Well...

I guess if it's recommended by a doctor...

(seen at Cancun Airport, May 11, 2011)

True Confessions...

35 years ago, almost to the day, I skipped Grade 9 Home Economics to go downtown Hamilton with Mary Lynne Curtis and buy a Rush t-shirt I had been eyeing for some weeks. We got caught, and my 15th birthday was one of my most unpleasant, and yet memorable, birthdays on record.

Last night, in a circle-closing kind of thing, I went to Copps Coliseum with the boys and their dad to see Rush perform. Now, I've never been a serious fan, make no mistake, I just liked the t-shirt.

But in over 30 years of avid-concert-going, I will state here that last night's performance by Rush was the BEST show I've ever see. Bar none.

What do I like about Rush?

These are three regular but extremely intelligent guys, locally grown, with little pretension. There are no feather boas, no tantrums in hotel rooms, no obvious sex-starved groupies; just three guys who love to make music. They had no opening band, they played for three hours with a 20-minute break, and they looked like they were having fun doing it.

The highlight for me, apart from very entertaining videos that led into some of their most popular songs, was Neil Peart's drum solo. His drum kit is a beautiful thing - that's right, I'm waxing poetic about drums. But these are truly gorgeous: copper-coloured, rotating, dazzling drums. And what he does with them you feel in your stomach and throat - just amazing. I've always had a weakness for percussion, and this more than met my expectations.

I have never really appreciated Alex Lifeson's skill as a guitarist, but to hear him play an acoustic guitar solo leading into Closer to the Heart? I get goosebumps just recounting it.

And Geddy Lee - so his voice has mellowed some over the years, which for me is a good thing. But watching him completely shred the bass, while jumping around and looking, in all honesty, like a long-haired, sneakered teenager just having fun... well, it was inspired.

These guys know how to put on a show - a few special effects and pyrotechnics, but mostly relying on their own skill and showmanship. I am stunned by how much I enjoyed the show.

Do I love their music?

not 100% - if it's a song where I can't sing along or find a steady rhythm, not so much.

Would I see them again?

IN A HEARTBEAT!

Would I recommend them?

ABSOLUTELY - just bring earplugs (we didn't, and for being only three guys playing up there, it's amazing that I still can't hear out of my left ear).

So there you go - the circle of Rush... not a bad start to this new era of which we shan't speak - we shall simply call it spring, and speak of it no more.

WTF?????

Woke up to 4" of this stuff, two more have fallen since shovelling around 8am, and it is STILL coming down. No snow day for us, of course, which would have taken a little of the sting out...

I was so happy that the back yard had finally dried so no mud was being tracked in, and now we have to start all over again...

Spring, my ass...

Things I've Learned

1. Skunks don't hibernate. A life-long belief crushed in one night.

2. According to Ben, the smell of grilled cheese with a skunk overlay is what Chinese food smells like. Explains his lack of enthusiasm for it.

3. The smell of skunk permeates an entire house in no time flat, and lingers indefinitely.

4. Having your windows open in -5C weather constitutes sweater weather. And mitten weather. And hat weather.

5. As always, knitting to the rescue.

6. Digression: after a certain age, catching one's reflection looking down (as over a toaster) is absolutely the wrong thing to do.

7. Wine helps diminish both skunkiness and wrinkles/chicken neck which were obviously exaggerated while looking down over the toaster.

No pics because who wants to see an upside-down chicken neck?

red in the morning...

I know it doesn't bode well for the rest of the day, but it certainly makes for gorgeous sky-watching while having my coffee...

Nope...

Not a hostage hoping for rescue or ransom...

But an exercise in felting...

don't you love what we can do with sticks, string and a little hot water?

Bet you thought I forgot...

didn't you?

Well, I didn't, so nyah...

I am taking my time with this, because I forgot how much

I love the feel of sheepy wool (Bartlettyarns Fisherman 2-ply) and cables

with the perfect needles (Signature circulars).

So it's coming along, and since I don't think I'll be making baby things as in EZ's February installment, I'll hopefully finish this and some other things...

How much...

How much knitting can one do on an 8-hour car ride to and from Cleveland, OH?

One hat's worth.

And a couple more inches on a sweater that will be wonderful when finished, but is sort of a slog right now...

Project: Notre Dame de Grace by Veronik Avery

Yarn: Spud & Chloe Sweater

Needle: 4.5mm

Started: September 21, 2010

Of course, the next obvious question is: why would one want to drive for 8 hours to and from Cleveland OH?

To visit the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, naturally...

Unfortunately one cannot take pictures in the Hall of Fame, so one has to rely on one's not-always-reliable memory (yeah, even after only 2 days, I'm fuzzy on a few things). However, pictures of the Hall of Fame are permitted.

We took Tanner and Ben, as part of Tanner's 16th birthday gift, and it was AMAZING. 6 floors of artifacts and information: hand-written notes for songs by the Beatles and Bruce Springsteen, musical instruments (Jerry Lee Lewis' piano, Eric Clapton's guitar), clothes (Freddy Mercury, Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon's Sgt. Pepper uniform). Some of my favourites were the utterly outlandish outfits worn by Hendrix, according to the plaque, "both on stage and in every day life". Seriously, if you saw someone coming towards you in the grocery store in some of these things, you'd be calling for back-up.

There were some things I didn't understand, like, how did Rod Stewart get inducted 5 years before Paul McCartney? And where was Stevie Ray Vaughan? Or Chicago? Come on, people - Iggy Pop and the Stooges are there, but Stevie Ray is not?

All in all, though, a great weekend trip - we stayed in downtown Cleveland, within walking distance of restaurants, the Hall of Fame and lots of other things we were too tired to see; perfect weather; no delays at the border; and I got to knit there and back... all very civilized.

And now we're heavy into autumn, the leaves are falling (which translates to: must start raking soon), and temperatures are dropping faster than I'd like. You'd think, me being a knitter, that I'd love a little extra crispness in the air so I could wear sweaters, but in fact, I am happiest with the hot, humid weather we had so much of this summer. I'm kind of surprised that it's so fall-like already, but I think I've lost about 6 weeks, and am slowly reacquainting myself with what's around me.

So, we move on into "the new normal", which really is anything but, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Coping...

France, 1991

or a reasonable facsimile thereof...

Life is moving on, although slowly and sadly. My brothers and I are stunned by how difficult this is, particularly in light of the fact that we are all middle-aged (and then some), and Dad was 75. I think the suddenness and unexpectedness of it all, along with the realization of loss and change and impermanence, has clobbered us hard. And if it's this hard for us, I really can't imagine how hard it is for Mom.

So we plod along as best we can, with days that seem okay, and days that are unbearably painful. My parents' 51st anniversary was on Friday - not a good day. We are celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow, and I think that will be an okay day. The days in between are hard to predict, but I am always grateful for a non-crying day; these are happening more and more frequently.

So I am knitting, but not with any enthusiasm. What I have done is FINALLY figured out my rigid heddle loom, which I find completely weird. I have been stumped for the past couple of years, having so much difficulty just warping the damn thing. Now, unable to concentrate on much of anything, I am suddenly able to figure this out.

So I made this for Kelly's birthday: 1 and a bit more skeins of Sanguine Gryphon "Bugga".

One thing that I am finding very comforting, or rather, one person, is Elizabeth Zimmermann. I read and re-read her books as a matter of course, but for some reason, I am turning to her almost exclusively right now.

Which leads me to thoughts of a new project for the new year... I think I'm going to work my way through Knitters' Almanac beginning in January 2011. I will follow the projects faithfully, except for those things that I know I'll never wear, or be able to persuade anyone else to wear (nether garments, anyone?). In those cases, I'll substitute another Zimmermann project.

So, does anyone want to play with me?

I'm not sure when I'll be back - we are trying to cope with the very sudden and unexpected loss of my dad, the man who among so many other things, taught me to appreciate a good beer.

When I can think more coherently, maybe I'll tell you a little bit more about him - he was quite a splendid chap, our Joe.

Eat your heart out, Miracle Gro

At the end of May, I planted a few edibles in the garden - I stuck some peppers and tomatoes in the only sunny flower bed on the property, and put two cherry tomato plants in pots near the patio, one red, one golden.

Things have gone swimmingly; we've been able to pluck cherry tomatoes while sitting outside at the table to toss into our salads or mouths, and barring a few unforeseen circumstances (like dogs surreptitiously helping themselves to a few ripe peppers, branches and all), we've had plum, black (honestly, BLACK) tomatoes, and white and chocolate brown peppers.

Lately, though, things have gotten a little, er, out of hand. In the space of about a week, my cherry tomato plants have gone from civilized, staked, well-behaved individuals to this:

Note: dogs added for scale, but against their will

I have no idea where the stakes have gone, I cannot even find the pots they're planted in, and this cherry tomato jungle has encroached on the lawn to the point where I have to cut a wide swath around it, because frankly, I'm afraid to get it mad.

I'm currently listening to The Tommyknockers, by Steven King, about the effects of alien nuclear power on a town, and, well, I'm just saying things have gotten VERY weird and out of hand here, and really, who knows where aliens might find themselves... there have been some new people in the neighborhood recently, and none of us knows much about them at all...

I'm afraid...

Life Lessons

# 317 - when painting, always put brushes away during even the shortest break, particularly when living with curious dogs who will not admit their guilt, but who are nonetheless guilty without question.

Case in point:

black dog, newly whitened nose tip

# 138(a) - always remove the plastic insert from a new deodorant stick prior to application.

# 138(b) - after scraping one's underarm raw with said plastic insert, it is not then advisable to immediately remove the insert and reapply deodorant. Such "rash" action can lead to severe pain, speaking in tongues and dance moves to rival Elaine Bennis.

Today's post brought to you by...

10 Things to Bring on a Camping Trip

We haven't actually "camped" in a few years (the thought of sleeping on a small tent right beside their mom seems 'awkward' to teenaged boys - who knew?), but when we did, there were some definite staples to include (apart from the obvious, like TENT or SLEEPING BAG):

1. Knitting (well, duh...)

2. Books (again with the duh)

3. Camera (I've always wanted a waterproof one, but we've managed without)

4. Inflatable sleeping pad - I am definitely of an age when I like my comforts, and the last time we camped I borrowed a sleeping pad with down in it - my kind of roughing it

5. Chairs - not fancy, just basic keeping-my-ass-off-the-ground kind of chairs

6. Wine - just one bottle, poured into a metal bottle, which is allowed - one glass a night by the campfire just takes the edge off

7. Smores supplies - messy, gooey, but keeps the kids entertained (and stuffed) for hours

8. Bear spray - we never came face to face with one, but I heard them sniffing outside the tent more than once. My question is how does one get close enough to the bear to use the spray effectively without becoming an appetizer? And still, I find it comforting to have nearby...

9. Bug spray - some of us have major insect issues, and must be well-sprayed in order to enjoy the outdoors. I'm not naming names, I'll just say it's not me.

10. Good coffee - something about an early morning campsite, dew-covered ground sparkling in the early sunshine, silence but for birds, and the small of coffee brewing on a Coleman stove... mmmm....

I could go on - fishing rods, for example - but I'll stop here and imagine I'm tucked away in the woods by a lake somewhere...

Top Ten Tuesday

I thought it might push me to be a little more, um, regular in my communications if I tried something like a Top Ten list, although I'll be back in a day or two with a What I Did This Summer Part I post -

so, 10 Things I Like About Where I Live:

1. We are less than 10 minutes by bike to the shores of Lake Ontario, with real beaches and everything.

2. The Burlington, ON "core", where I live, has a small-town feel - we can walk/bike to the library, Starbucks, and the kids' orthodontist.

3. Our town is a relatively short drive to so many wonderful attractions: Niagara Falls (45 min); Toronto (40 - a zillion minutes, depending on traffic); Muskoka / Algonquin Park (2 - 3 hours); wineries (40 minutes in the Niagara direction, 3 hours to Prince Edward County); FABULOUS beaches (10 minutes down the street; 3 hours to Sandbanks and plenty in between).

4. Our house is two blocks from school, so the kids can and usually do come home for lunch.

5. Ours is an old, established neighborhood, with lots of huge trees and heritage houses, which makes it great for strolling.

6. The downtown core is being fixed up (perpetually), and there are cute shops, boutiques and restaurants all within walking distance.

7. In addition to Starbucks, there's a Coffee Culture and even a Second Cup within walking distance, so no caffeine hankering goes untended.

8. I like walking.

9. We live on a very quiet cul de sac populated by mostly boys, so it's always easy to get a road hockey game going, if you like that sort of thing.

10. I have followed the "smallest house in the best neighborhood" adage. Ours is a cute, small-ish cottagey thing surrounded by a few $1million+ properties. Put it this way: Thursday is lawn service day on our street. I cut the grass on Fridays.

So there you go, 10 reasons I love to live in Burlington!

What can I say, but...

BEST.

MOVIE.

EVER.

The places we've gone, the things we've seen...

The places we've gone, the things we've seen...
Originally uploaded by deerj

A very, very small sample of things we've been up to in recent months - and there are more photos of the dogs not because I prefer them to my children, but because they don't have a say in how often their pictures appear here...

the kids do...

Hey, how's it going?

Yeah, it's been a while. What have you been up to? Me? Oh, the usual... you know, kids, dogs, knitting, life -

so I'm not making any huge promises here, but I am going to try to push through my mojo-less state and get myself back out here...

I'll be tossing up pics of life in the last many months periodically, but I am going to start with this, which excites me thoroughly:

CSK = Community Supported Knitting - don't you just love the sound of that??

So I'll be back soon - not saying when exactly, but soon... really, I mean it...

Milestones

Hey, I just noticed that my last post was my 200th... sure, they've been irregular, but wow, I'm kind of impressed... maybe for the 250th I'l have a contest or something - which should be easy pickings as I believe there are only a few, select people who read me...

another milestone:

the first day of school, going into grades 10 and 8 in the order shown above - the first week has been survived, everyone still intact, homework minimal so far, but riot acts have been read, expectations for the year CLEARLY delineated... we'll see how things go

and I consider this a milestone: the KW Knitters' Fair, which my mom and I attended yesterday, along with a whole whack of enthusiastic people. Big crowd, 80-ish vendors in two big rooms, lots and lots to choose from. As in Portland, I was quite restrained, although I did buy a pack of 10 skeins of Manos Silky Blend as I walked in the door... the Purple Purl booth was right there, and they are so nice and friendly, and well... you know...

If I can fiddle with the numbers (different gauges, of course), I think it'll be a Varese hoodie for me in the very near future.

I FINALLY met Sandra - YAY!!! - I don't know how you felt, Sandra, but I was totally comfortable chatting with you, felt like I've known you for ages - so cool to finally meet someone you've been emailing and blog-reading with for a while, and find yourself friends in person - I tend to be pretty reserved, so it's such a treat to connect with people...

Mom and I spent a good 2 hours indulging ourselves in a mature, controlled manner (no sarcasm, we were very good) - I did pick up a Fiddlehead mitten kit from Tanis Fiber Arts, and spoke a bit with Tanis and her mom, both of whom are just lovely - such a talented fibre artist, Tanis - her colours are spectacular! I may have bought a bit more than the kit, and I may show it off later. Or if you're keen, you may want to peek at my Ravelry stash and appreciate the colours yourself... to die for... and there may be some further Tanis in the near future, if I make it out to the Purl next weekend for the February Lady KAL photo op.

and now we find ourselves back in the routine, back to the grind, with barely a hint that we had a vacation at all... why is it that it takes (well, for me anyways) at least a week to unwind and get into vacation mode, but only a couple of days at most to get out of it?

These are the times

I sent the boys and their best friend off to a nearby pizzeria to buy themselves lunch today, because (a) it seems like a fun end-of-summer thing to do, and (b) I have minimal food in the house, and there was no time for grocery shopping.

When they came home, they presented me with this

There's a candle stuck in the watermelon, which they very thoughtfully did not light.

accompanied by a spontaneous, rousing version of Happy Birthday. It's not my birthday.

I have been giggling about their silliness all afternoon.

So, these seem to me to be the times remembered, to help one through the inevitable kaka that comes with two teenaged boys. Remind me about this when I need it, okay?

Same bat time, same bat channel...

yeah, I know, I just dated myself...

so I had someone from the Humane Wildlife Removal Association come by to check things out, and see if our toilet plunger target had any friends hanging around. After climbing all over the roof, peeking into the attic, and looking in the garage rafters (all while wearing a black t-shirt with "Bat Guy" in huge yellow letters, which was no doubt comforting to the neighbors), my house was declared "clean". Happy news, considering bat removal would cost in excess of $1000, and frankly, if I'm going to spend that much, it should be on something fun.

So imagine my surprise when I went into the garage the next morning and narrowly missed stepping on a dead bat. WTF is going on around here???!!!! My first thought was that if anyone found it, I would be charged with killing a bat. Oh, did I forget to mention it's illegal to kill bats? I love this - they damage your home, have highly toxic droppings, can bite you in your sleep, and are frequent carriers of rabies... but they are protected by the law. If some guy broke into my house I could shoot him legally, but I can't kill a bat. Someone please explain this to me - even after a couple of beers it still makes no sense.

I think I have figured out how the first one got in - climbed through the garage, through the air vent in my bedroom which is DIRECTLY BEHIND MY HEAD. Why yes, I am a little freaked. And no, no I haven't been sleeping all that well of late. I have been through the garage with a flashlight, and found nothing (THANK GOD) and will be going out again when I'm done this to look more closely - think happy thoughts.

Thankfully, the boys and I headed out for a couple of days at Sandbanks, and we lucked into the best day of the week - sunny, windy, hot - I love this place, it's good for the soul, and the boys are still not so grown-up that they don't enjoy climbing the huge dunes only to pitch themselves back down. And repeat ad naseum.

I was the only one who braved the water, but it was surprisingly warm - I do love lake swimming...

We made our traditional stop at The Big Apple for the traditional photo op, for which they were less than pleased, as is our tradition.

And now we are home till school starts in a couple of weeks - way too soon for me, but I seem to be in the minority. Although I just checked in on them , and my 13 year old and nearly (gasp) 15 year old are dissolved in laughter over jokes about farts and penises. So maybe school's not so bad.

Some knitting - I am very close to finishing my Heather Hoodie Vest, made from very well aged Cherry Tree Hill bulky merino;

and am working away on the 3rd reincarnation of my Cookie A-inspired sock, which I started at her Sock Summit class. I love it, and I think it'll look good when done. And it's complicated enough that I stay focused, but no so much so that it frustrates me.

Lord know, there's enough of that going around right now...

Off to check the garage - happy thoughts, happy thoughts...