So That Happened

But You've Got To Admit The Uniforms Would Be FABULOUS

Me to Lauren and Jen a few days ago: Wouldn't it be great if Air Tran Airlines was fully staffed by drag queens? 

Another Tiny Yarn Splurge

No, really, this is a nothing yarn splurge considering what I've hemorrhaged spent at Black Sheep Knittery over the past few weeks.  I was on the hunt for some yarn to finish a project but did not find it (rats).  However, I did find some great stuff I have had my eyes on for some time.

Bernat's Pink Camouflage yarn!  Yay!  Isn't it cool?  I have never come across it at either Joann or Michaels and was so pleased to find it for the right price - $3.79/skein!  Thanks, Yarns Unlimited on Pico!

I suspect the yarn will become this earflap hat, minus the white waves part.

Long Time, No Post

For the ten or so of you who read this blog regularly, you know that I'm fairly good about writing every day.  Well, I had a tremendously bad End of Last Week (no details to be given here), so I gave myself a little blog vacation to recover.  I'll be back to my regular posting ways this week, but for the time being please enjoy this cute picture of a basket of sock monkeys (photo taken by me in Hollywood a few weeks ago).

Yay sock monkeys! 

Idol: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

You know how when you go to Vegas and you see a buffet with all of the regular buffet antics like the food and people and general mish-mash?  And it's all overwhelming because you're thinking, where do I start because I HAVE NO IDEA?  Last night's Idol was kind of like that.  Talk about a graduation/homecoming/Super Bowl halftime show/circus!  My head still hurts. 

The Good

• KELLY!!  EEEEEEEEEE!!!!!  Best. Idol. EVER.
• The return of Doug E. Fresh on my TV. 
• Tony Bennett. 
• Carrie Underwood.  She sounded fantastic.  You should know that I play her cover of "I'll Stand By You" on my iPod regularly.
• Melinda getting to sing with the Winans family.  I was going to write 'Winanses' but that looks funny although it is grammatically correct.
• The J.Lo industrial-strength fan on Sanjaya.
• Sanjaya's Crying Girl, Ashley Ferl. 
• The AI boys' group sing, even with Smokey Robinson's botoxed face scaring the children.
• The African Children's Choir!  This group was the best part of the show, hands down.  They made me tear up, they were SO cute.  I especially loved the one dance move with the shoulders that looked vaguely like the Harlem Shake.  The lead girl singer was 1000 times more entertaining and more talented than a lot of other guest singers that that have been on this show. 
• Jordin winning, naturally.  My co-worker and I had a minor panic attack when we considered the possibility that the Blaker Girls pulled him through for the win, so hooray that that didn't come to fruition.  Plus, Jordin won while dressed in Badgley Mischka from head to toe.  You go, girl.

The Bad

• When the cameras first showed Idol contestant Brandon Rogers on stage with the guys and I first thought, Hey, it's What's-His-Name!  Yeah, that one!  Sorry, Brandon.
• Clive Davis not giving Kelly (EEEE!) a standing ovation like EVERYONE ELSE after she sang.  BOOOOOO, Clive Davis.
• Clive Davis' speech before he gave Carrie Underwood that plaque for selling a bajillion records.  This was "the Academy Awards votes were tallied by the accounting firm of Price Waterhouse" exciting.
• Jordin and Ruben singing "You're All I Need To Get By."  I liked that song when it was covered by Kelly (EEEE!) and Pop Idol winner Will Young a few years ago during one of the Idol finales.  Okay, Kelly (EEEE!) was the best part of that duet, but that goes without saying.  I love Jordin's pink dress and would like it in my closet NOW.
• The AI girls' group sing.  It wasn't "bad," but the guys' group sing was better.  I very much want Gina Glocksen's kicky little shift dress.
• Bette Midler.  Don't get me wrong - I LOVE Bette - but...why?  It doesn't help that "Wind Beneath My Wings" makes me want to commit violent acts.  Damn, I hate that song.

The Ugly

• All that Golden Idol Awards crap.  I loathe that stuff.  It's unnecessary and stupid and most of all cruel.  I don't like the idea of bringing out those people again just so we can have a final laugh at their expense.  I fast-forwarded through that filler.
• Ruben singing lead on "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds."  What was that?
• The fact that the show ran nearly TEN MINUTES over.  Sweet fancy Moses.

It will take me a few months to recover from that madness of a finale.  Now onto my summer obsession - So You Think You Can Dance!!  Yay!

Because I Don't Feel Like Writing About Idol

This picture is for Courtney.

Thanks for the yarn!  Mr. Bear thinks it's pretty.

Okay, a little bit on Idol.  Last night was no contest: it was definitely Jordin's night.  That said, this was the first time I was not invested in either of the Final Two.  Don't get me wrong - I like Jordin and think she is talented and poised and lovely - but Melinda's voice moves me more than hers.  I would have been all about a Melinda/Jordin final two, but since she was up against Fake Blake and outsung him in every way, it wasn't really fun for me to watch. 

I look forward to watching Jordin win tonight, unless the Blaker Girls (which, shoot me now over that name, okay?) rally and push him into the win.  Sigh.

Finally, Daughtry!  Yay!

It's Almost Over With Anyway

Tonight on Idol: Blake vs. Jordin.

Who's watching?  Besides me, of course?  I don't know about you, but I want to see Paula's nose that she broke while "tripping over her Chihuahua."  Uh-huh, sure.  Is that what the kids are calling it these days?

The Strangest of Bedfellows

Looking for something to read today?  I highly recommend checking out Larry Flynt's Los Angeles Times op-ed piece on Reverend Jerry Falwell.  It's funny and rather remarkable, the story of how these two foes became - of all things - friends. 

My friend, Jerry Falwell

Enjoy.

I Guess One-Eyed Willie Was Taken

 

    My pirate name is:    

 

    Red Charity Bonney   

   

    Passion is a big part of your life, which makes sense for a pirate. You can be a little bit unpredictable, but a pirate's life is far from full of certainties, so that fits in pretty well.    Arr!    

  Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network  

Win-Win

I am very happy to report that I won Courtney's contest!  I am the proud winner of this lovely hank of Spritely Goods yarn.  Check out Courtney's blog for a photo of the goods.  It's lovely, isn't it?  I think so.  Thanks, Courtney!

In other news, I sort of won by scoring even MORE yarn at Black Sheep Knittery this week.  I know, I know, I've gone too many times already.  But hey - prices were reduced again and now everything is 75% off!  I went on my own late Thursday afternoon and returned one hour later with Gwen to do more damage.  Okay, that doesn't compare to Carla's daily shopping visits this week, but still.  Sigh.  SO MUCH YARN.

Like Riding A Bike

Here's the thing.  I learned how to crochet years before I learned how to knit.  I made several scarves and blankets for friends and family.  I even have The Great Unfinished Crocheted Blanket of 1994-1995 (otherwise known as How I Spent A Lot Of My Freshman Year In College) sitting in a bag somewhere.  I'll post a picture of it eventually.  Anyway, I fell off the crochet wagon and some time later, as you well know, I started knitting.  I may have mentioned that little hobby of mine here a few times.

The one thing I've always wanted to learn how to make is the crocheted granny square.  I love granny squares!  I love how timeless a granny square blanket looks.  You know what I mean: the large (or small) blanket with multi-colored squares more often than not bordered in black.  It's a classic.  However, I failed learning how to make a granny square on my own.  I tried several times and with countless patterns, but to no avail.  I felt like such a loser - after all, I had crocheted before plus I learned how to knit on my own, so why couldn't I get this square right?  Vexed, I was, VEXED.

Enter Ellen Bloom, Queen of the Crochet Hook.  I mentioned to her last night at West Hollywood SnB how much I admired her latest granny square project and how I've always wanted to learn how to make them, and without hesitation, she sat me down and gave me a one-on-one tutorial!  She even gave me one of her hooks (she prefers Susan Bates crochet hooks over Boye hooks, just so you know) to use.  Aw.  I was a little nervous because I felt like I had lost all of my crocheting skills of yore, but after a few minutes I slowly started getting the hang of it again, and soon enough I was making rounds and changing colors and everything!  YAY!

I can't tell you how excited I am to know how to make granny squares now.  I've stashed bits and pieces of yarn away to make them, and now I have the skills to finally put everything together.  Thank you SO much, Ellen, for taking the time to show me the ropes - er, chains - of crocheting!  I really appreciate it!

(No, there will be no pictures of the squares here.  They're for a gift and I have to keep some element of surprise intact!)