TGIF

I borrowed this book from Diann and it was very good! The author is clever, and has good information. I am working on the heel of the second sock. (Oops, I accidentally typed "I am working on the hell of the second sock" but it was fine). I will have leftover yarn, so I have to figure out what to do with it. I'm not sure yet how much, so it may not be enough for anything.

This was done by a bad cat. I'm guessing Mowry is the one who dug out the pillowcase I had used to cover the plant so he couldn't get to it, but he's very clever. I took this picture last night of Mowry and Ziggy BOTH on my lap at the same time. That's why it was so hard to photograph. I had to hold up the camera and guess, so it took a few shots.

Yes, they are really that close, and it looks peaceful. It was nice until Mowry decided to go after Ziggy. What a brat. Ziggy is scared, Mowry knows it, and takes advantage. But for these few moments we had a nice quiet sharing of Joan's lap on the blanket.

Who me? I'm just trying to rest on the middle level of my Crow's Nest.

Wednesday

It's 71 degrees outside, with 4 mph winds. Why am I inside? Look at Wrigley Field in Chicago today! Wow! It's 12 degrees, cloudy and windy (and snowy) in Chicago! Ziggy is hiding in one of his favorite spots - behind Will's monitor. Mowry chased him into the office today, and then after he was here, Mowry jumped on the desk. This time Zig wasn't panicked, and didn't run. They just looked at each other. If only Ziggy would either fight back, or just ignore the little orange monster! It's even possible Mowry just wants a playmate!

I finished one of the socks with Lorna's Laces yarn. I finally found a pattern that I liked the yarn striping. I did K2, P2 the whole way instead of doing a rib and then another pattern, and although it's not my favorite, it's okay and better than others I tried. The yarn is so pretty, with great colors and great texture, but I have not been crazy about the striping.

I'm working on sock #2 now.

Carpool Dummy

Today I was sort of a carpool dummy for Will when he went across the Dumbarton Bridge. It wasn't during carpool hours, so I wasn't really a carpool dummy, but I thought that was funny.

It was a beautiful clear day. The KGO tower has been here since 1926.

I went to a coffee shop (I had my choice of a bagel shop or Starbucks, and I chose the bagel shop over Big Bucks) and ordered tea and read something for a prospective client, then read my book and then knitted the Lorna's Laces sock while he was at a meeting. I liked this poster in the bagel shop.

I walked around a bit - the trees are starting to bloom, and the sky was a deep blue. It was in the high 60s.

Was it Cosmopolitan magazine or one of the others I read in my teens and 20s that had fashion dos and don'ts? These are both bad looks on so many levels, but what caused me to whip out my camera and take a picture was the heels. She's taking a walk in heels. This pretty lagoon was near the shopping center, but I couldn't figure out how to get to the walk trail.
We grabbed lunch at Una Mas, and headed home. Here's Will in dress up clothes for his client meeting. Beard update!
We passed by Sun Microsystems, which is referred to as "Sun Quentin" because of its resemblance in proximity (near the bay) and looks to San Quentin, the prison in the north bay. It must have been a really nice view BEFORE the campus was erected.The Dumbarton Bridge was entertaining today. A wide load truck....
makes me think of two other wide loads - our two black and white cats! Last night Ziggy was up on the Crow's Nest with his paws dangling down. I'm still yet to see him get up or down from there!

He was on my lap when Will brought in the laundry and dumped it on me at my request. I didn't want to get up and disturb the kitty. Zig didn't mind!

Back to the Dumbarton Bridge - the old railroad bridge still stands! It was even clearer on the way home! You can see the blur from the car moving at the bottom left of the picture!

And another view coming down off the high rise toward Fremont/Newark.

This brain trust was reading as she was driving on the bridge. Not directions (you don't need directions once you're on the bridge), but what looked like a page full of written text.

And FINALLY the sign that allows us to breathe a sigh of relief...

Sunday Pictures

Last night we were about to leave the house when we realized we couldn't find Ziggy. We like to do an "all cats accounted for" check before we leave, before we set the alarm, before we go to sleep at night, etc. We looked in his usual hiding places, but no Ziggy. As I was about to give up, I looked up at the Crow's Nest where Mowry usually hangs out, and there was Ziggy. I don't know if there was a fight later, but he was not there when we got home. The bigger question is just how he got up there. He's larger and heavier than Mowry!

Today we had beautiful weather. My weatherbug program says it's still 64 degrees outside! In Southern California we were used to these days in the middle of winter, but it's a pleasant surprise in Northern California.

We got up later than we thought we would, so we took our time and instead of going to the Farmers' Market, we walked into town for an "open Mic" with speakers lecturing about local history. We planned to eat lunch before we went, but we completely forgot, so we ate at a cafe in town.

Then we went to Safeway for produce because it's close. I'm making Stir Fry for dinner.

It was even a sunroom day, according to Will. I thought it was chilly out there. Mowry loves the sunroom, especially his cat post. This one is lower than the Crow's Nest.

The Lorna's Lace's yarn is back to being a sock again. I'm doing KNIT 2, PURL 2 and it's about the best pattern I've found yet. I love the yarn, but I'm not loving its pattern.

I went to the yarn store to buy one skein of denim colored Pace yarn that I've used before when I've run out of yarn. She has had one skein there for months, and of course, while she doesn't remember selling it, it was not there now that I needed it. I'm sure I'll use it in the future since I live in jeans and my knitting projects always go with jeans. I needed to bring the unfinished socks that would use this yarn now to determine which of the colors in stock would match best, but since I didn't, I will go back later this week.

Saturday

It's a beautiful day. It is now 61 degrees. It's 25 degrees and snowing in West Hartford, CT where my friend, Miriam, lives. It's 43 and raining where Will's mother lives in Ocean Shores, WA, and it's 28 and snowing at Wrigley Field.

We went to two garage sales and the flea market. We found these two lamps at the first garage sale, and couldn't resist.
We weren't sure where we'd put them, but Will likes them on the sideboard on either side of the needlepoint picture started by my dad and finished by none other than Aunt Mare, in whose honor this blog got named. Ziggy loves the down throw.


It's a little blurry, but is this cute with his paws out?

Last night Will played drums with his musican friends Eddie, Steve and Bob at Mission Coffee. It was one of the best performances for them. There weren't a lot of people, but those who were there were attentive and had a great time!

Cats and Paint and Things

Is Ziggy adorable, or what? We just love this cat! We're really glad that it worked out for us to adopt him.

This is the Lorna's Laces yarn hat, take 2, but there's since been a take 3. There were too many stitches cast on the first time, and I decided on bigger needles the second time.

I've been thinking about painting these door jams since we moved here two years ago. They are a mess because there was carpet here before we had it ripped out.
I even had the paint!

Will ran to the hardware store for me to get some paint brushes because we didn't have any small enough for this area, and I was able to paint. Anything so he didn't have to be on his hands and knees doing the painting. Can you blame him?

After - it's not perfect, but it is so much better. The average eye wouldn't spot any issues unless they got down close like I did to take this picture. All I saw before were the scuffs.

I think I created a monster. I showed Ziggy how to look outside from the kitchen chair.

He immediately tried to walk across the stove. It seems to be very attractive to cats. I've caught Alex and Mowry trying to do that.

Wednesday Photos - cats and knitting and things

Some people might think I have too much time on my hands, but it doesn't take me that long to run around with my camera and snap away.


I started a rolled brim hat, but it was no easy feat. These needles are a little short, so stitches fall off, and the circulars are a little too long, so the yarn stretched too much. I'll see how it goes. No major commitment yet.
Someone posted a request for lemons and oranges on Fremont Freecycle, an email group where people post things they want, or want to recycle. It was the same lady who rescued my pineapple guavas from the recycle bin a few months ago when she posted a request for PGs. I am happy to provide her with some lemons from our tree. I didn't want to go out when it was raining or really cold, but today I went out and picked 28 lemons for her.

If I leave my pajamas and robe on top of the bed, I should expect a smart kitty will find them and sleep there. Maybe my jammies will be warm when I'm ready to change in them, but he'll probably be long gone by then!

That darn flash always wakes him, so he had to stretch!This must be a favorite position of Mow Mow because here he was on my favorite chair lsat night. Notice the chair arm that got uncovered from the protective throw.

I like to take surveys, and for my efforts I've gotten free magazine subscriptions that I've sent to friends, among other things. Not that it's that hard to come by free magazine subscriptions, but I don't think the ones I've gotten are not in that "giveaway" group. I took an Auto Club survey and was one of the first to respond, so I got this beautiful 2009 Vintage SF calendar for my efforts.

Will is at the dentist getting an old leaky crown replaced. I swear this is taking longer than my gum surgery. It feels like we are personally supporting the dental profession these past few months with my gum surgery and a crown last year, and now this. We have dental insurance, but frankly, it's a joke. They pay 100% of several things, but it's 100% of THEIR FANTASY OF WHAT A PRICE SHOULD BE, which in reality is about 20% of what it really is. I did the math. They suck. But years when we have a lot of work, it works out to be better than not having it.

Beard update: It' a beard! (Goatee). I can't seem to get a clear picture, but you get the drift.