Pride goeth...

So. After posting the snarky comment about badly worded handouts....yesterday I had a whole class copy down the following: "Who's book is this?" I knew it looked wrong, but couldn't quite come up with why it bothered me. During math class (two hours later) I realized what I had done. Two of the students came over and hugged me. Said one, "It's OK. I make lots of mistakes, you're allowed one, too." Kids, gotta love 'em.
On a more serious and less self-involved note, a yarn shop in Blacksburg, VA, is collecting squares to make blankets for all of the survivors of the terrible event. Check out the requirements here and knit a few in honor, rememberence, caring, whatever you want to call it.

Huh?

Today I was a fifth grade teacher (day11!!). In social studies the students were to write a diary from the viewpoint of a person living during the Civil War. In the instructions was the following sentence: "You are writing this so your ancestors will know how you lived." What's wrong with this sentence?

The Husband

We were out shopping today (Yes, we stopped at a Walden Books. No, we didn't get any more cookbooks.) and The Husband suggested we shop for a new refrigerator. Yesterday all the liquids in the door froze (mmmm, Peach iced tea slushies). This morning there was no liquid milk for breakfast. We went to Sears and then headed to the "new" shopping area to check out Best Buy and Home Depo. To get to Home Depo we pass a Lowe's Home Improvement store. It would have been a right turn into it and a right turn out of the parking lot to get to Best Buy and Home Depo. I suggested we stop. Said The Husband, "No, I don't want to go to two home improvement stores in one day." So we stopped at Barnes and Noble instead.

HBS

Just a quick post before I am off to attend the training for Saturday's job. I will be proctoring an advanced degree test and in the instructions was the following, "Proctors must not read newspapers, books, knit or write letters during the exam." I think the muggles are on to us (or a knitter was invovled in the instruction writing......Nah!)

Ta Dah! Elder Son is modeling it. Specs: A McCall's pattern from 1981. Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn (now that KnitPicks has a machine washable sweater weight yarn I will only knit accesories from WoolEase. I don't mind it, but the darker colors have a tendency to split). The buttons are a grey plastic and they really picked up the flash. I had thought about adding "afterthought" pockets to the front (where else would I put them?) but there are just too many cables and too much honeycomb stitch to risk it.

I had to re-knit the front and one of the sleeves, making this one of the longer projects (shhhhh! I know there's an eight-, crap, ten-year-old unfinished afghan in my closet) I have taken on in recent years. I've mostly been working on scarves and socks.

To put the lie to that last statement, here is a picture of the Purple Passover Pullover (yes, I know Passover has come and gone but I love the alliteration). It's been a really fun knit. I love the top-down-ness that let me try it on as I go. Ususally when I knit a sweater for me I get gauge, knit the size it says I measure and then the darn thing is too big. This time I got gauge, knit one size smaller than the pattern said I should and it fits!! Now I have to figure out how to knit the sleeves. They are about 100 stitches around and the circular needle that will hold the stitches is too short to comfortably knit with, if I use dpns (of course, I don't have that size so I'd have to go shopping......) I get a float between the needles. This never happens in stocking stitch or ribbing, only in garter stitch. Guess which stitch the sleeves are in? I may try two circular needles. I'll let you know how that works out. We have had some pretty cold weather this spring in the east. Do you think the warmth is just waiting for me to bind off the last sleeve and be eager to wear it?

On the entertainment front: The Husband has taken a liking to the new Jeff Goldblum show on NBC (Raines) and will actually sit down next to me and look at the tube. This is the first show in 27 years that he had made time for in his schedule. As he is now retired his schedule is get up, eat breakfast, read the paper, read yesterday's New York Times, do the crossword, visit the local outlet shops to see if there is anything new, take a nap, eat lunch, exercise, go to the grocery store just in case something new came in, take a nap, make dinner, read a book, go to bed. Yeah, life's tough.

Driving to work, I like to listen to spoken word CDs. They seem to keep me more awake than music. Yesterday, Elder Son loaned me his copy of Christopher Titus:The 5th Annual End of the World Tour. If you can get past the rough language (that's a whole 'nother post), this is one of the funniest men around. He made me laugh until I cried. At least in part because he tells about his Dad's funeral. Mr. Titus's dad dies shortly before 9-11 and my Dad dies 6 days after. Titus tells about his dad and what he wanted and seriously, you will laugh until it hurts, then he cursed his father for leaving him with this world to clean up all alone and I cried for blocks (remember? driving?) Every time Titus brings you to tears because this "is a f7#$^12 up world" he can bring you to hysterical laughter, because laughing gives you the strength to go on.

Hmmm. This was supposed to be a short post and I'd better go get breakfast. The Husband wants to go check out the new grocery store that opened a few blocks away......

Mea Culpa

Wow! Has it really been that long since I posted? I have some excuses. Want to hear them?
Excuse 1. The Husband is now officially retired. This means he has more time to sit in front of the main computer and play games. While he is at the computer I cannot post. Luckily. Elder Son asked for an upgraded laptop for his birthday (he offered to pay half) and I will get my laptop back!
Excuse 2. I spend a lot more time with The Husband. Shopping, cooking, playing.
Excuse 3. Apparently, it is once again Sub Season. I am scheduled to work the next thirteen days. Not the next thirteen school days, the next thirteen days. Partly because I have four jobs, but mostly at the school.
Excuse 4. I need to upload some pictures. The HBS is finished. I have the picture in my camera, but I have never uploaded to the laptop.
Excuse5. It was Passover. OK, this one is a little lame, but I helped prepare Seder and the last day of Passover I had to go to Pittsburgh for a Temple Board Members' training meeting.
Excuse 6. I've been spending way too much time at Green's hill. If you haven't gone out and bought Amy's books, what are you waiting for???!!!!!
Excuse 7. As a result of #6, there's been more of #2. (Heh! Read the books!)
The worst part of all these excuses is that I check on my blog buddies every day and I worry when they go more than three or four days without a new post. Somehow, it never occured to me that you might worry about me. In the words of Han Solo, "Everything's fine. We're all fine here."