meliblog

2006-07-10T11:13:00.000-05:00

Yes, I know I've been MIA this summer. Lots going on this summer, lots to tell. I f' d up my wordpress blog, but I'm hoping to figure things out this week and have it back up and running. Hopefully I haven't lost too many of my few readers - ciao for now!

Technical Diffculties

2006-05-26T09:46:00.000-05:00

We are experiencing some technical difficulties over at my new home -- hopefully I will back up and will have a simpler domain name soon!

I'm Moving!

2006-05-25T10:03:00.000-05:00

meliblog has moved! Please update your subscriptions and links. This site will be active until I get everything moved over. meliblog's new home: http://www.meliblog.com/meliblog/

2006-05-19T09:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm still here people. And I have been knitting. But I've been focusing on transitioning this blog to its brand new Wordpress site (thanks to my patient computer guru husband). Hoping to go live this weekend...that is if I can figure out how to import my Blogger posts to Wordpress (apparently I need something called a "CURL" extension??). Any suggestions are appreciated! Stay tuned....

2006-05-10T17:28:00.000-05:00

I've been hoping all week that I might see Conan O'Brien walking around downtown. For those of you who don't know, Conan is taping 4 shows this week from the Chicago Theatre. It is with this anticipation for celebrity sightings that I journeyed up Michigan Ave. today at lunch. My anticipation was satisfied at Banana Republic, where I spotted not Vaughniston (move here please!), not Conan, but this woman: Rachel Ray annoys me to no end. I think she screams when she talks, I hate that she calls extra virgin olive oil "EVOO," and I think she looks out of proportion in that body to small for head/bobblehead doll sort of way. Having said that, I do admit to breaking down and getting her 365 Recipes cookbook at Costco last week. I will be cooking my first recipe from it tonight, in fact. I was suprised that she was alone, sans any kind of entourage. And she looked much cuter in person than she does on TV. Not sure why she was in town - the Banana guys confirmed it was not for an Oprah appearance, as she evidently cancelled all of her shows this week (her dogs must be sick or something). My celebrity sighting was trumped, however, by my co-worker's husband. He saw Keanu Reeves in Michigan Ave. -- definitely better than Rachel Ray!

2006-05-04T20:56:00.000-05:00

OK, here's my latest excuse for the lack of posts and interesting content: That's Murphy - currently my parents' dog, and formerly my brother's dog. My mom had her knee replaced almost 2 weeks ago, and we offered to take the Murphster off of their hands during her recovery. We'll have him until Memorial Day weekend - he's such a good pup. He's fresh from a visit to the groomer in this photo. My other excuses are the usual - work is busy, and I'm spending more time outside tending to my flowers. Last night I went to a container gardening lecture at Sprout Home, which is a great modern nursery/housewares shop in Chicago. The woman who gave the lecture made these fantastic, multi-dimensional arrangements in no time at all - she made it look so easy. Must...stop...thinking...symmetrically. Contrary to what it may seem, I actually am doing some knitting too. I finished up the Branching Out scarf, it just needs some blocking. I started on a bib from the Mason-Dixon book for one of my many expecting friends. I'm using a ball of Rowan denim from my stash. I'm really loving that book - the patterns are simple yet modern, and the commentary is a riot!

2006-04-28T11:07:00.000-05:00

Since I haven't been knitting much lately, I decided to up my knitting mojo by purchasing some new knitting books. I went kind of nuts at Borders yesterday and bought One Skein, Mason-Dixon Knitting, and Knitting Rules by the Yarn Harlot. I've never purchased any of the Harlot's books before, but this one jumped out at me for some reason. It seems like a funny, basic knitting guide. I'm almost finished with the Branching Out scarf, and it's still a little chilly here so I may be able to get some wear out of it before summer. So you know that "In Traning" link I have on the left, the one that says I'm supposed to be training for the Indy Mini-Marathon next weekend? Well, that's not going to happen, unfortunately. For various reasons that have sucked up my time and energy, I pretty much bagged the race and training for it months ago. There was just too much going on. So, I'm sort of in a running/training funk right now. This is the first spring/summer in 2 years that I have not been training for some race, and don't plan on doing any major races this season. I'm not quite sure what to do with myself - I need goals here people! I'd like to get a new bike to replace my stolen one, but I'm not sure if that's in my budget right now. Running all the time gets old, but I've added yoga once a week (at Ruby Room - awesome place), which I'm enjoying. Hmmm, what to do? Oh - I'm exploring moving this here blog to Wordpress. I haven't installed it yet on my computer - but I'd appreciate any tips/advice from any of you Wordpress users. I have absolutely no programming knowledge! OK, back to work. Happy Friday!

2006-04-23T17:50:00.000-05:00

It's been a crazy week. Let's see, my sister's mother-in-law passed away after battling pancreatic cancer. So sad - she was an amazing lady. My $1500 Cannondale road bike I got last summer was stolen out of our garage. I think someone must have left the door open overnight, but part of it was my fault. I had it locked up to a post where Doug locks his motorcycle, but only the front tire was locked. Doug warned me all winter that the garage was not very secure and to lock the frame. Did I listen? I posted a notice on Craig's List...just in case someone sees any shady people running around with my frame and back tire! Work is crazy, which in the legal world is usually good, but me no likey working on a beautiful Sunday! So, because of all of the craziness, I am still woefully short on interesting knitting progress. Last Sunday I cooked Easter dinner - roasted lamb with potatoes and asparagus, and this cute cake.

It's not the prettiest of cakes, but it was supposed to look like a nest with baby eggs in it. The recipe is from Nigella Lawson's cookbook Feast. It tasted great!

I've been doing some gardening too, which I'm loving. Here's some progress from last year. I planted some day lillies in our rooftop planters, and it looks like they survived the winter.

And here's a pretty hyacinth from my Easter table.

2006-04-14T13:22:00.000-05:00

It's unbelievable gorgeous here in Chicago today, so I'm going to keep this short. No knitting progress to report, although I'm taking a break from baby knitting to try and make some progress on my Hourglass sweater (working on sleeve #1) and the Branching Out scarf. Cool Things Friday: 1. Laser Hair Removal - I'm finally saying goodbye to 15 years of waxing my Mediterranean fem-stache and it's awesome!! 2. Working/gardening/blogging from home on Good Friday. 3. Runnergirl Blog Ring - yet another ring for me to join. Happy Easter!

2006-04-10T20:48:00.000-05:00

Ahhh, it was a beautiful day in Chicago. It was a good Monday, after a fun weekend. I was in St. Louis again for the baby shower in honor of my friend Claire, who was the recipient of the baby placket neck sweater. I decided to omit the buttons, as I thought it looked cute without, and sometimes buttons can fall off and end up in baby's mouth. We wouldn't want that now, would we? It was a weekend full of old friends and babies. Here's me a little cutie named Frankie - he's my friend Liz's 6-month old. He is the best baby - all smiley and so easy. Too freaking cute! So part of my Monday was spent at the annual BIO Conference that is being held here in Chicago. I was basically there serving as a "booth babe" for my firm. At first I wasn't too thrilled about volunteering for this event, but it was actually pretty cool. Almost every major country, state, thousands of biotech companies, universities, and of course, IP law firms, are represented. Our booth was across from the French contigent, and they had a full-on espresso bar - free lattes for everyone! Since it was a perfect day for a protest, I was hoping to see some action during the conference. Unfortunately, there were no protests while I was there. Maybe tomorrow! Does anyone like anything in the new issue of knitty? I think it's pretty blah. Talk amongst yourselves...

2006-04-02T16:41:00.000-05:00

49:17. That was my time at today's Shamrock Shuffle. So that's just under 10 min/mile, and I'm happy with it considering I haven't been running much lately. The weather was shitty...it was about 37 degrees and overcast when I left this morning. The race is called the Shamrock Shuffle because back in the day I assume it used to occur closer to St. Patrick's day. The date doesn't matter, however, as there are many participants who wear anything that's green, has shamrocks, or says Notre Dame on it. I don't have any good pictures to show since I ran solo and my husband was sound asleep during the race. Something I'll never understand about road races are the people that run to the race, and run from it after it's over. Not me. Speaking of running, Cathi over at In the Pink is thinking of starting a knitting runners (or running knitters) web ring - drop her a line if you interested! In knitting news, the baby placket neck sweater is finished! I didn't manage to get some beads/buttons for the placket, I'll need to do that this week. I had a whole ball of yarn left over, so I churned out a cute hat for the baby too. My friend Claire (the mom to be) is not finding out the sex of the baby. She likes the names Charlie and Annie, so the baby is affectionately being called "Channie." Hopefully Channie will like his/her new gifts!

Pattern: Baby Placket Neck Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts Yarn: Rowan Cashoft DK (just less than 2 balls)

2006-03-31T10:46:00.000-06:00

Yes, alas, yet another photo-less post. But spring decided to finally arrive in Chicago this week, so I plan to snap some shots of the green-ness that is popping up around town, and start doing some garden clean up on our rooftop. I might even plant some pansies if the local garden stores have them out - I'm in need of some color!! I've finished all the knitting for the baby placket neck sweater - just need to weave in ends and find some cute beads/buttons for the placket. I might try looking at Nina (my local LYS), or at the new great Soutache, which sells all sorts of cool trim, ribbons, feathers, buttons, purse handles, etc. The baby shower is next weekend, and I'm hoping to start and finish a matching hat using the 1 extra ball of yarn that I have. I promise to post pics this weekend! Sunday I'm signed up for the Shamrock Shuffle, which officially marks the beginning of running season in Chicago. It's an 8K, and I haven't been running as much as I should be, so I'm not out to set a personal best this time around. Hopefully the weather will cooperate!

2006-03-24T09:09:00.000-06:00

I've been a bad blogger and bad knit-along participant. And no pictures today because I'm still working on the baby sweater. It's turning out pretty cute so far, and all I need to finish is the neck placket part of the yoke, and then seaming up the armpits. Then I need to get some cute beads or buttons to attach. I'm a bad knit-along participant because I don't think I'll be finishing the March Project Spectrum project I started - the Branching Out Scarf. My knitting mojo has subsided a bit this month (weather perhaps?), and I've only been working on the baby sweater at home, or my Hourglass sleeves in the rare instance when I get a seat on the train. I think I need to stop being such a joiner. For you Chicagoans out there, some fun shopping news for you. As if Bucktown/Wicker Park did not have enough boutiques, a few more are opening this weekend. Scoop NYC is opening it's first shop in Illinois right around the corner from me. Language - another new clothing boutique. And there is a store called Lola opening on Division which sells only purses! I think some retail therapy is in order! I'll post some pics of the sweater this weekend.

2006-03-16T20:27:00.000-06:00

Just one more vacation memory. "Brokeback Mountain" was about to open in Buenos Aires when were there. Surprisingly, it was being marketed very heavily, and there were lots of street ads/billboards throughout the city. The title translation kills me...we eventually had to get a photo.That's "Secreto en la Montana" - the Secret in the Mountain. Funny, huh? I'm off to St. Louis to visit the fam this weekend. Hoping to make good progress on the placket-neck sweater in the car ride down. Doug is in New York this weekend with my sister's husband. Neither of us has ever been to NYC, so I'm kind of bummed he's going for the first time without me. I feel like a loser - 30 and never been to NYC, right? I'll get there soon enough!

2006-03-13T17:49:00.000-06:00

damn you blogger - i just finished the post and poof, gone! Let's try this again. I'm suffering from knitting schizophrenia. I had every intention of finishing my project spectrum projects (hourglass sweater, branching out scarf) this month. But, as always, baby gifts have become high priority. As my two pink projects rest in knitting limbo, I cast-on for the child's placket-neck pullover from Last Minute Knitted Gifts.

The sex of the baby is a surprise, so I chose this super soft Rowan Cashoft DK in cream. This yarn is the softest - perfect for baby.

Karin has tagged me for this Chicago-themed meme...here you go:

4 Things About Chicago Four Jobs I've Had In My Life in Chicago: Grant Writer Patent Agent (only 2!) Four Movies About Chicago I Could Watch Over And Over: any John Hughes movie (that probably counts for at least 4) Four Places I've Lived All Over Chicago: Belden and Lincoln North Ave. and Claremont Ave. (only 2 places!) Four Chicago-Themed Shows I Love(d) To Watch: Check, Please! ER Oprah (does that count?) Can't think of another Four Places I Would Vacation At In Chicago: Four Seasons Hotel Peninsula Hotel on a boat on the lake Madison, WI (day trip) Four Chicago-Based Websites I Visit Daily: Pitchfork Gaper's Block Chicagoist Chicago Tribune Four Of My Favorite Foods Found In Chicago: falafel at Sultan's Market Pizza Metro Taramosalata at Pegasus White Trash Nachos at Silver Cloud Four Places In Chicago I Would Rather Be Right Now: at the lakefront laying out running along the lakefront path swimming at holstein park shopping in bucktown

If you're a chicago blogger and you read my blog - consider yourself tagged!

2006-03-08T20:25:00.000-06:00

Because I have little to no knitting progress to share, so I'll share with you some more vacation photos. First, this is Recoleta Cemetery in Buenos Aires (Eva Peron rests here). But here the dead aren't buried. Instead, the cemetery consists of hundreds of above-ground tombs that belong to individual families. This shot is a birds-eye view from a nearby hotel. It's really an amazing place. This next one is from Punta del Este, Uruguay. This is probably the most recognizable shot of Punta. Not really sure what the big hand is all about, but it's pretty neat. More about knitting later...

2006-03-03T09:16:00.000-06:00

I've been a lazy blogger and knitter lately...I'm suffering through a bout of insomnia that has really kicked my ass. Let's see what I have for you today...oddly enough, all of it is pink or red. Just in time for Lolly's Project Spectrum! First is the Branching Out Scarf from Knitty. I worked on this on our vacation, but haven't touched it since we've been back. Surprisingly, it hasn't been as difficult as I thought. But I did mess up on a couple of rows - hopefully undectable. I've mainly been working on the seed stitch shoes from Debbie Bliss's Baby Knits for Beginners. They are for my friend Claire's baby due in June. She always loved this pattern, so I thought they would be an easy, quick gift. Unfortunately, I'm not liking the way they finished up. I seamed the first one, which looks like this Don't think this is going to stay on the little baby foot. When I pinch up the back with my finger, it looks more normal. What to do...not sure if I feel like starting these over. I'm also going to make the baby the child's placket-neck pollover from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I might just get started on that and scrap these. Oh well. Getting ready to watch the Oscars. How much Ryan Seacrest can I stomach tonight? I'm looking foward to some more crass comments from Isaac Mizrahi. Love him! First I'll be making a pre-Oscar dinner of pork tenderloin and brussel sprouts. Glamorous, huh?

2006-02-25T08:31:00.000-06:00

So here's the first installment from our vacation. Manos del Uruguay has stores all over the country. I think I went to 1 in Punta del Este, 1 in Montevideo, and 1 in the World Hertiage city of Colonia, where this photo was taken. Unfortunately, none of the stores actually sold their yarns. But they had beautiful garments, from scarfs and hats to ponchos, sweaters, and wraps, as well as other handmade items for sale. I bought some really cool knitting needles and a pretty pink scarf. Doug was happy to enlist in my pursuit to track down every Manos store I could find for yarn. When I had time, I worked on the Branching Out Scarf for Lolly's Project Spectrum in March. I'm using pink GGH soft kid, and it's turning out nice. I even got a few complements from people in our hotel in Punta del Este as they passed me in what became known as my knitting chair. I'll leave you with a really beautiful shot. This was taken at the Iguazu Falls at the Argentina/Brasil border. It was breathtaking.

2006-02-22T15:29:00.000-06:00

I'm too tired today to deal with photo managment (damn insomnia!), so instead of photos from our trip and the knitting I did on said trip, here's this (via GirlReaction). It put a smile on my face.

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Melissa!

Owls cannot move their eyes, because their eyeballs are shaped like melissa.
About 100 people choke to death on melissa each year!
Pacman was originally called melissaman!
Melissa is the world's smallest mammal.
Ancient Chinese artists would never paint pictures of melissa.
Melissa was invented in China in the eleventh century, but was only used for fireworks, never for weapons.
In 1982 Time Magazine named melissa its 'Man of the Year'!
Only one person in two billion will live to be melissa!
Melissa was originally called Cheerioats!
Devoid of her cells and proteins, melissa has the same chemical makeup as sea water.

We're Back!

2006-02-21T13:28:00.000-06:00

...and we had a fantastic vacation! Pictures and details to come as soon as I dig out of my piles of work. I have much blog-reading catching up to do too...you all are were busy while I was gone! It's good to be back!

2006-02-01T08:54:00.000-06:00

This was me 30 years ago today (I'm the one on the left - twin "B").

I promise this is the last birthday-related post.

I'm off on Friday to the Southern Hemisphere...blogging sans pictures may be possible on our trip. Stay tuned!

2006-01-30T10:21:00.000-06:00

Lots of birthday celebrating this weekend, starting at our place for cake and champagne. This yummy and adorable chocolate buttercream cake was picked out by my thoughtful husband. Then it was on to the Bungalow where my drink of the night ended up being Miller High Life - classy, eh? I also had the pleasure of meeting up with Karin and Erika (and some other lovely ladies) for some knitting on Sunday. Karin was a great host! I don't have much in the way of knitting to post about...still working on Hourglass, and trying to decide what project to bring on our trip to Argentina. I'm thinking of trying the ubiquitous Jaywalkers...we'll see. Now your celebrity news for the day. Anyone know why on earth Lindsay Lohan was spending time at Bryan Adams' (that's right, Bryan Adams, not Ryan Adams) home this weekend? Check out this crazy story.

2006-01-26T15:26:00.000-06:00

Six days and counting until my 30th birthday, and more evidence of my aging body abounds. Last night we saw Jeff Tweedy at the Abbey Pub. He was awesome as usual, but I felt like I was going to faint during the first set because it was like 100 degrees in there, my contacts were sticking to my eyes because it was so smoky, and I was a mess today at work operating on 6 hours of sleep. I'm an old lady! Aside from my birthday, I'm also getting excited for our trip to Argentina and Uruguay. We leave a week from Friday. Someone at work asked me what we planned on seeing. We're not really the uber-scheduled vacation types, so I'm not really sure what we're going to see. I've heard of friends getting leather jackets and tailored suits made for super cheap in Buenos Aires. So I think we'll try to scope that out. We're also going to Iguazu Falls, which is on the border of Argentina and Brazil, and Punta del Este, which is billed as the "St. Tropez of South America." I'm so ready for beach time! I even got this cute cover-up from J.Crew. Now I just need to pack and decide what knitting to bring!

2006-01-23T20:58:00.000-06:00

The husband was in Las Vegas this weekend, so that left me with lots of time for knitting, movie watching (who knew Fever Pitch was so funny?), and some actual sewing. I made this cute skirt using a pattern from Betsy Ross patterns. Isn't the fabric fun? I even sewed in the zipper. All I have to do is hem it and sew in a hook and eye closure. The only other things I've sewn are our Christmas stockings, and that was two years ago. The pattern was very simple, although it's a bit big on me, and it's a stretch fabric. Maybe it will a good maternity skirt someday, hmm? Oh yeah, and I also did not think of matching the pattern at the seams. I'm not sure if sewing more clothes is in my future, but I definitely feel more confident about making other things like pillow cases and curtains. I also churned out about 7 inches on my Hourglass sweater. It's coming along nicely, and it's pretty brainless work so far. As I said, Doug was in Las Vegas this weekend. Thankfully, we're not big gamblers, so no money was lost (but none won either). But we were both nursing some minor hangovers on Sunday. Mine was from drinking too much wine at dinner with my brother-in-law and his fiance. I'm turning 30 in about a week, and I can't, and probably shouldn't, drink like I used to. I did manage to get in a 3-mile run tonight after work. It was nice and cold, but it felt good!

2006-01-19T19:44:00.000-06:00

Those crazy Germans. If my firm instated this rule, I would either never go to work, or I would be fired on the spot. According to my husband, I'm quite the whinger. I wish I could chime in on the whole Stitch 'n Bitch trademark controversy, seeing as that I work in Intellectual Property law. Sadly, however, I'm a lowly patent agent, and know next to nothing about trademarks. The Girl From Auntie is an IP lawyer, and succintly details the latest developments over on her blog (thanks Amy).

2006-01-18T20:01:00.000-06:00

I'm a slow and wimpy knitter. I've been knitting for over 2 years now, and I've just completed my first cabling project, my first socks, and I have cast-on for my first sweater. I need to get speedier and more adventerous, kinda like Chef Messy - check out her awesome Fair Isle scarf (and she's got a little one keeping her busy). Or Carrie, who seems to churn out great stuff at lightening speed. Maybe it would help if I got off this damn computer! Here's a better rendering of the color:

Pattern: SnB Nation Basic Cable Hat

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay

2006-01-16T12:48:00.000-06:00

So here's sock #1 of the Thuja pattern. You may recall this isn't the first sock I've knit, but I've yet to complete a pair. The heel looks a little funny, but that's probably because I reknit it about 3 times. The wool-ease made it a fast knit, but I don't think I'll used it again for socks because it turned out really fuzzy. The colors aren't that fun either, but I wanted to use what I had in my stash. I figure these will be good lounging socks.

Pattern: Thuja from Knitty

Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease

I finally saw Brokeback Mountain this weekend with my sister. I really enjoyed it for all of the reasons everyone else seems to be: tragic story of love and missed opportunities, Heath Ledger's performance, and the gorgeous Wyoming backdrop. Even so, there were a few things that bugged me. One is that Heath Ledger appeared to have a ginormous dip or chew lodged in his cheek the entire movie. I was waiting for him to spit, but when he didn't, I realized that it must have been an affectation of his cowboy accent. I also didn't really buy the aging of most of the characters (especially Ann Hathaway) over the 20+ year period in which the movie occurs. At the end, seeing Heath Ledger and what was supposed to be his 19-year old daughter just didn't work for me. Otherwise, I loved the movie. The guys over at Cinecast did a great review of the movie.

2006-01-11T19:53:00.000-06:00

I was just poking around in my archives and noticed that I've been blogging for just over a year now. Kinda crazy...I wasn't sure how long I would stick with this new hobby of mine when I started. Here's to more good blogging and maybe some improvements in 2006. I finished sock #1 of the Thuja socks from the latest knitty. I'll post pics when I'm not posting at night and have time to photograph in natural light. My next project is a big one for me - my first sweater! I'm going to tackle the Hourglass pattern from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Unfortunatlely, I'm not using the pretty yarn in the book. I've got a ton of Lion Brand Wool-Ease from a previous sale at JoAnn fabrics. Guess what yarn I used for the Thuja socks? Yep, that would be wool-ease. So, I'm going to do the sweater on the cheap. I got gauge, so we'll see what happens. It feels like a big commitment, hopefully I won't fuck it up. I've finished my first book of 2006 - Zadie Smith's "On Beauty." I really enjoyed it...not quite as good as her first book "White Teeth," but I would definitely recommend it. She's an amazing talented writer - it kinda makes me sick that she's my age. Next in my que is "Crossing California" by Adam Langer.

2006-01-09T13:12:00.000-06:00

We're definitely a Letterman family (as opposed to a Leno family). Although I don't stay up late enough anymore to catch the show, I'm still a big fan. Our fan-hood culminated in us randomnly seeing him on the streets of Santa Monica last September. So I have to say a huge bravo to Mr. Letterman on his show with Bill O'Reilly last week. I think Dave could totally kick Bill's ass if they fought, don't you? Let's see...what did I do this weekend? Watched this crazy movie - ever heard of Krumping? Spent way too much money on new jeans. Bought tickets to see Jeff Tweedy at the Abbey Pub later this month. Went out for Pho and got a little tipsy. I also finished some knitting.

Pattern: Glampyre City Shawl

Yarn: Lion Suede (just less than 2 balls)

scary fake smiling

Pattern: Bobble-Leaf Scarf Yarn: Karabella Aurora 8

I think both turned out ok. The shawl is for my grandmother. The scarf is for my sister. The Aurora 8 is so soft - I loved working with it. The pattern calls for size 13 needles, but I used US 15 needles because I don't have 13s. So the fabric is a bit looser knit than I would have liked, but I think it still looks good. It was my first attempt at bobbles too - very fun!

2006-01-04T20:21:00.000-06:00

This is the time of year in Chicago when you want to get the hell out of Dodge. It's cold and gray, gray, gray. So depressing! That's why in a little less than a month, the husband and I will be off to South America. Argentina and Uruguay specifically. I cannot wait! Doug has planned the whole trip. My only job is to find a tango club for us to visit. If anyone has any suggestions - please pass along! I finished up the City Shawl for my grandma's birthday. Overall it came out ok, but I think I goofed on a few of the increases, so it's not a perfect triangle. I'm hoping a little blocking will help. Either way, my grandma probably won't notice. I'll post some pictures soon. I also started Teva Durham's lace leaf scarf. It's a birthday gift for my twin sister -- we turn 30 on Feb. 1!

My Year in Review

2005-12-30T09:36:00.000-06:00

Things I've loved this year... In Books:

In T.V.: In Movies:

In Music: And last but not least, in Knitting: Happy New Year Everyone!

2005-12-27T18:51:00.000-06:00

Ugh - too much cheese and wine makes Melissa a very fat girl! Well maybe not, but I feel like I gained many pounds this weekend! Combined with a minor bout of insomnia, I'm dragging indeed post-Christmas. We had fun in KC, and back in Chicago yesterday with my family. We left the camera in KC, however, so no pictures for a few days. I think my mom liked her hat, and my sister liked her capelet, but I always expect more of a reaction about my handmade gifts then I actually get. I've been obsessively trying to catch up with blogs today - people were very busy posting over the holidays (unlike me)! I'm also currently obsessed with "Best of" lists - music, books, and movies in particular. I'm down with Sufjan Stevens' Illinois being on many short lists for best album, but I still don't get Bright Eyes. Is it just me or does it seem like Conor Oberst is really just talking and not singing over the music?? Some other albums I'm wanting to download: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (yes I've joined the bandwagon), Z - My Morning Jacket, and perhaps Fiona Apple's new one. No new CDs for Christmas...but I did get "The Sound of Music" DVD. And I'm so jealous of my brother-in-law - he got all 12 chapters of R. Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet." It's so ridculous - but I must have it!

2005-12-22T14:23:00.000-06:00

One more Christmas gift...can you tell what it is? It's the cutest dog sweater for the cutest dog. I wonder if a pit bull deserves merino wool? Happy Holidays!

2005-12-20T12:49:00.000-06:00

1220051241.jpg Originally uploaded by Meli K.

Fun stuff - I just receieved my first Kpixie order! The camera-phone pic is crappy, but I got some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock (for when I finally get around to trying sock knitting again) and some Aurora 8 in a pumpkin color. It will be used to make Teva Durham's lace leaf scarf pattern that I ordered. Might be a good plane project for my travels to Kansas City this weekend.

Pitchfork's top 50 albums is up today. I'm happy to report that they rated one of my favorites this year as their #1 (I won't give it away here, check it out for yourself). Thankfully, they also rated the horrible "My Humps" by the Black-Eyed Peas one of the worst releases of the year.

2005-12-18T21:05:00.001-06:00

Enough with the PMS posts...I finished the Anthro-Inspired Capelet for my sister. It turned out pretty cute. I'm going to let my sister use her own pin to fasten it. Anyone have some suggestions for "blocking" Wool-Ease? I think this needs a bit of smoothing out. I probably should have had the photos taken against a light background so that it "pops" better, but these will have to do.

Pattern: Anthropologie-Inspired Capelet Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease

And here's a funny one:

2005-12-16T12:16:00.000-06:00

Prepare yourself for a blah post...could be due to the gray cold weather here, or the fact that I'll likely be spending my Friday night sipping wine and doing laundry at home (by choice, mind you, I'm more of a Saturday night going-outer). I'm coining a new term here perhaps, but I'm feeling a little "socially isolated" lately. Here I am living in this big city with my dear husband, a few blocks away from my twin sister, brother, brother-in-law, future sister-in-law, a few miles away from great work friends, and suburbs away from one of my best friends, and it's amazing how many things I do on my own. I run/train by myself, I knit by myself, I shop by myself. Ok, I don't dine by myself or sleep by myself, but you get my drift. I think it's due in part to my loner tendencies, but as I move through my daily wake up-go to work-work out-go home-eat-go to bed routine, the time I spend with non-coworkers and non-husbands is on the decrease. And it's making me kinda sad. I guess it seems like the same is true for other people in my life, and it will probably be worse when we have kids, but sometimes I worry that it's just me. That everyone else is having fun without me. I know, this deserves a big "waaah" (insert sarcastic baby crying noise here). But then it hit me that my 30th birthday is coming up (February). Maybe this is my little getting old contemplation/freak out. Who knows? More fun stuff to come. Happy Friday!

2005-12-13T21:54:00.000-06:00

Holiday baking is in full force at chez Meli. I've ingested way too much butter and sugar in the past two days. I'm at the point now where I'm constantly craving fruits and vegetables. Regardless, here are the fruits of my labor.

Chocolate Butter Cookies (Cook's Illustrated Recipe) and Candy Cane Pinweels

Standard Butter Cut-Outs (Mother-in-Law's recipe)

In knitting news, I'm trying to finish up the Anthropologie-inspired capelet as part of my twin sister's Christmas present. Hopefully this weekend.

2005-12-12T17:24:00.000-06:00

It was that time of year on Saturday...time for the office holiday party. Or in my case, it was my firm's "Holiday Ball," which is a black-tie affair affectionately dubbed "the prom" by most people I work with. This was my fifth prom (dear Lord), and while I imbibed and danced with my co-worker friends, I did not scream out "this is the best fucking song" upon hearing the beginning chords of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together" as I did last year. One of my friends was so observant to point out that I have a drink in my hand in almost every picture taken of me. At the beginning of the night, it was a glass of champagne, but by the end of the night I had progressed (or regressed) to a bottle of Miller Lite. Good times. I did get my hair done, which I have to say, looked fabulous.

2005-12-08T22:01:00.000-06:00

It's colder than a witch's boob here in the windy city. Tonight, we got heaps of snow, which probably had something to do with this plane skidding off the runway at Midway Airport. Yikes! There seems to be no relief from the cold - my office is cold, our condo is drafty - perfect reason to knit myself a shawl, right? But no. Instead, I'm making my grandmother in Florida the Glaympyre Knits City Shawl. I think it's perfect for when she gets a chill from the A.C. Pictures soon. Oh, I can't stand Bill O'Reilly...I'm sitting here waiting for his interview with Howard Stern and I can barely stomach him. Stephen Colbert kicks his ass.

2005-12-06T20:37:00.000-06:00

Coming to you live from my new laptop! Now Doug and I have dueling laptops - we're such nerds. This weekend I have to say I made the best Christmas mix. I tried for something non-traditional - all songs available on iTunes. Melissa's Kooky Christmas Mix 1. Christmas in New Orleans (Louis Armstrong) 2 The Little Drummer Boy (Johnny Cash) 3 Spotlight On Christmas (Rufus Wainwright) 4 Baby, It's Cold Outside (Mulato Beat Remix -Louis Armstrong & Velman Middleton) 5 Blue Christmas (Chris Isaak) 6 I Want to Come Home for Christmas (Marvin Gaye) 7 Another Lonely Christmas (Prince) 8 What Child Is This? (Dave Brubeck) 9 Merry Christmas, Baby (Bonnie Raitt & Charles Brown) 10 Sweet Secret Peace Neil Finn 11 Christmas With the Devil (Spinal Tap) 12 What Are You Doing New Year's Eve? (Diana Krall) 13 The Little Drum Machine Boy (Beck) 14 Soulful Christmas (James Brown) 15 Last Christmas (Wham!) 16 Thank god it's not christmas (Sparks) 17 River (Joni Mitchell) 18 Christmas Must Be Tonight (The Band) And now my bucket hat in all its felted glory. I think it turned out pretty cute. Hopefully my mom will agree. The colors don't come through well here...they are pink and a brownish-gray.

2005-12-01T17:10:00.000-06:00

So I think I might get used to this running in the cold thing - maybe even in the snow. Yesterday morning we woke up to about an inch of snow. I had planned a gym visit before work to lift weights, and I jogged the short distance in the snow. It was actually kind of fun - especially since I didn't fall on my ass! Now I just need to get the right clothes. Technical clothing is so freaking expensive, which I knew of course, but it still sucks. After visiting my LRS (local running store - ha!), I'm hoping I can probably find what I want for cheaper on-line. Did you know people sell used running clothes on ebay? Yes, I checked, and I think that's pretty gross. On to my 2nd finished Christmas present (the unfelted version):

Pattern: Chicknits Bottoms-Up Bucket Hat Yarn: Manos del Uruguay

I love Manos! The colors are fantastic! This still needs to be felted, but the unfelted version looks kind of cool too, no? The intended recipient is my mother...but Doug wants me to keep it. We'll see...I have a huge head, so the felted version might not fit me! I'm watching 20/20...the creepy CEO of American Apparel is being interviewed. Love the clothes, but he sounds like a freak. Pieces on Kimora Lee Simmons and Costco are next! Who new that staying home on a Friday night could be so exciting?

Recovering

2005-11-29T12:57:00.000-06:00

...from my gluttonous holiday. For some unexpected, not all good reasons, we were four people short at my parents for Thanksgiving dinner, including my twin sister and her husband (boo-hoo). True to form, my mom made way too much food, even if everyone were to show up. The meal was great of course, and we were able to celebrate my little brother getting his first real jobby-job, as well as my parents 35th anniversary. St. Louis was okay I guess, kinda boring. Most of my friends there are preggers, so much of the party-ing of the past has simmered down quite a bit. While we were gone, the mailman delivered the latest Anthropologie catalog, which is showing this adorable capelet. Turns out there is a Craftser thread on the recreation of the capelet. I think I may have to whip one up. Thanks for the tip Amy!

2005-11-23T20:40:00.000-06:00

Ugh, this is what I woke up to this morning. Luckily it melted. Luckily I'll be in St. Louis for Thanksgiving, where it will be in the 50s. Have a great holiday!!

2005-11-20T15:48:00.000-06:00

Note to self, don't ever plan grocery store and Costco visits the Sunday before Thankgiving in Chicago. I knew it was bad when Whole Foods was so crowded and annoying that I wished I were at Costco! Well, what else is new with me? I think I've got work under control for the time being, and I've even managed to crank out a couple of smallish knitted gifts. One I can't show, and the other is some mittens knit up for my sister - who does not read my blog. She's totally missing out, right? Anway, the pattern is from Weekend Knitting, and I used JoAnn fabrics Dolcetto yarn. Here's one of them: I think they turned out pretty good. The pattern says to wash and felt the surface a bit, but since this is a wool/cotton blend, that probably won't happen. Still, I may wash just to see if they fuzz at all. Now, a request for help. Back in February during our trip to Australia, I bought a huge skein of really pretty undyed natural wool yarn at a shop in Tazmania. Problem is, I'd like to perhaps use this yarn for a sweater por moi, but I'm not sure of the yardage. The label only lists a weight of 500 g. For scale, here's the skein next to my size 9 foot. So, my question is, is there an easy way to determine the yardage that I've got? I was thinking of just taking it into my LYS and see if they could do it for me, but if I can avoid a trip, that would be great. This weekend we went to a fantastic new tapas restaurant in our neighborhood - del Toro. We were skeptical at first - it replaced our beloved Mod, and hello, do we need another tapas restaurant in Chicago? I'm glad to say it was incredible. We only had to wait an hour (it was opening weekend), and the food was amazing. When it was all said and done, we got out of there spending just under $100 - which I think was pretty good. Anyway - all you Chicagoans must go. For several reasons (i.e., hate the treadmill) I'm slowly trying to acclimate myself with running outside in the cold. Yesterday I did 5.5 miles in mid-30s temps, and it felt really good. I'm hoping to stick with it in the inevitable colder temps we'll get here. I seriously can not stand the treadmill, and it's a good excuse to get more fun running clothes!

Harpo Spelled Backwords

2005-11-15T15:29:00.000-06:00

Apologies for my neglect of this blog of late...every year without fail I seem to get swamped at work around the holidays, perfect, eh? I have a confession. As much as I've tried to resist it, I think I'm becoming an Oprah whore. It all started when I began to DVR her show. But on Friday, I found myself breaking my cardinal rule of book-buying: no Oprah books. It's not something that I am snobby about (I don't think), it's just the way I operate. Anyway, on Friday I bought not one, but two Oprah-endorsed books. The first is A Million Little Pieces by James Frey (I've been wanting to read before Oprah, and it's for a new book club I joined), and the second was Nate Berkus's new book (I'm sorry I love him). I guess I'm guilty. Pictures of less-guilty obsessions (i.e., knitting) to come soon.

Mad Town

2005-11-08T21:52:00.000-06:00

Back in the old stomping ground of Madison this past weekend (husband and I both did grad school at UW). Minus some really annoying people in the crowd, the Jeff Tweedy show was amazing, as per usual.

A visit to Madison would not be complete without a visit to the Terrace at the union, which is famous for its view, its beer, and its chairs.

Notice my "Airy Scarf" I'm wearing? Finished just in time for the weekend.

I've been tagged by Melissa for my first meme...so here are 20 things about me:

1. I'm a fraternal twin.

2. I'm half Greek

3. I skipped second grade.

4. I went to Catholic School for twelve years, including high school at an all-girls school.

5. I was born and raised in St. Louis, MO

6. I went to the University of Kansas for undergrad.

7. I have a Masters in Genetics from the University of Wisconsin.

8. I met my husband during our last semester at KU.

9. I can stick my fist in my mouth.

10. I've smoked cigarettes with Jon Stewart.

11. My first concert was Huey Lewis and the News in 6th grade.

12. My last concert was Jeff Tweedy in Madison.

13. I used to have a Cardigan Welsh Corgi, who was really Cujo in disguise.

14. I completed my first sprint triathlon in August.

15. I was not athletic at all growing up - except if you count being on a bad high school tennis team as atheleticism.

16. I've never been to New York City or Washington D.C., but I've been to Europe and Australia.

17. I TiVo Oprah.

18. My family and close friends call my "Meli" or "Mel," never "Missy."

19. I wish I could sing.

20. I love to eat.

Please, please, please let me get what I want

2005-11-04T18:34:00.000-06:00

As promised...

Pattern: D-made Quickie Baby Sweater Yarn: Red Heart

We just found out the recipient, baby Margot, was born on Friday! And my first sock, which sucks:

Pattern: Lion Brand Basic Sock Yarn: Schoeller and Stahl Fortissima Colori

A number of things are wrong here: (1) my guage is off, so the sock is kind of big (2) at some point, my stitch markers fell off, so my toe decreases are a bit off center, (3) my picking-up-stitches technique is not great, and (4) there is a weird loop left at the end of where I kitchnered the toe. Not sure if I'm going to make sock #2...I think I may try again with a pattern that calls for a heavier weight yarn so I can get some more practice. Perhaps the pattern from Knitty Gritty - any other suggestions?

No Time

2005-11-04T09:50:00.000-06:00

Camera? Check. Time? No so much. Hopefully in between my busy work day and going out tonight, I'll be able to post some pics of my finished items. No pics of my awesome trip to Portland until my friend Claire gets her pictures off her camera. LeAnn - we went to Lint - I could have spent all day there! Thanks for the suggestion! Tomorrow we are off to Madison to see Jeff Tweedy and eat at our favorite restaurant. Yum!

Halloween City Style

2005-11-01T21:30:00.000-06:00

It's another husband out-of-town week, and instead of handing out candy, I went for a run in the dark and rain last night. Passing all of the kiddies out and about, I noticed a trend in Chicago trick-or-treaters. A large percentage of them are over the age of fourteen, and costumes apparently are optional. After my run, our buzzer rang (mind you, we live on the top floor of our condo building). The following exchange ensued: Me: "Hello?" Trick or Treater #1: "Yeah" Trick or Treater #2: "Got candy?" My, city kids sure are pleasant, aren't they? If I was handing out candy, they would have gotten fruit for sure! I'm still without a camera. Tomorrow I should have some shots of my finished first sock and quickie baby sweater. I'm currently having some issues with the lace scarves I'm working on, but I'll bitch about that in another post.

The Sox have Deprived me of Sleep

2005-10-27T13:09:00.000-05:00

Congratulations White Sox! These last two nights of baseball watching have been killing me in terms of sleep. Doug, however, stayed up long enough last night to TiVo some of the Sox players singing their World Series anthem "Don't Stop Believin'" with none other than Steve Perry himself. I can't decide which is funnier - the performance itself or the fact that Doug recorded it. I'm a little sad I'm leaving this weekend, because the city is going to be crazy as a result of the win. Anyway, not much knitting finishing was accomplished, so no pictures. I did start this scarf/shawl as an Xmas gift for my sister. I'll have lots of time to knit and read on my flight to Portland this evening. Ciao!

Calgon, Take Me Away!

2005-10-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

There's nothing like a shitty day (actually, weeks) at work to make you even more excited for a weekend away. This weekend my friend Claire and I are meeting my friend Sarah in Portland for a girls weekend (or so we hope - a long story I won't get into here). I've never been to Portland, and Claire and Sarah are my oldest friends (I've known them since 'nam), so I'm psyched to get out of here on Thursday night.

So, any Portlanders out there have any good yarn store recommendations, and shopping recommendations in general? I hope to finish my first Socktoberfest sock before I leave, and I've finished knitting the Quickie Baby sweater (just needs some finishing). So I hope to post some pics before I leave.

I've been tweaking the look of this blog of late - I'm thinking it's time to learn some HTML and get my own domain name. Sorry for the large font - not sure I like it but I can't figure out how to change it back!

What Would L. Ron Hubbard Say?

2005-10-21T12:54:00.000-05:00

God help us:

In preparation for her immaculately conceived, "Holmes said she and Cruise are putting together a baby room and that she's learning how to knit."

Walking Man Knitting

2005-10-19T20:42:00.000-05:00

I know they exist, but today was the first time I've ever seen one - a man knitting. But this wasn't just some guy sitting in the park or on the train knitting. This guy was walking and knitting socks! And he wasn't just walking, he was hauling ass, with the ball of yarn sticking out of his left pocket. I was walking to my El stop after work, and I usually keep a good speed and navigate my way around clueless tourists. But knitting man was trucking, and so focused. We stopped at the same corner for a few moments, and I wanted to compliment him on his lovely socks - they really were nice. But he seemed so focused, I did not want to disturb him. Damn, my Cardinals are down 3-0 in the 5th. Doug is a White Sox fan, so a Cards-Sox World Series would be fun in our house. Still working away on my first sock, but in the meantime I finished this scarf for my brother's 25th birthday on Sunday.

Pattern: basic 2X2 rib Yarn: Brown Sheep Burly Spun

At the Movies

2005-10-17T14:33:00.000-05:00

This weekend we saw two movies of diametrically-opposed subject matter. The first, 40-Year Old Virgin, was so damn funny! And no, all of the good parts are not in the commercials. The ending muscial/dance sequence alone is worth the ticket price. The second, from my Netflix que, was Capturing the Friedmans. My lord, is that family fucked up. It's one of those movies that is uncomfortably disturbing but captivating at the same time. How is the oldest son David the most popular birthday clown in NYC?? I got in a 30-mile bike ride on Saturday to the North Branch Chicago River Forest Preserve. I think the fall color is either at or near peak - it was really a beautiful ride, although my body is still getting used to my road bike. I need to do some major upper-body strengthening over the winter! Cooked a yummy dinner on Sunday night - a creamy tomato soup from the latest Cooking Light magazine. I also made a failed attempt at baking a pumpkin focaccia bread from the same issue. I'm such a sucky baker - it was not good at all. Lately I've been having a yeast problem (no, not that kind). The dough did not rise enough, but I baked it anyway. What resulted was an orange, tasteless loaf. My first sock for Lolly's Socktoberfest is coming along...I'm almost finished with the gusset. It's looking kind of big, but hopefully I'll finish it up this week and have some photos!

Baby Baby

2005-10-12T13:09:00.000-05:00

The new owner of the blanket below was born on Thursday! Little Francis (Frankie) Jeffrey and mom are doing fine. My friend Liz was induced, and after being in labor for 36 hours, they finally decided to do a C-section! I think after 12 hours, I'd be demanding that someone just cut me open already. I think I just found a new candidate for entry on You Knit What? I mean, come on, what says "Happy Holidays" more than a fur skirt? Anybody else see this episode of "Knitty Gritty"?

I have joined Lolly's Socktoberfest. Look for an update on my first pair soon.

Finished Stuff

2005-10-09T11:31:00.000-05:00

Happy to report that I don't have to work on this anymore...other than weaving in ends and blocking, the baby blanket is finished!

Pattern: Big Bad Baby Blanket (Stich N' Bitch) Yarn: Knitpicks Merino Style (doubled) in Asparagus

The other items are a scarf I started last night for my brother, using some Brown Sheep Burly Spun I want to get rid of, and a cute little Bunny for my friend Dani's baby due in November. Here's a close up: Today is a great fall day in Chicago. A great day for a marathon -- I rode my bike down and watched for about a half hour. It was so amazing...I was at mile 10, so no one looked like they had hit the "wall" yet. If I'm not preggers next year, I'm definitely going to do it. And if I do get preggers, 2007 it is!! Seriously, two years ago I would have never contemplated doing a marathon, but the more races I do, the more I understand the desire.

To top off a crazy week, Doug's grandmother died on Wednesday. She was an amazing 94-year old Lithuanian woman, and thankfully she passed peacefully in her sleep. We'll miss her.

2005-10-05T13:06:00.000-05:00

This week has been too busy for blogging, knitting, and even TV watching (except Arrested Development, of course). My social calendar has been uncharacteristically full after work this week, and our place is a mess right now due to some major re-organizing. This weekend I will have some time to de-discombobulate and post pictures of some knitting progress. Until then, I give you (via the Fugsters) Manorexia. I was more of a Johnny Depp fan when I used to watch 21 Jump Street during my free peridos senior year of high school. And even though Mr. Depp sometimes appears as if he's suffering from manorexia, I think Mr. Grieco has a serious problem. Another fun TV fact - the actress that plays Pam on NBC's version of The Office went to my high school.

City Living

2005-09-28T20:43:00.000-05:00

Maybe it was bound to happen sooner or later, but our condo building was robbed on Monday. We live on the top level of our building, so no one got into our unit, but they entered one of the garden units, and exited through our basement storage room. They got a laptop, stereo, cell phone, money, and Doug's bike. The sucky thing is that I didn't find out about it until 24 hours later! We run our condo association, and with Doug out of town I was left to handle a lot of post-break in crap. Not to mention that I was a little freaked out since I'm home alone. Luckily, brother Nick stayed over last night. Shit happens, and thankfully no one was hurt. On to happier things, my friend Amanda is expecting twins and loved these hats I made for her.

Pattern Here Yarn: Lily Sugar n' Cream

The Goods

2005-09-26T21:19:00.000-05:00

Ok, Renegade was great. There were lots more vendors than last year from all over the country, not just Chicago. I made my way though the mud and got some great stuff:

Vintage knitting needles, earrings from www.earlyjewelry.com (go Lawrence, KS!), a pin using vintage yarn (www.struckknitting.com), and some cute cards

I also got some other awesome jewelry - but those are gifts that I won't show here! The 5K on Sunday was great too - my time was a personal best (28:40). It was cloudy and muggy...but I try not to bitch about the weather too much. It's supposed to drop into the high 30s at night later this week! Fried Chicken Update - success was had with this recipe. Paula Deen saves the day!

This will be fun...

2005-09-23T13:34:00.000-05:00

Went last year, and there was a lot of great stuff! Also doing the Bucktown 5K this weekend. I love my neighborhood!

Knits and Chicken

2005-09-22T15:19:00.000-05:00

A particularaly slow day at work today, which has allowed me to roam blogland and find out all kinds of things: -- First, via Largehearted Boy, Jeff Tweedy is touring solo in November. Unfortunately, no Chicago show is scheduled, but I smell a trip to Madison for the Nov. 5 show -- Barack Obama introduced Wilco at Farm Aid this past weekend...would have loved to see that -- My knitting pales in comparison to all the other knitbloggers out there...how do you people churn out such great stuff so fast? -- why, Tara, why? Totally unrelated, after much begging and pleading, I've agreed to cook my husband his favorite meal that I hate to cook - fried chicken. I love to cook, but I dread cooking this. All of my attempts have resulted in a grease-splattered kitchen, and chicken charred black on the outside, pink on the inside. I've tried so many different recipes (including Alton Brown's), none of which seem to please my husband's delicate fried chicken palette. Anyone out there with a no-fail recipe (and yes, I know I need to get a splatter screen)? Muchas gracias!

California Dreaming

2005-09-20T21:03:00.000-05:00

So I finally made it to L.A., and I got my star sighting -- David Letterman no less! If our friend hadn't noticed it was him, we would have walked right past him. Doug has been a fan since the Chris Elliot days, and he managed to muster enough courage to talk to him. No pictures, however, but I swear it happened. And we went to a beautiful, Colin Cowey/Martha Stewart-worthy wedding in Malibu...check this out: Amazing right? It was definitely the best wedding I've been too. Speaking of weddings - Doug and I are celebrating our 3rd on 9/21...but for the second of our three anniversaries, Doug is traveling. But, we did celebrate last week (at Parlor...so yummy!). On the knitting front...still not finished with the baby blanket. But on the plane, I worked on a couple of knitting projects, including my first pair of socks. Depending on how they turn out, I'll probably give them to my sister for Christmas. Let's take a look-see, shall we? I'm using size 3 needles, and I may end up going down a size if the gauge is too big. We'll see...

News and Notes

2005-09-14T09:27:00.000-05:00

1. Almost done with BBBB...about to finish Kate Gilbert's Bunny for preggers friend Dani. 2. Successfully replaced a flat tire on my my bike (this is big for me). 3. Did the RunHitWonder with my husband last night. It was his first race and did great...yeah Doug! 4. Going to Malibu this weekend for a wedding - first time in southern Cali. Yet another pictureless post...between back to back traveling weekends, things have been busy this week. Maybe later...

I know we're not made of money but...

2005-09-09T10:51:00.000-05:00

Yet another way to help Katrina victims - check out these cool T-shirts from Threadless. They are $10, and for every shirt purchased, Threadless donates $20 to the relief efforts. They are currently sold out, but supposedly more are on the way. As Lolly commented, yes, good things are happening, but slowly. I saw on CNN last night that they found 3 bodies in the New Orleans convention center that were mutiliated. That's right - mutilated! So fucking horrible.

More on Katrina

2005-09-08T12:48:00.000-05:00

Like I said, I can't tear myself away from the tragedy down south. If you love New Orleans as much as my husband, a Jazzfest veteran, check this out: A strong, soulful, wicked, frail city (LA Times) - considers the impact of Katrina on the culture of New Orleans Also, consider helping out the many pets affected by Katrina. The North Shore Animal League of America is just one of the organizations accepting donations. On a lighter note, the new Knitty is up, and I actually like some of the patters this time around...especially Flora and Bubby. Unless I get some serious knitting done on the train ride from Chicago to St. Louis tomorrow, the Big Bad Baby Blanket will not be finished in time for the shower on Saturday. Hope Liz is ok with crib sheets and mattress pads - 'cause that's what she's gettting instead!

CNN Overdose

2005-09-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to O.D. on news? God, as much CNN and MSNBC as I watched this weekend, I still can't seem to turn away from the Katrina coverage. We managed to have a relaxing weekend...my parents were in town from St. Louis. Aside from eating, drinking, and watching loads of CNN, we went to Millennium Park, and I saw Wicked with my mom and twin sister. A definite must-see even for the musical-phobes. Who knew Ana Gasteyer could sing like that? And Ben Vereen (you know, Webster's uncle) played the Wizard. I won't have any new knitting blog-fodder until I finish this damn blanket. I did get lots of requests for knitted Christmas gifts for the family, so I need to get going. Hopefully I will be able to squeeze something in for me...I'm thinking an Hourglass sweater is in order.

Help NOLA

2005-09-02T09:58:00.000-05:00

In addition to the usual suspects, please consider donating to the Mennonite Disaster Service. I'm not a Mennonite...but the MDS is a grass-roots organization that focuses on managing and coordinating volunteer labor in response to natural disasters.

Mennonite Disaster Service

It's Kanye Day

2005-08-30T21:13:00.000-05:00

Today I helped Kanye West become even more cocky...just bought "Late Registration" on iTunes. I've heard nothing but good stuff about it - didn't know his mom has a Ph.D. (not a Playa' Hatin' Degree, as the husband quipped). She and Common's mom (also a Ph.D.) were interviewed on the local NPR station today. US magazine is a guilty pleasure for me, well, maybe not so guilty (that's Uma and Kate yarn shopping): Look what the mailman brought - yarn from GirlReaction's recent yarn sale! I so want to make this messenger bag soon - a knitted Timbuk2 - so cute!

No more hanky my wanky, the Meli needs sleep!

2005-08-29T21:40:00.000-05:00

This weekend was crazy...Meli. needs. sleep. soon. Originally, I had planned to do the Fleet Feet Super Sprint triathlon, but I bailed. The husband had been gone all week, so by Friday night I just wanted to hang with him and catch up without feeling rushed to go to bed by 9 pm. So we ate at Thyme cafe and had some drinks with some friends. Very fun! Plus, Sunday I had to wake at 4 am to volunteer at the Accenture triathlon (apologies for those of you that think I've gone off the tri-deep end lately, I'm just sort of addicted right now). I worked at the swim exit, and saw some amazing stuff: 1. Two men racing with leg prosthetics 2. 1 man racing without an arm 3. A blind couple racing together 4. A guy blowing chunks after the swim (he claimed he "shouldn't have eaten that omelet" for breakfast). See, look! Needless to say, it was very inspirational. This was all after a Saturday out drinking on my brother-in-law's boat. Mind you, I only had a few Bellini's, but still. After the race, we crusied around the Bucktown Arts Fest (not as good as last year), and then I got fitted for my new bike at the coolest bike shop in Chicago. My new bike is awesome (Cannondale) - will take a picture soon! So you can imagine that I've made almost no progress on my baby blanket. Still almost halfway done, still probably not going to finish in time for the 9/10 shower, oh well!

I'm bored

2005-08-25T21:48:00.000-05:00

Boring night calls for boring post I guess! To quell my boredom while the husband travels every week thru September, I decided to join Netflix. I figured I need a bit more variety (and intelligence) thrown in with my weekly doses of Bobby and Whitney, Oprah, and Knitty Gritty reruns. I signed up for the $10/month plan, and the first season of Arrested Development is on its way! The baby blanket is taking forevs -- I'm still not even halfway finished. It feels like it's taken me all week to do an inch. Pretty boring stuff, I need to learn to pick smaller baby projects since everyone I know (except me) is preggers right now. I think I've said before how much I love this town -- especially working across the street from Millennium Park. Today was kind of sucky, and it was nice to sit in the park for an hour with my lunch and a little knitting.

Randomness

2005-08-23T21:26:00.000-05:00

1. Anyone else out there a dork like me and willing to admit that they Tivo Oprah? Well, I'm not ashamed to say that I do, and tonight I had to watch this:

Photo Courtesy of her O-ness

For those of you that don't recognize her, that's Priscilla Presley. Oh the Botox! She looks awful, poor thing. 2. Is it 2008 yet? I can't take much more of his Hickness (that would be our president). Being a scientist by training, this commentary got me even more pissed at the anti-progress, Intelligent fucking design, track his Hickness has our country on. 3. Pat Robertson needs to shut up. 4. Arrested Development Rocks.

Lelah Finished

2005-08-22T22:20:00.000-05:00

So, I didn't end up going to the Air Show after all. The weather looked kind of dicey on Saturday morning, so I opted out of the boat fun. Regretably, since it turned out to be a nice day. Instead, I finished Lelah. I'm so glad I stuck with this - I love this pattern! I definitely want to try it again with a nicer yarn than what I used here. I'll leave you with a cool garden photo - this is a crimson climber flower. I think I've finally got the hang of using macros on our camera.

2005-08-19T13:15:00.000-05:00

My Saturday: brother-in-law's boat, Lake Michigan, for the Air and Water show. You can actually see the whites of the pilot's eyes - they fly that close.

Tonight - wine tasting; Saturday night - probably more drinking. I guess I need to get it out of my system, since I signed up for another tri. This one is a preclude to the big Accenture tri next Sunday. The race is a "Super-Sprint," and is about 1/2 the distance I did last weekend. The swim is in the lake - kinda scary.

Anyhoo, not much progress in the knitting area. Hope to finish the revamped Lelah this weekend, and I'm still churning away on the baby blanket. Pictures soon!

Sounds great, what's the name of your act?

2005-08-17T12:56:00.000-05:00

Lonely me is sans husband this week and next week due to business travel, so twin sister Anna, brother Nick, and I went to see The Aristocrats last night. The premise sounds boring - lots of comics telling the same dirty joke, but it was hysterical, if a little long-winded. My favorites were the mime, the card-trick guy, and of course, Gilbert Gottfried. I highly recommend! Thanks to all you bloggers and my family for support and encouragement during my tri-training. My official time was just over 1:36 - so much better than I was expecting! Not sure when I'll be doing my next one...but a couple swimming clinics will be done this fall, and I'll be bike shopping this weekend. In fact, I had a dream last night that I was bike shopping and almost bought an exact replica of my old yellow Huffy bike - banana seat and all. Damn I loved that bike!

I finished!

2005-08-14T18:40:00.000-05:00

I guess I'm officially a triathlete now...the race was awesome! I think I'm definitely hooked now. It was a lot more fun that the running races I have been doing. The one thing that I really want now is a new road bike. Even though I had road tires put on my Trek mountain bike (which is about 7 years old), there were so many cool bikes at the race, and I would probably go a lot faster. The times haven't been posted yet, but I think I probably finished between 1:30 and 1:45, which is what I was hoping for. A quick recap: 1. Swim - Centennial Beach is a quarry converted into a community pool/beach. The water looked like lake water, and there was some sand at the bottom. I started at the back of the pack, which meant I didn't get in the water until around 8 am (the race started around 7 am). I basically did a mix of free style and breast stroke/doggy paddle...mainly b/c of nerves, and just because it felt right to take breaks. 2. Bike - the swim to bike transition was the hardest...felt kind of out of it when I exited the water. Once I got on my bike and went easy the first mile or so, I felt good. Doug got their just as I was making my first turn, so it was fun to see him! Throughout the race, I was amazed by the number of people racing in the 50+ age group - very inspirational! 3. Run - bike to run transition felt much better. The first mile of the run I felt kind of tight so I went pretty slow. But after the first mile I got into a good pace and really felt like I was coasting. I was shocked by how much energy I still had. The 5K really didn't seem that long. Crossing the finish was fantastic - I'm really proud of myself and have been on a natural high all day! Photos of the race at my Flickr (sorry, bad quality due to cameraphone). I also did some knitting this weekend. I took a break from fixing my Lelah top and knit a hat for a friend who is having boy/girl fraternal twins in December:

Pattern Here

Yarn: Lily Sugar N' Cream

Maybe I Should Stick to Scarves

2005-08-10T22:04:00.000-05:00

Everytime I attempt to knit myself a garment other than a scarf or a hat, I've been disappointed. I check my guage, follow the pattern to a tee, and it's either too big, too tight, or just ugly. Case in point, I bound off on my Lelah top tonight, and the top is huge.

Too garbage baggish?

Baby got too much back...

I don't know how I'd sew the elastic in without a ton of gathering at the back. This yarn is 100% acrylic, so I doubt blocking will help. Ugh - so frustrating!! I'll probably end up either adding straps, or just balling it up and hiding it somewhere. What am I doing wrong? Funny, someone got to my blog by searching "Dave Navarro's head" in Google. He really does have a big head. Current TV picks - Starved and Kathy Griffin's new reality show (on the surface she seems very annoying but I think she's hilarious).

6 Days till Tri

2005-08-08T22:10:00.000-05:00

So my triathlon is on Sunday...getting excited. In my usual ass-backwards kind of way, I finally decided to get a private swim lesson. Boy was it worth the $80 - among other things, I realized that I was kicking too hard, and that the pool I normally swim in is closer to 50 yards than 25! Other than swimming, I biked about 17 miles yesterday along the lakefront path, and managed to spot some gay pseudo-drill team practicing some awesome routines in the park. Picture 30 men clad in part boy-scout, part national guard uniforms twirling fake rifals to "Stayin' Alive." Perhaps it had s0mething to do with Halsted Market Days? Husband got his motocycle this weekend, but couldn't ride it because he injured his foot on a jet ski on Saturday. The bike is pretty cute, but I'm not getting on it until I get a pink sparkly helmet - that's my only demand. In knitting news, I'm almost finished with Lelah: I got a really cute chocolate brown velvet ribbon for the eyelets. As soon as I finish, it's back to baby projects because all of the babies in my life are due in October, November, and December.

2005-08-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

If you haven't already, check out Michael Yon's blog. He's an independent journalist reporting from Iraq - amazing stuff (thanks Nick). Tonight some of my girlfriends from work are coming over for a "Craft Night," or just a good excuse to hang out and drink (except for my friend Amanda who is pregnant with twins). I'll probably end up showing some of them how to knit. I'll have some pictures of my progress later!

Cereal for Lunch

2005-08-02T21:39:00.000-05:00

Yum - Doug and I lunched at Cereality today. It's a new "cereal bar" that just opened in the Loop. Man was it good! I had the "Life Experience" - Life cereal, bananas, honey, and almonds. Doug's choice sounds disgusting, but it was actually pretty good - Lucky Charms, strawberries, and malted milk balls. And I get to go back again on Thursday! I'm almost done with the lace repeats on my Lelah top. I decided to go with US 8 circulars for the whole top (so my ta-ta's are sufficiently contained), so the lacework isn't as open as it could be, but it's still looks ok. Hopefully I will finish this weekend - I don't seem to be as fast as everyone else out there!

Great Finds

2005-07-31T17:40:00.000-05:00

My sister and I went to the Chicago Antique Market today, and look what I picked up:

An antique plant stand

a pretty quilt

The market is very cool, and within it is also an Indie Designer Fashion Market, which had some great stuff too. This was my first experience with "antiquing," and I realized all of the cool furniture and accessories I miss by shopping at the old standbys. Another shopping coup was had at my local JoAnn fabrics (the one on Elston for the local folk). They are moving to a bigger space in the same strip mall, and everything was 30% off, including yarn:

yes, I was a bad girl

This morning I ran in the Fleet Feet Women's 10K -- I had not run a race in a while, and thought it would be a good one to do pre triathlon (2 weeks from today). I did ok - 10:02/mile, which was good considering that I biked to the start (7 miles), and was awake for about an hour last night with horrendous cramps (sorry if that's tmi). On Saturday I swam - yet another difficult workout. I'm starting to wonder if I bit off more than I chew with this whole triathlon thing. I'm not sure who I think I am with this athletics stuff -- let's just say I've been know to be quite the chicken shit in my day. The plan is to just focus on swimming this week and we'll see how it goes. The husband has been in motorcycle riding school all weekend - yes, we are now the proud owners of a 1966 BSA motorcycle. I'm not thrilled...more on that later!

Smells of Chicago

2005-07-27T21:43:00.000-05:00

Probably not what you think. One of the most intoxicating scents ever is the smell of Blommers Chocolate Factory in the River North area of Chicago (just west of the loop). You can smell chocolate at any time of day, even outside of my building, which is on the far east side of the loop. Today as I was riding my bike home, I caught a wiff of not only Blommmers, but fresh baked bread from Gonnella's bakery...yum! I've finished about 3 lace repeats on my Lelah top. The TLC yarn I'm using is so not soft, but I'm wary about knitting a strapless top that I may not like.

Rock Star - INXS

2005-07-26T22:01:00.000-05:00

So I'm watching this show for the first time, and what's with Dave Navarro's huge head? I think he and Celine Dion look like bobble-head dolls. And the makeup on him - so scary. Horrible commute home today -- I biked into work, not knowing that it would be pouring when I left. I had no umbrella, no rain coat, but I decided to take my bike on the train. As I was carrying my bike down the stairs to the Washington platform, my shopping bag (filled with new goodies from Anthropologie and Thomas Pink...must stop shopping!) was so wet that the bottom fell out on the stairs, spilling all of its contents. Luckily a nice man helped me pick up everything and carried my bike down the stairs. Did I say I must stop shopping? Well I just bought pattern for this A-line skirt - to sew not knit. This site is so cute, and it appears to be local. I've only used my sewing machine a couple of times, so I hope this is relatively easy.

It's gettin' hot in hurrr

2005-07-25T20:28:00.000-05:00

...so my homey Nellie put it best! My car said it was 106 degrees yesterday afternoon. Nasty, nasty. I had a major case of swamp ass (my new favorite term) everytime I peeled my butt off our hot black leather upholstery. Lots of stuff going on this weekend, mother-in-law in town, shopping at Bucktown sidewalk sale, visiting my friend Kristen's new baby, and wrapping it up with a big home cooked meal last night. I managed to squeeze in a run on Saturday and swim on Sunday. Not bad for 48 hours, huh? Also - can't recommend RoSal's restaurant in Little Italy enough. Went for the second time this weekend and it is fabulous. Got some cute things at the sidewalk sale, including some fun jewelry from Shebang, some Besty Johnson undergarments from G Boutique, some athletic ware from Running Away, and a really cute dress from Jolie Joli (bargain of the day, originally $375,got it for $60!) This one's for you dad...my brugmansia plant will be blooming soon. Also, one of my scarlet runner beans has started to bloom: On the knitting front, I started my Lelah top. I'm using some super cheap and super yucky TLC yarn I've had for years. I like the color, and I figure if I don't like the finished project, it only cost me a couple of bucks.

Finished!

2005-07-20T20:40:00.000-05:00

The float trip was a blast...totally relaxing because I was a third wheel and got to sit in an inner tube all day while my friends paddled me in their canoe. I got pretty ripped on Friday night, so I nursed my beers slowly on Saturday. It was so nice to get out of the city for a few days! On to a finished object - these took me a lot longer than I expected. I realized after I finished that I sort of screwed up the waistband (it's supposed to be flat), but it's still functional and it looks really cute! I think my next project will be Lelah. I hope my ta-ta's can handle it! In shopping news...Nordstrom Anniversary sale rocks! Hanky Panky's for $11.90? Best undies in the world! I bought a bunch of cute tops from Anthropologie online - also having a great sale. I just got a raise, and every year about this time I go on some shopping benders.

TTFN

2005-07-15T12:00:00.000-05:00

I'm off on a float trip this weekend in Lesterville, MO. I think a float trip is a Missouri thing. You basically sit in a canoe all day, float down a small river, and get drunk. Who-hoo!

Jiggle Jiggle

2005-07-13T20:23:00.000-05:00

That's the sound my poocher (tummy, gut, stomach, whatever) was making this afternoon as I was running in this lovely ensemble It's my outfit for the triathlon, and I wanted to bike/run in it today so I get all the chafing and other fun stuff out of the way before my race. But I don't normally work out in a sports bra sans t-shirt, so I was quite startled to see the reflection of my jiggling pooch in a window. Some toning is in order - gross! Anyway, rode my bike into work today for the first time, and parked at Milennium Park after joining their "Bike Club." For all you non-Chicagoans, Millennium Park is by far the coolest city park I've ever seen. A definite must-see. Not much knitting to show...I've finished the second leg of the baby denim pants, now it's time to join and work on the butt part. Hopefully pictures soon!

Shameless Plug

2005-07-12T15:48:00.000-05:00

To all my loyal readers (yes, all 5 of you...dad, nick, doug, etc.), please help me to be able to quit work after my husband and I bear children! You know you've got hundreds (if not thousands) of CDs sitting around waiting to be converted to MP3s and put on your shiny new iPod. It totally sucks having to convert all those CDs yourself, no? Fret no more - Digits Music can do it for you! Check out Digits Music for more info.

London

2005-07-07T18:35:00.000-05:00

Local Tribune Columinst/Blogger Eric Zorn pretty much summed it up for me today...there's no reason that what happened in London (or Madrid) could not happen here in Chicago. I take the "El" everyday, and my line goes underground for most of my commute. Today, I chickened out and drove to work. Direct quote from the director of safety and security of Port New Orleans regarding today's events: "We're especially cognizant of the fact that this came a day after the announcement of the awarding of the Olympics to London ... and we're a city that's often awarded special events." Huh? To end on a cheerier note...a couple of garden progress pics: Left photo: scarlet runner bean, crimson climbers, switch grass Right photo: random mix (petunia, geranium, moss rose), and my "science project"

But will it make my hair green?

2005-07-05T22:54:00.000-05:00

With all of my swimming of late, I forgot how gross chlorine is. I feel like a raisin right now...but maybe the chlorine will burn all of the zits off of my face. Kind of like a chemical peel? Probably not -- I'm pretty sure I could be the oldest spokesperson for Clearasil right now. I've even gone the way of Jessica Simpson and Vanessa Williams - but all Proactiv did was bleach my pillows! Here's a good tidbit on the book I'm reading right now, Whores on the Hill. If you went to Catholic school, particularly an all-girls Catholic school like I did, you can probably relate to some, but hopefully not all (I never made out with any of my girlfriends in a cab), of the experiences of the protagonists. Night night.

Firework Season

2005-07-04T21:34:00.000-05:00

Oh my the fireworks...who needs Grant Park when you live on the near northwest side of Chicago? You can go out on our rooftop right now and see literally dozens of different firework "displays." I use the word "display" loosely, since all of these are amateur and illegal of course. Nonetheless very cool. What a beautifuly weekend here...yesterday was the annual 4th celebration on my brother-in-law's boat. Went out on Lake Michigan for a few hours, then grilled back at the dock. I like this photo: Finished the One Skein Wonder this weekend: It's actually the first thing I've knitted for myself that I like. Even Doug said that it is the nicest-looking thing I've finished. It's a little tight on the arms, but I might see if blocking will help that.

Post-Party Roundup

2005-06-29T21:41:00.000-05:00

Now that I've roped you in with my previous post...here is a photo of the cupcakes my sister and I made for our husbands' 30th birthday party. I wish I took a close-up, but you get the idea. Here's another of me and my birthday boy...isn't he cute? I on the other hand, have that too-much-makeup-so-that-I-can-hide-my-horrible-adult-acne look going on. Other exciting (well, exciting to me at least) news: - yesterday I abandoned my retarded flippers at my swim class and did great - it's amazing how much I have improved in 3 sessions! - started knitting the now-ubiquitous One Skein Wonder - I'm using some handspun wool/mohair blend that Doug got me in Pennsylvania and it's making me hot just touching it! - it turns out there is a Republican in my home state of Missouri that is not a religious freak! I hadn't heard about John Danforth's recent op-ed pieces for the NY Times until I heard him on NPR today. Bravo Mr. Danforth!

Pizza sounds good

2005-06-26T02:07:00.000-05:00

Ah, my first drunk posting. My sister and I managed to pull together the 30th birthday party for my husband and her husband at Lottie's Pub tonight. It was a ton of fun....drank, smoked (bad, bad, bad) and had a lot of fun. We made some really yummy cupcakes, pictures of which I will post later. Just got home and made a little "Costco Pizza"...I forget the real name, but they are so damn good. Goodnight All....

It was s'posed to be so easy...

2005-06-21T22:42:00.000-05:00

Swimming that is, not The Streets song. Oh my God, this swimming class/clinic/whatever kicked my ass tonight. I signed up for a Masters adult swim class at the Y, and it's basically a scheduled work out for really good swimmers. After 2 laps I was wiped out, literally gasping for air. My stroke totally sucks -- have I said that I've never swam (or is it swum?) competitively? Anyway, the "instructor" ended up giving me flippers to help keep my body flat, and that helped a ton. Still, I felt kind of retarded. I did feel like I made some improvement by the end of the hour, so I'm going to stick with it. I'm dead...must finish my wine and go to sleep now.

Oh yeah, my blog

2005-06-20T20:34:00.000-05:00

What is it about summer that always seems to keep me frantically busy? Work -- yes as always -- and we always seem to get most of our out-of-town visitors in summer. Why? Well, because winter sucks here, of course. Other reasons: triathlon training, various outdoor projects, shopping, and for Christ's sake -- the weather is awesome right now! But all of this means that my indoor hobbies (blogging, knitting) have been a bit neglected the last couple of weeks. No more, I say! Proof that my thumb is getting greener: Apologies for the small pics...check out on my flickr. My first tomato flowers of the season: And I've actually done some knitting! I finally figured out casting on with double-pointed needles, and I've almost finished the first leg of the Baby Denim Pants from LMKG. And shopping too! With the help of my sis, I finally purchased my first pair of nice, non-Gap or Banana designer jeans. They are Seven for All Mankind and I love them! They fit great and are not as low cut as I feared. My love handles are sufficiently contained! My tri-training is progressing...so far I've only been running and biking. Tomorrow I start a Masters-level swim clinic at the local Y. I'm kind of nervous because I think I'll probably be the worst swimmer there, and I haven't worn a one-piece swimsuit in ages! Hopefully I'll make some improvements during the 5 week course. This weekend my sis and I are throwing a 30th birthday party for our respective husbands at Lottie's Pub. We've decided that instead of cake, we're going to bake some cupcakes from Cupcakes by Elinor Klivans. It's such a cute cookbook...I highly recommend it! We have more visitors arriving on Friday for the party, so it's likely to be another crazy weekend. Ooh... new toy alert! I also just got a new camera phone - I've managed to figure out how to take pictures, but doing anything meaningful with them is still a mystery to me. It's still pretty cool.

Goodbye Twenties, Happy Flag Day

2005-06-14T08:55:00.000-05:00

Not me - I have another 8 months or so...my husband Doug turns 30 today! We're celebrating with a steak dinner at Gene & Georgetti's downtown (definitely better than Cafe Bo-suck-o). Typical summer busy-ness right now - more family visits, 30th bday party planning, watering everyday because it's so damn dry here, tri-training, oh yeah - work, etc. I'm hoping to sit down and tinker with the blog and post some photos later this week.

Cafe Bo-suck-o

2005-06-08T13:06:00.000-05:00

After a failed attempt at getting free BBQ at the Map Room last night, Doug and I headed over to Cafe Bolero on Western Ave. Beautiful evening, outside seating, live cuban music - seemed to be a good combination, right? Not so - I do not recommend this place. After waiting about 5 minutes at the hostess desk, I was told by two people that we would only have to wait a few minutes to sit outside. A few minutes later, some big guy pops out of the kitchen and asks me something in spanish - I only got "la nina", and assumed he was talking to me. Then in English, he proceeds to ask me if I need help. Gee, thanks, I've only been standing here for 10 minutes! Anyway, I politely tell him that I was being helped and would be sitting outside. He then says - and I completely thought he was joking - "...that is not possible. You have to go through me to get a table. Only I know what tables are open. There are two parties ahead of you." Only he was totally serious. Great customer service don't you think? Once we were finally seated, and ordered drinks and dinner (which took another 15 minutes), the food came out way too fast (ususally a sure sign that the food will suck), and my "grilled" shrimp was definitely not worth the $16 we paid for it. Maybe they're mojitos are good - but I would not recommend Cafe Bolero for its food or its service. Will post soon on progress of latest knitting project - the baby denim pants from "Last Minute Knitted Gifts." So far, I'm not liking this pattern. It calls for casting on with dp needles, which is not going well. Need to finish for a shower on 7/21. It's hot here - finally! I'm spending almost an hour everyday after work watering - but it's worth it b/c my scarlet runner beans and crimson climbers are sprouting...pictures to come.

I'm never going to wear this

2005-06-03T22:14:00.000-05:00

Who am I kidding? This will never be worn. I think I made the wrong yarn choice - the alpaca is too stiff and bulky. This is my first frogging experience, and it's becoming quite a mess. I'm hoping to salvage enough yarn to make this. When the shrugs first appeared a few years ago, I wasn't a fan. I'm liking them more now... For you Howard Stern fans out there (I'm a big one)...Doug and I are going to see Artie and Jim Florentine tomorrow night! I'm hoping he's as funny live as he is on the show. Besides Howard, Artie is definitely my favorite! Happy Weekend!

Fun with Bike and Dirt

2005-05-31T20:37:00.000-05:00

This was a jam-packed weekend. First, the parental units were in town. We had a good time...luckily, my parents don't need a lot of babysitting and event planning...they are happy just hanging with their girls. My dad helped me with some more planting, and speaking of planting, my handy husband just finished a second large planter for one of our rooftop decks. Check it out. I replanted an aphid-infested honeysuckle in it with the intention of saving its life, and I also planted some scarlet runner beans and crimson climber seeds. Let's see what they do... I also did the annual "Bike the Drive," which was a total blast but I am such a neophyte retard biker. I rode with a friend from work who is a hard-core cyclist. The first fuck up was when I missed my water bottle holder on my bike, and my water bottle careened down Lake Shore Drive. A nice person picked it up, but a mean person yelled at me for stopping (I can't stand athletes with attitude). Anyway, second fuck up was when I decided to take some pictures while biking. I missed my fanny pack when trying to put away the camera at one point. The camera flew onto to LSD! Luckily a very nice man behind me picked up all the pieces (incl. battery, memory card, and shutter which fell off). I managed to re-insert the battery and memory card, and the camera worked fine, but the shutter is busted. Anyway, I was very embarrassed to say the least, but I finished the 30 mile course and if felt great!! Now I just need to work on my swimming! Before I dropped my camera After I dropped my camera Self-portrait - yes, they do make helmets that fit my huge heed! Not much in the way of knitting progress (again). I'm constantly working on baby stuff for friends, so all of my progress is very small. Behold, a flower washcloth I made for my expecting friend Kristen. That's about it for now!

I forgot a title...

2005-05-23T10:22:00.000-05:00

As if we needed any more, 2 new reasons to loathe the current administration. No long-winded political commentary here... all I can say is WTF? It's been a busy weekend and Monday at Chez Melissa...lots of family rolling in and out the next few days. I did manage to get in my first long bike ride yesterday - about 30 miles to the North Branch Forest Preserve Trail. Had a great ride - and I can see myself become a bike nerd (biking gloves anyone?). Other appearances this weekend: Adobo Grill Wicker Park (yum guacamole), Four (cheezy), and Hot Chocolate (yum everything). Not much progress made in the knitting department, due to the beautiful weather we had this weekend. I need to finish up the baby uggs and another little project by Thursday. So I'll post pics soon!

Dancing with the Stars

2005-05-16T21:56:00.000-05:00

No freakin' way this show is coming to America...when Doug and I were vacationing in Australia in February, we happened upon a show called "Dancing with the Stars." It is the most retarded of reality TV shows I have ever watched. A celebrity is teamed up with professional ballroom dancer, and they compete against other celeb-dancer pairs. It's ri-god-damn-diculous!