Rainy Friday Post

The rain has me a bit nostalgic, and a little mopey. I want a hug and maybe my ginormous knitting mug of black tea and milk. I need to get the knitting needles a clacking and maybe The Kid and I would read some more of the latest Lemony Snicket book outloud to justify a movie moment later ...

I could bake something.

Maybe we should make a stew/curry/soup.

Pink Martini at the symphony last night was fabulous. Kappy took me as a holiday treat. It had been so long since I saw her, it was a double treat.

I can't remember the last time I was at Davies Hall for music culture. haha. I might have to go next year if they come back. I will probably buy their holiday album to infuse some holiday spirit. Although right now, I'm having a hard time wanting to listen to them knowing they won't have the full symphony behind them.

Such a brat right?

The Manfriend made delicious crab cakes last night. We had mini Baker of Paris rolls. They are really great. I will have to put them in the bread rotation; good for mini sammies, a dip of nutella, a spread of jam or a little melted cheese on one with a thermos of soup is making my son happy. We have had this thermos since 1st grade, but it is only now he finally has the strength to open it.Sigh.

My friend Rae was relating stories of his friend's 12 year old daughter's interactions. We both sighed. 12 yrs. It's going to happen I know. The kid parked it in the living room with us when we were watching Moonrise Kingdom (PG-13) (He was reading for most of it, and he missed the beginning when he was playing Minecraft.)

Afterwards he said, "I didn't really like your movie. It was kind of weird."

The Manfriend replied, "It was art."

hahahhaa.

You know The Kid missed most of the movie, but of course he was in the room for the make out scene. And I was making the "should we pause /fast forward face/crazy gestures" to Manfriend (there were puberty references I can't even say it! ack mom!)

Anyways, all I really ended up doing was bringing attention to it, w/my w/my knitting chair physical freak out. Good job Mom! I hate that. And he just looked up, made an embarrassed eww face and went back to reading yet another Rick Riordan book yet again.

I think tomorrow we'll keep it PG with my sister and nephew ;)

Lessons Learned

My whole idea to knit the left and right front at Aidez, and see if the pattern looked odd a few repeats in ... backfired. I am almost done w/the decreasing and I realize, by transposing the ear of corn pattern, it's making the two fronts look totally different - duh! I mean I write that and it seems so obvious it's going to be different. Anyways, most people won't notice it, but I will. I'm frogging the right side all the way back to the ribbing, and I've frogged the left side just to get rid of some pattern mistakes that I never bothered to notice. It's okay. I feel more comfortable now. I am glad I just decided to take care of it. The problem is I lost a lot of time.

Time I need for holiday knitting. I'm torn. I really just want to take the momentum I've been rolling with on this project and get at least back to where I was. On the other hand, December is just right around the corner. Looking at my last knit related post I realize I didn't even include on the "hopes & dreams holiday list" 2 cowls I bought the sparkly yarn for (Sis and Step Mom).

My mother is sending me yarn and a pattern she wants me to make for her. Apparently she purchased it thinking it was crochet. She said, "It says Easy, so I thought I would be able to do it. But you know, knitting is not really my thing."

Then she says, "I'm putting it in the mail this week. It says Easy, Ellen so if you can't do it, then I don't think you are a very good knitter after all." And then she started laughing as if she just said the best Grampa joke ever.

Eegads.

The yarn came. It's ribbon yarn. I've had to google a video of how to use this stuff. I think it can be done.

I finished hat 4/5 for the Work Koffee Klatch. The problem is I knit where I should purl and purled where I should knit in one section of the hat. (Dark brown yarn and bad eyes. sigh. I am thinking I will put a creative spin on it.) I am not feeling like ripping it out, though I'm comfortable with reknitting the hat in another yarn. How insane is that?

Hat 5 ... I don't think my color combinations for the Christopher is a good idea anymore. I will have to ... go to the yarn store and see if I can find a better match for the gray madelinetosh.

It's never as easy as you think, even if you don't really think it's going to be easy.

Don't Talk With Your Mouthful

I woke up in a good mood today, but then The Kid was mean to me. And as much as I tell Sister, we are not supposed to take it personally. I did. I hate that. Thankfully Dear Manfriend took The Kid to school today so we didn't have to fake it for too long. My skin was crawling. I often wonder if I am really cut out for motherhood. ha! Too late now!

The Kid left the breakfast table, (without clearing his plate if I might add) abruptly. He barely ate. When asked why he said he doesn't like it when people talk with their mouthful.

Now The Kid has complained about this before. Usually at school and says he has to eat the rest of his lunch after school if he gets really grossed out. I do understand this. I do. I have not had a second date or two because of a guy that can't close his mouth, chew, and then tell his story. Apparently I'm a bigger hypocrite than I realize? (I'm not convinced I'm that bad.)

This is all More Irony, since the thing that bugs me the most about it is the lack of self awareness. The amount of stuff we are probably too lenient on with his manners is obviously not appreciated. For all the things that I try to be a good, like Mrs. B, and keep my calmness and gently point out the issue and not yell, he doesn't notice. I have to nag.

I'm ready to return to yelling.

So of course I am spiteful, despite my living decades of "experience" compared to this kid, the joy of motherhood experience and what not. I remind him of a few things he is inept at in the manners and neatness department. Of course Manfriend being from that same calm and quiet zen place like Mrs. B says, "Now, don't get into this for that." Ugh.

He's right of course.

So now, I'm left like a Russian Romance, from reckless actions ... guilt ridden and sad. The center star of my self-made tragedy.

I call the play, "Bad Mama".

November Rain

Oh Axel Rose ... I hope you're finding some laughs in life. I have a sneaking suspicion you have taken not just yourself but everything a tad too seriously for most of your life.

Today is 1 November. To remind us of the new month and the beginning of a Bay Area winter, it began to drizzle during Trick-or-Treating and became enough for an umbrella by the time we got home.

The time for things spooky are done. Tricks have been put to the wayside, but it was just the beginning of treats. Now we will have them decorated in green and gold, bulbs and stars, blue and white and plenty of sparkles. There is something sweet for everyone in the months to come.

The best, is just the cozy. I am looking forward to a few glasses of bubbles with A & Snoopy. Baking cookies and stirring soup with The Kid. Roasting meats and winter veggies with the Dear Manfriend.

And knitting of course!

Two months, for my main holiday knitting. Here are how things are lining up.

3/5 Koffee Klatch Holiday Knitting Hats are done. 2 to go. My plans are to to do a Christopher (maybe without the stripes depending on the time) for one pal, and my old standby bit of quality a Seaman's Cap for the other.

A scarf for mom. She requested this when we visited her for Spring Break in March. She asked for red, said no fancy yarn, but my lovely M-I-L gave me a box of vintage red silk ... and Mom might just have to "settle". I'm thinking about either this waffle pattern or this reversible brioche cable.

I'd like to make my cousin the GAPtastic cowl with some lovely misti chunky grey yarn I have languishing in my stash. However that might get pushed out to New Years.

I'm not a fast knitter, and I would like to finish my sweater and maybe one item for HM's baby before the end of the year. But I think that will be ambitious with what I've listed above -- and I simply must make time for my sweater (that includes error buffering time).