StrungOut

eccentricities

I’m sure everyone is over “look what I got for Chistmas” photos. That being said TOO BAD… I’ve got the contest winner right here. I told  my friend, Margo, a while ago that I’ve taken up knitting, to which she replied “WHY?!?, on Gods earth would you do that?!?!” I said because I love cashmere.  Perhaps I should give you a little back ground… She was a model back in the 70’s. She married well, divorced better, managed to keep part of the successful clothing/shoe… line she & her ex started back in the 80’s. She now is getting her interior decorating business/store going.

So, What do you think she got me for Christmas??

Answer,

These TWO (life size) PORCELAIN, CASHMERE GOATS.

Where in the fuck am I going to put them.?!?! I live in an apartment. Yes, she is well aware of that fact. At least they're not real live goats!! I think she got them at Neiman Marcus or perhaps Bloomingdales. So I thanked her and graciously declined them. I asked her to keep them for me until I buy a house. To which she agreed.  I really need to watch what I say around people.

Oy Vey!!

Missing Mojo

One thing you probably don’t know about me is I have drive. But When I lose my mojo it gets ugly around here. I may not be sure of all of the ingredients of my mojo but I do know one key ingredient, at least for me. That my friends is EXERCISE! I’ve always been active. When I’m not everything just goes down hill. I stop taking care of myself… No Manies, Pedies, Facials… Not to mention my body spreads and my ass sags. Trust me it’s an UGLY visual. No mojo = depression and no drive, not to mention crankiness. In other words Sparky loses her Spark. That’s where I find myself today. I don’t know why I do this to myself. Meaning this isn’t the first time I’ve fallen off the workout wagon. Angry Santa is definitely a contributing factor. But I’m an adult and I take full responsibility for my lack of actions. I’m changing things around NOW. I started with my face. Ladies microdermabrasion aka a

Power peel ROCKS. I have them done at Ole Hendricksen . My dermatologist also does them, so look around. They’re the best $150.00 you can spend on your face, once a month. Your skin will look younger, brighter… (Ole's Products are fab as well, I’m a convert.) A must for any holiday parties. But the power peel should be done a couple days before as with any facial. Friday, (hopefully I’ll have time) is my tootsie day. Then hopefully next week I plan to restart my workouts. Which used to be 2 hours 4x aweek and an additional 2 hours (an hour per visit) with a trainer.

No wonder I had an Ex tell me “ I don’t know what you’re doing...But you now have the ass of a 14 yr old, so keep doing it.” He's a musician (guitar player) I told ya I'm SUCKER for musicians.Checking out 14 yr old girls. GROSS especially at his age. But you know I loved to hear him say those words and NOTHING makes a girl feel better than knowing he wants you and knowing he ain't getting any of that ass EVER !  I got the trainer after the break up (he left me for some psycho, who ended up committing suicide. Long story). SQUATS ladies they’re painful but they pay off big time. I’m going to start with cardio and after a couple of weeks I’ll call my old trainer. Trust me you’ll hear me whimpering in pain.

I belong to a beautiful gym. Hey I was a member of my YMCA for years. But they stopped taking care of the equipment. Before that I had a membership at another gym but it was crowded with posers. What I’m saying is I don’t go to a gym because of  it’s looks, I go there to work out.When people pay $$$ every month to a gym they workout!! Girls don’t hang on the equipment like ornaments. Plus the equipment is repaired or replaced pronto if there’s a problem. (Listen to me I haven’t set foot in that place for…. never mind how long) 

Fuck it’s expensive to get old, see middle age coming. Ooo, that reminds me, I need to start loading music for my xmas iPod. I can’t workout without my favorite rock n roll streaming through the headset. For now my old tired Walkman will suffice.

If anybody out in blogland wants to go hiking up in the hills... Let me know

Presents and the Bizarre

If anyone needs a REALLY FAST knitted present. I highly recommend the Basic Hat Pattern from the Stitch Café. I knitted this bad boy while watching a movie (Big Fish).I had to have Angry Santa try it on, it’s a smidge big. But nothing a warm washing won't remedy. I can tell she liked it and didn’t want to let me know (teenagers). The sizing is my fault, I thought it would look better with more ribbing.

It only took 1 ball of the Turquois Print 127.

Of course I bought 2 balls just in case, so I’m going to knit a hat for me in a different pattern, after the holidays.

Now I can work on my second sock. When it’s done I’ll be starting another pair. (I like knitting socks.) Although I haven’t chosen the pattern yet. You can see I’ve wound the yarn.

Doesn't it just scream SPRING TIME.

I’m pretty sure the pattern will come from the book  Sensational Knitted Socks

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File this under Bizzare. Yesterday I had the strangest thing happen. I got a call from a guy with the EXACT same name as someone else I know. It was confirmed by caller ID. That’s not the weirdest part. The weirdest part is both of these guys were referred to me by the same person and she didn’t catch it. Don’t ask me how you miss something like that.

No these are not blind dates. These referrals have to do with work. How many of you know 2 people with the same first and last name. Technically you can say they both live in the same city, Los Angeles. One lives in Hollywood and the other lives in W. Hlwd. This new guy told me he actually used to get the other guy's mail.. How weird is that?!?!?

Til we meet again

You made millions laugh and taught them much if they were smart enough to listen.

When we meet again I bet you’ll be teaching me how to ride that unicycle.

Only in Hollywood

Well, I missed the 2 big yarn sales (SHIT!!!), Yarn Lady’s bag sale and Unwind had a 50% off sale. I also missed a private Quick Silver employee only sale, Sorry Yen. I had to work, sorta of… Gather round kiddies I have a tale to tell. I have a friend  (actually I have several) that has a movie company, who doesn’t in Hollywood. Well, he had to go out of town this weekend. I take his dogs hiking up Bronson Canyon sometimes, so I don’t have to go alone. It’s a great workout and my dog is too old ( he’s 14 ½  years old). Anyway schedules change and a scene had to be shot at the dogs house Saturday.   Problem!?!? The dogs don’t like just anyone. Multiply that by a film crew=DISASTER.

So my day begins when it's still pitch black outside (5:30am).The crew was to arrive @ 6:00am, which they did. I took this about 6:30am. The Hollywood Hills are fucking cold, but very beautiful and extremely quiet at this time on a Saturday morning. This was taken from the roof/patio.

The best thing, I had my own PA. She actually brought me coffee @ 6:00am. Only in Hollywood can a pet nanny have her own Personal Assistant (You're the best Vie). Since I know the house intimately I was the go to gal. The boss also left instructions that if I wanted to leave, production was to cease so cars could be moved so me and the dogs could go hiking. (Which we did.) Talk about star treatment.

Guess who's ready for her close up???

Now you know why I haven’t been doing much knitting this week. This all started on Thursday night. Getting the "set" ready. However during the shoot I had time to order some sock yarn. A dismal replacement for missing 2 huge fiber sales and I made a gift tags. I’ve only printed 2 but I've made about 5 different ones. So with out further adieu...

Cool huh!!! I really can't Thank Dave Daniels’ Cabin Cove enough. He's so nice, he made me my first gift tag and then I caught on and went wild. I am now going to finish printing the rest of these bad girls. More Pictures to follow I'm sure.

When did this day end you ask???

Why @ 10:00pm like all normal work days. Please don't ask what time I went to bed.

Can you believe I was this close (literally up, way up the street) to the Black Sheep Knittery and I didn’t have time to stop in.  I will get to that yarn store before 2006 ends. I swear!

A change in Plans

I’ve had a fun but busy past couple of days. A friend of mine PASSED the BAR EXAM, after she’s sworn in she will be an attorney.  So I took her to dinner last night ( I let her pick the place), we went to P.F. Chang’s China Bistro. It was nice to go out and eat with a friend, rather than clients like I do most of the time, besides that’s lunch. When I got home I found out my garage door wouldn’t close, damn opener. So I had to disengage it and close it manually. Which involved climbing a ladder in high heels. (Thank God I only had 1 glass of wine.) That got fixed today by yours truly (in flats). It just needed a screw and a nut in the arm. Sounds like fun only I prefer a different location, I'm just not into appendages that way. Can you believe I wrote that? This is some knitting blog. Anyway, Ms Fix it was also feeling handy and she put her old desk top’s hard drive in an external enclosure. It actually works, which shocked the hell out of me. Now I can give the desktop away.

My daughter usually goes with her dad on Thanksgiving but not this year. There’s nothing like 24 hour notice. That’s what happens when you have a new wife, who doesn’t understand teenage girls. I guess she skipped the crazy hormone phase. I wish I could’ve. The sad thing is she wants to be a pediatrician. Believe me when I say I’m thrilled he’s found someone else. I used to beg him “find someone and get married already.” He now leaves me alone. The sad thing is this marriage won’t last. He married her after only dating her for 4 months (no she wasn’t pregnant) and she’s only 29. He’s 42. God please let it last until April. Then my daughter is 18 and outside of graduations,  marriage, and childbirth I NEVER have to see or speak to him again. I’m not bitter although I know it sounds like I am. Life is too short for that. I’m mad at myself for being so young and stupid and every time I have to see or speak to him I’m reminded of how blind love truly is. Enough! Let’s continue….

So I went off to Whole Foods and picked up tomorrows dinner, pre-made. What’s on the menu? You ask. Well, we will be having vegetarian field roast (remember I don’t eat meat), potatoes au gratin, wild rice with pecans, mushroom gravy, potato salad, and let’s not forget cranberry orange relish. Not bad for $43.00 I love to cook Thanksgiving dinner. Even though I no longer eat meat, I cook a perfect turkey.

But as I was planning to stay home and clean and paint my bedroom this was the only option.

I also went to Block Buster and got better movies. Although I actually laughed out loud during Monster in law (maybe I shouldn’t admit that). There’s something to be said for crappy movies, they are great to have on when you’re knitting. They’re not good enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen, so you don’t make mistakes. Yet if there’s a funny line you catch it.

As promised here is a picture of my mismatch fingerless gauntlets.

Not much else to report on the knitting front.

I have yet to CO for their mates but soon.

May your Thanksgiving be full of joy and happiness.

Did you know?

You can learn a lot about yourself at the strangest times. At least I do, my epiphanies hit me when I least expect them. How about you? Take today for example; I already had the gist of what I was going to say here in my head, a short & sweet entry. Then I go to get my haircut and I have among other things a self-discovery moment. Yes it was just like in those chick flick movies. Which I am going to admit I enjoy from time to time.

I will even go so far as to tell you (Kids should leave the room) I enjoy reading chick lit every now and then. Hey, I love a good serial killer story as well. If the FBI ever investigated me I’m sure by the time they finished looking at my bookcase I’d be cuffed and the key would be tossed. I’m an Aquarius what do you want from me. My mind is a frightening place to live. But hey it’s never boring.

Onward with self-discovery…

So I walk in the salon (it took 2 weeks and as many phone calls, one pissy, for me to get this appointment) go over to get shampooed, when Al (my hairdresser) comes over he has a HUGE gash on his forehead.  “ What happened to you?” “I was in an accident, and I REALLY don’t want to go into it.”  The haircut begins. Yes, I caught the tude. But the last thing I wanted to do was get into a pissing match with a Queen that had my hair in one hand and very sharp scissors in the other. After a few minutes he goes into an angry, nonsensical tirade about nothing. Then his phone rings, the conversation was bitchy and quick. Let's just say he's not getting that new client. He continues whacking my hair off at the speed of light. His mood is past dark on the scale I’d say PITCH BLACK. I’m thinking I’ll be knitting/felting hats in a few hours.

Why didn’t I just go to one of my other hair stylists when this one didn’t return my first call?

That’s what back-ups are for! That's why we all have them.

All of a sudden he says “ I can’t lie to you I wasn’t in an accident”. He whispers,  “I was mugged by someone I know, sorta.”  The drama unfolds. The cliff notes version is he met a guy at a club in L.A. took him home and almost got beaten to death. He has scares on his scalp 3-4” long. I will be taking my 17 yr old daughter in to the salon for a quick life in L.A. lesson on what can happen to you. She’s at the age where you can’t tell her anything so I will be showing her immortal ass,  reality.

What I learned about myself in that short time is Most, probably ALL of us ( me especially) have back-ups. Good or bad, in Al’s case bad back up, for  replacing loneliness.

Here’s a list of some of my back ups. (Thank god Al doesn’t have a computer)

Hairdressers (3), Yarn Stores (countless), Computer repair guys (3)  etc etc

I’m single and I refuse to give up my # of back up dates, suffice to say I have at least one. No, I didn’t meet him in a bar,  I met him in college. I Just can’t get rid of him. (Another story)

You get the picture, I’ll get off of my pulpit. Please just think about how & why you choose your back ups. Yarn included. How many of you have disaster stories because you ran out of a discontinued yarn. Only to choose a back-up that should have worked well but.....

Oh my hair cut, came out from what I can tell just fine. The test is when I try to do it.

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Now on to some knitting news.

Last night I learned a knitting tidbit, which most of you probably already know but just in case…

I personally hate when the pattern says M1 because it leaves a hole.

Well, if you don’t want a hole when you M1 just knit in the back of the stitch.

No hole!!!!

a small Black Cloud

I have long known I’m the black sheep of my family for reasons too numerous to list here. The first clue might have been when my grandmother called me the spawn of Satan. (No she wasn’t kidding)

I don’t know about you but in my life every few years I go through a rough patch. It can last days, weeks or even months. My last one was about 3 years ago and it was a tough one, so I know I’m due. This one appears to be mild. For more evidence see the previous entry. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. The sad part is I generally have a premonition (believe it or not) before hand. This last time was no exception. Now I’m not saying I’m physic, just that I know I have a little voice that’s never wrong (god damn it). It doesn’t warn/tell me about everything but just enough to get my attention. For example,

For weeks I have had the thought that I need to join triple A (the auto club), Not AA. Just in case I do something dumb like lock my keys in the car. But I have been too busy. Guess what I did on Wednesday? Yep, locked the keys in the car.

On the bright side, I made it to knit night and it only cost me $40.00.

It also told me to buy batteries for my digital camera, I didn’t so this entry only has a couple because my camera died.

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Here’s an example of my day, yesterday.

That was my $300.00 cell phone and one of my beloved short DBL PT needles.So I had to run out and get a new cell phone. Unfortunately I have to be accessible 24-7. So I wanted another Nokia. They’ve always been good to me and I know how to use them. But of course the place I ran into was sold out of the models I would have bought. I have to have a speaker phone option because I drive and talk, not to mention write (all at the same time). Yes, I have a blue tooth head set, but half the time it’s not near me when the phone rings.

So I came home with this..

The Motorola Rokr.

Believe it or not this cost less than my old Nokia. (bright side)

I’ve already been told I sound better on this phone.

Now I have to learn how to use it.

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On the Knitting Front I have cast on for 2 pair of fingerless gloves.

Of course I have already had to rip them out and start over. (Black Cloud)

I’m knitting them 2 at the same time. One of each color. I was too lazy to divide the balls of yarn up to knit one matching pair at the same time. There was NO WAY in hell I’m knitting the same pattern 4 times in a row for anyone. So keep your fingers crossed that my gloves are the same size and match their mate.

Let’s not get into the odds of that happening.

I’m almost finished with one sock I am to the toe. Luckily I bought 2 sets of DBL PT so I’m o.k. even with the broken needle. I plan to cast on for the second sock this weekend.  I’ll go out and get more batteries today and the next entry will have pics of my mismatched gloves on the needles, and hopefully a finished sock.

It Never Ends

My Things to do List looked like this today.

1)      Color Hair  I was practically back to my natural brunetteette

2)      Pay $10.00 fix a ticket 

3)      Drop off clothes @ cleaners

4)      Go to bank

5)      Buy dog food  I have enough to last til the weekend but I never like to run out.

6)      Meet UPS man for wine delivery

7)      Pay bills

8)   Work

How many of the above do you suppose I got done?

A whopping 4 and ½!

I knocked out  #’s 1, 2, 6, 7 and ½ of 8. Why so few…..

Well Hair coloring was MANDITORY and was done by 8:00am. The %$#@ Ticket took

ALL FUCKING DAY. I got pulled over for no tags. I sent them off late. Just like the year before.  Trust me it won't happen again.

I tried to take my knitting into the court house but the SS were at the x-ray machine. I had to turn in my blunt scissors to the sheriff’s office rather than trek back to my car. So I had to wait an hour and a half in line. (Yes, I pulled out my sock and knitted away.) I get to the window and start to fill out my $10.00 check when the lady says, “Wait, do you have the yellow ticket?”  “No, I brought the letter I got in the mail instead.” ( Having no idea where the ticket is)

So she looks it up on the computer and says “I can’t accept your payment”. “ The officer checked this box that says you have to appear in front of a judge.”  What the FUCK!! “Are you KIDDING ME?!?”  “No, you’ll have to come back tomorrow. It’s too late to see a judge today.”

You have to get to this window by 9:00am inorder to see a judge. I don't think that's even possible  unless you get there @7:00am. But they don't open until 8:00am.

The cop who gave me the ticket did that on purpose. ASSHOLE

Then cops wonder why people don’t like them.  Go figure.

At least the lady behind the glass took pity on me. She gave me a copy of my registration and told me to put my check, the letter and the copy of the registration in the express payment box. (I had an envelope.)

So let me get this straight, I didn’t have to wait in line, for you to tell me you can’t help me. I could have gone directly to the WELL HIDDEN box and in 5 minutes been out of there.

Am I the only one who sees the FUCKING STUPIDITY of this system????

On a happier front, I made it home in time to greet my UPS man (which I may now have to do monthly) for him to give me the first shipment from my wine club.

SEE

I also realized that I forgot to mention the new sock yarn I got. This is Parfait.

Notice how it’s red is placed under the bottle of red wine and the same for the white.

Can I stage a photo or what?!? 

Hurry someone call Betty Crocker, I have a great idea for

Chocolate Pudding cake.