lives within the walls of a man's kitchen and who comes out at night to eat cheese, drink wine, frighten Lou's girlfriend when she comes over and befriends the cat, sent out to catch him." Then let's not fail to mention "Pasquale, the Italian Pussycat" and "Paulucci, the Italian Parrot." 

But I'm going to move away from that to touch on another aspect of Monte's illustrious animal career and digress momentarily. Recently I heard Stephen Peters talk at my school about how essential it is to know the students we teach. One part of his presentation that hit me was how, in the past fifty years, the way students receive their information has changed radically. Instead of having the home, school, and church being the top three influences on children, this has changed to having Media/TV being the top spot, followed by peers! Wow, this has changed drastically, and not for the better. 

I have witnessed this in my own job. Most of my students' history "knowledge" has come from movies, especially those starring Mel Gibson. For the love! I am so tired about hearing about Braveheart and Patriot, two very historically inaccurate movies. How many times have I heard from Honors students, "So, when Mel Gibson...." They can't differentiate between good entertainment--or even bad entertainment--and reality! 

And so this brings me back to Lou Monte and his songs. Specifically "What Did Washington Say (When He Crossed the Delaware)?".  Again, according to Wikipedia

At one point in the song, "Washington" complains that the pizzas his wife Martha baked were as "cold as ice". His solution? "Sell them to the Indians for only half the price." He then asks his boatsmen to row faster because "tonight I'm posing for my picture on the dollar bill."

What? Sheesh, at least back when Monte wrote the song kids knew better than to believe it, but now I have to climb uphill to convince students that Martha Washington did not cook pizzas. My saving grace? Luckily my students have not heard of Lou Monte. 

High School T-Shirt Quilt

This is my latest project, which I have to put back on hold. More on that in a second! 

I had a box of stuff from high school and Girl Scouts, and most of that was taken up by t-shirts that were hole-y and stained. They were just sitting there, so I decided, why not do something with them? 

So, I'm making a quilt out of them! Last year I fused interfacing onto the back so the stretchiness of the tees didn't drive me insane. They'd been sitting in my closet and sitting in my closet... so this weekend, I put the sashing on! 

I had enough of the red fabric from a previous quilt to use, but I hit a snag: none of it was long enough for the border! So, when I have some extra cash, I'm going to buy black for the border and for the backing. That'll fit my school colors of red and black, and then I'll be able have use for something from high school! 

'Bout time that high school was good for something besides a way to get to college. ;)

Life List

I found this list on Apron Strings and thought I'd give it a try! 

 I’ve marked the ones I’ve done in purple.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland but i have been to disneyworld
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb 
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book - One Day!!!
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. successfully stopped smoking

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig

The Seduction of the Crimson Rose is the fourth book in Lauren Willig's Pink Carnation Series. A very popular genre within the last decade is the Napoleonic era (if you are in France) and the Regency era (if you are in England). Spying is the favored profession among England's noble elite, and if one is a nobleman, you are expected to serve your country. 

Indeed. 

So much so is this particular time period popular that a lot of books run together in plot. Willig's books differ in that they fit into historical fiction more than historical romance. They have a slight flavor of a regency romance over a true romance novel. 

In The Crimson Rose, Mary Alsworthy is approached by Lord Vaughn to work for the Pink Carnation. In return for being bait to lure the Black Tulip (the Carnation's archnemesis) out into the open, all Mary wants is for Vaughn to fund the next Season for her. Why? Pride. Mary's younger (and homelier) sister recently wed Mary's former suitor, and the brother-in-law has offered to fund the next Season. Mary, however, doesn't wish to be seen as an object of pity, so she'd like her Season to be funded in another way. 

Lord Vaughn has good reason for picking Mary: her black hair is one hallmark of agents that work for the Tulip. Mary is also a good screen for Vaughn, who has been suspected by many, including those in the Pink Carnation's circle, of being the Black Tulip. 

Of all the couples in the books, I like Mary and Vaughn the best. They are not perfect. Mary can be cold and manipulative, well aware of the fact that as a woman, her status depends on making a good marriage. She wants to be comfortable, and she realizes that comfort and love are not the same thing. Vaughn is also sarcastic and has a dry wit; the two often trade barbs. Vaughn also has the requisite black past, complete with dead wife, dead mistresses, and membership in various and sundry hellish clubs. His reputation is hardly pristine, and he is well aware of it. 

Many of my comments on this book are the same as the other books. The book is a light read and doesn't fit cleanly into one genre. It's a combination of chick lit and historical fiction, with a dash of mystery. It's very light on history, with not a lot of substance, mostly the outer trappings. It should not be read to get a deeper understanding of the time period. 

I'm not sure where Willig is going with the series. We know who the Pink Carnation is. Her historian, Eloise, knows who the Pink Carnation is, and she's well on the way to a Happily Ever After herself. Willig introduced an element of the Jacobite Rebellion, when Bonnie Prince Charlie attempted to take his "rightful" place on the throne of England. 

Since I liked the main characters, which is what really counts, I give the book an A. 

A Shout-Out to SportSquee!

I love Margee's website, because as a relative sport neophyte, she makes sports hilarious. And since I regularly make snarky comments about just about anything I can, I love it.  

Today's installment is one of her regular That's Entertainment! With the Staal Brothers, this time reviewing the movie Twilight. I have been waiting for this with bated breath. 

The next time I watch a Canes game, I'll be cracking up over that line about Rod Brind'amour reading the series aloud to Eric Staal. Oh, and Evgeni Malkin-Staal's constant Russian prattle. 

Early Christmas for Me!

A few months ago I found out that American Girl was shoving Samantha into the archives, which sent every Samantha fan on a mad chase to get whatever else they needed to complete their collections. I went and ordered some things, and one of them was Samantha's trunk. 

It was backordered. 

I was devastated. I have wanted this since I was eleven. I asked for it for Christmas quite a few years running. I never did get it, though. I went through the television, VCR, stereo, and fish aquarium (which magically kept fish alive FOREVER until I sold the whole kit at a yard sale). But no trunk. I thought I'd never get it. And as soon as I found out it was backordered, I thought I'd never get it. 

But it came today! Granted, the UPS guy left it in my recycle bin, but I knew what it was! So, after I ate dinner, I put my Samantha stuff into it. 

It's gorgeous! I love it! It's so roomy! And I didn't realize how many outfits I actually had until I had to shove them into the trunk. 

And here is my doll with it, and she's wearing one of the spring dresses. 

It Really Is a Small World....

When I was three, my parents took my to Disney World. I may have been two, but how would I know? Any memories I have are either a)nebulous or b) entirely made up. There are pictures. Anyway, like any good tot, my favorite ride was It's a Small World. So much, in fact, that the guy running the ride told my parents not to get off the boat. That's not likely to happen today, given the long lines and crush of baby strollers.

But it really is a small world. I also learned that I CANNOT LEAVE TOWN WITHOUT THE INTERNET. Or at least find free internet. I went to a conference on Monday and in two days, a rug has been pulled out from under my feet. And had the hotel I was staying at had wi-fi access that was free like most hotels AND McDonald's, I wouldn't have been shocked in between checking out the Carolina Hurricane's schedule and researching Taba questioning for my high school classroom.

So, I am at the Carolina Hurricanes website and the first thing you see is this rotating headline complete with pictures. I see something that says Paul Maurice is the new head coach? What? No, that must be old news. Really. So, I advance through the headlines and....

Paul Maurice is the new head coach.

O. M. E. G. Oh my effing gosh. (My students could find this, and I have to put forth a good example. Ha ha. Be quiet.) Why such a big deal? Well, the coach he's replacing replaced him a few years ago. Hence the "It's a Small World" reference.

Am I upset? Eh. Not really. I want my team to win. I know that winning isn't everything, but sometimes it just is. I want my boys to go to the playoffs again. I want them to go far into the playoffs. We haven't done that for two years after winning the Cup, and November was a crappy month for us.

So, good luck Coach Maurice. At least Obama has a harder climb ahead of him than you do.

Constantine, Christianity, and "That Dude's Movie Code"

I've been reading Mysteries of the Middle Ages And the Beginning of the Modern World by Thomas Cahill. I picked it up because I very much enjoyed his book How the Irish Saved Civilization. I picked this book up because I've frequently thought of the Middle Ages as a backward era lacking in education and intelligence. Despite the legends of knights and castles, it's not one of my favorite time periods to read about or to teach. 

My students, however, disagree. They love it. This is the one time period where they are enraptured by everything. So, I try to oblige. Hopefully this book will help open my eyes to some of the more interesting topics that I've skipped in my dislike. 

So far I've found the book interesting, though I still have not progressed past the Roman Empire. Official tolerance of Christianity was brought by the emperor Constantine. I did read an interesting footnote that I couldn't pass up without a mention: 

The depiction of Christianity in the popular thriller The Da Vinci Code as a fraud perpetrated by Constantine not only is preposterous to any reader with a modicum of historical knowledge but rests on melodramatically anti-Christian assumptions. The book's further premise that the Catholic Church sends out Opus Dei hit men to murder anyone who has stumbled on the truth is a straight-forward anti-Catholic libel. And its notion that Jesus fathered progeny by Mary Magdalene is a fantasy lacking the least historical support.

Wow, Mr. Cahill! Showing our bias, are we? Not that I disagree with him, but I haven't come across such vehement rhetoric in a history book before. Someone didn't like Dan Brown's bestseller, which I find refreshing. I haven't read it myself, but I've had enough of people insisting that it's real, with one acquaintance swearing that it opened their eyes to the truth behind the Catholic Church. 

Like I didn't have enough questions to answer about my faith in Baptist Land, Dan Brown had to go and open up the floodgates. That and the questions during my Renaissance unit if that's Mary Magdalene in the painting by "that dude with the movie code." This has made any urgency I felt to read the blasted thing go out the window. 

I did, however, watch the National Geographic special. I am so glad that I kept my subscription. 

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume by Julia Quinn

Mr. Cavendish, I Presume is Quinn's second book in the Two Dukes of Wyndham series that began with The Lost Duke of Wyndham. 

Thomas, the Duke of Wyndham, has always known what his lot in life was. Being duke came with a lot of responsibilities, and among them was marriage to Lady Amelia Willoughby. His intent had been to marry her when she turned twenty-one, but she had passed that mark without a date for the nuptials being set. 

Into this ordered life comes Mr. Jack Audley. A former soldier and current highwayman, Thomas is shocked to find out that his grandmother believes that Jack is his long lost cousin and the rightful Duke of Wyndham. 

This book follows the exact same events as the previous book. As a result, I felt that I had read this book before because I had. Apart from the change in point of view, the events are the same. The story is the same, only the focus is on Amelia and Thomas instead of Jack and Grace. 

Because of the repetitive nature of the story, I skipped large parts of it. The dialogue in many instances was the same. The end of the book was the same (except with Amelia and Thomas instead of Grace and Jack). Quinn's wit was even the same in this book.       

The entire attempt would have been better in one volume. If she tightened up the extraneous interior monologues and repetitive moaning of feelings, she could have made Thomas and Amelia's story a good secondary romance. On its own, however, there just wasn't enough. 

C-

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

OMG. Finally. 

Yes, that's right. After three months, I have finally finished THE book that has everyone frothing at the mouth. Not to mention THE movie that managed to gross nearly $80 million its opening weekend. 

But where do I stand with the book? Well, if you liked the book, :heart: Edward Cullen, or have seen the movie twenty times, read no further. Don't leave me nasty comments, don't call me a hater, I'm just telling it as I read it. 

Bella Swan has moved to the small town of Forks, Washington to live with her no-longer-estranged father Charlie. While there, she falls in love with the mysterious Edward Cullen. Only he's a vampire, complete with all the baggage vampires have. Only he's enrolled in high school. And he comes out during the day. Why don't vampires go out at day? Because their skin sparkles, as if a glitter factory exploded all over them. Combine that with the pale skin, cold hands, and nonexistent appetite for human food, and all of a sudden I understand why more vampires don't go to high school. Teenagers pick on everything in high school, including themselves.  

Hence the built-in audience. Bella, the main character, is full of angst and woe-is-me, feelings that most teenage girls have.  In fact, Bella is in so much angst that the entire first 3/4s of the book is filled with her going on about how unpopular she is, how no one likes her, and on and on, when in reality she is quite popular at her new school. She has to beat the boys off with sticks, they all want to take her to dances, and she spends time trying to foist them off on her friends. 

The story had potential. It really really did. The problem was with the execution and pacing. The first three quarters of the book as I previously mentioned is spent on Bella's adjusting to high school in Forks and trying to get Edward Cullen to notice her. The true villain of the book doesn't come onto the scene until the last quarter of the book. That was the quickest part of the book for me, waiting for the end to come. There is no antagonist for three quarters of the book! Sure, there's conflict between Bella and Edward, but it's so mundane and gets the plot nowhere. It took me three months to get through the first 3/4s of the book. 

Meyer also spends much of the narrative telling instead of showing. Much of the information is dumped through dialogue. Perhaps this is due to the first person narrative, because the reader is only introduced through the eyes of Bella. Had the third person narrative been used, a better woven narrative than what already exists. The villain James is very lackluster, and I was disappointed that Bella was unconscious when he fell to the Cullen clan. 

I'm going to let the teenage girls have this book and the sequels. I'm going to give them a miss. 

D+. 

Samantha's Birthday Pinafore Dress

Lately I've been making a lot of doll outfits that fit the 18 inch doll. With the retirement of the Samantha doll (thanks a lot, American girl!) I've been trying to add to my collection via E-bay, especially since most of the items are sold out right now. I've been more successful on some than others. 

This is my latest acquisition: 

Mom made this dress in lilac gingham a long time ago, but I wanted the fancy taffeta dress. It came all the way from Hawaii, too! I love it. Hopefully I'll receive the trunk I have on backorder, because I'm running out of room in the one I have... 

Un-Yarn Geek Love

Today I went to Hobby Lobby to pick up some stuff for the Thanksgiving Break. I went to the clearance aisle and found yarn! It was pretty, Yarn Bee's Highland Thistle in Loch Ness. I started putting skeins into my basket. When I got to ten, I really took a feel of the yarn, and it felt like... plastic bags. The "thistle" part felt like plastic bags! 

I could just imagine knitting with it, and the pain my hands would be in. 

So I put it all back. 

Every last skein. 

The Evil in US Weekly

I have a subscription to US Weekly. I don't know how it happened, but so far I've received three issues. I looked for a customer service number, but it doesn't exist. I sent an e-mail, no response. Today I finally was able to find the cancel process. 

What a pain in the ass. 

How did I get the subscription?? I wish I knew. I really do. I think it happened when I went to Books-A-Million last, which was back in September. Scratch that. The last time I bought anything from the store was back in September, the date that the subscription was entered. I've been in there since, but they never have the book I want. They had at the register the four free issues plug, to which I always say no. If I have the choices of US Weekly, Time, and Sports Illustrated, would I really pick US Weekly?

The answer is no. I'd pick Time, then Sports Illustrated. I'd never pick US Weekly, because it's the most evil form of journalism ever. I can't even watch E! except when The Soup is on. I don't care who looks better in what dress and why they got rid of some characters on Grey's Anatomy. 

So, I'm going to dissect the November 24th issue of US Weekly. Enjoy. 

• I hate that the table of contents starts on page 18, and it tells the reader about information that I read BEFORE page 18. Shouldn't the contents be first? I can handle the ads before the table of contents, but the actual content? I have an idea, lets call that the index! 
• Stars Who Talk Trash About Their Exes! Kiss and dis! (Yeah, I totally needed this.) 
• With "Gretchen's Talented Tot", we find out that not only did she saddle the child with a name like Ptolemy (that went out of style with Alexander the Great), but we get to hear about how wonderfully average the child is! 
• Stars--They're Just Like US! They eat fondue! They hit the road with pals! They hang out with their bros! They try on high boots! What is this rubbish? Really? Some actress--I'm guessing, because I've never heard of Jessica Szohr before, so she could be a singer, model, escort--but I really don't care if she's buying high boots. Ooh. 
• Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon didn't have sex before they married. That makes one couple in Hollywood. 
• And of course there is the special Obamas--Just Like US! section that tells us that they "Kiss and Ride", "Work Out", "Love Date Night," and have "Election Night Jitters." I thought presidential candidates were robots. 
• And just when I think that I can throw the entire thing out, there's a Twilight section. I'll have to give that to Lisa, who's in love with the movie, and will probably drag me out to see it. Oh, and who's the hotter vampire? Edward nudges out James by 52% to 48%. And 75% of US readers say Madonna should get custody.... snore. Oh, sorry. 
• OMG! Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas are over! The world as we know it is over. 

Thank Goodness that's over. 

I Wanna Barf

One thing I like about the Carolina Hurricanes--okay, I vow to keep it to one because I don't want to induce boredom, and I can't list them all--that isn't Time Gleason, their great team colors, and the fact that they are three hours away from me, is that they always put up really great wallpapers up for the computer after every home game. 

Until yesterday, that is. The picture from the Atlanta game--which we lost horrendously--was of the Storm Squad. I don't watch the games because of the skinny chicks that do I-don't-know-what. No, I want a picture of the team. This picture drove me insane. 

I'm not putting that up on my desktop! Boo!

Knit-stravaganza

I like knitting. Sometimes, depending on the mood, I can get through a project really quickly--why I like scarves. Usually, though it takes me a while, especially when I get in a mood where all I want to do is sew (the final product comes more quickly). But lately I've been knitting a storm, especially for the Christmas season and my upcoming nephew, Riley. 

This scarf I've started countless times, only to have frogged it just as many times. I tried crocheting--single and double--tried the "My So-Called Scarf" pattern I found on Ravelry.  I tore them all out and ended up just using a regular old ribbed pattern. I call this my "Carolina Hurricanes Scarf. 

And here is me wearing it, at a Carolina Hurricanes game! Had a wonderful time, even if my boys didn't win it. The scarf is very warm. 

I started this scarf a while back and meant it for me, but one of my former students wanted me to make a scarf for her. I thought this would be a great pattern for her, and the colors are so pretty. (Yarn Bee's Mosaic Twist in Dahlia, which has been discontinued.) I added extra long fringe to the end of it. I finished it just in time, too, because she wants it before Thanksgiving! 

Since I'm making a his and hers set, a scarf similar to this except in a different color (for her boyfriend) will be up here soon! 

I wish I could add the baby blankets I'm making for my sister, but I want them to be a surprise. She pops in here from time to time, so we're going to have to wait until January! 

Four Things About Me

Things you may not have known about me.....

A) Four jobs I have had in my life:

1. 4K assistant at a day care
2.  Cashier at K-Fart, I mean Mart. 

3.  "Castmember" at Disney store
4.  I took notes and copied them for LD students while I was in college

Four movies you would watch over and over:

1. King Arthur
2.  Gosford Park
3. Monty Python and the Holy Grail

4. 

C) Four places you have lived:

1.  Simpsonville, SC
2.  Columbia, SC
3.  Coventry, England, UK
3.  Florence, SC

D) Four TV shows you love to watch:

1.  Hockey games 

2. Chuck

3. Those cheesy Celebreality shows on VH1

4. Project Runway

E ) Four places you have been on vacation:

1.  Ireland

2. Scotland

3. Wales 

4. The Jersey Shore


F) Web sites you visit daily:

1. Carolina Hurricanes
2. icanhascheezburger
3. sportsquee
4. 


G ) Four of my favorite foods:

1. pierogies 
2. Mom's lasagna
3. pizza
4. pasta pasta pasta


H) Four places I would rather be right now:

1.  England