Regarding knitting and the loss of mojo-ness..

Sometimes I feel bad cause I'm not finishing something. I have seen how startitis is running roughshod through the internets lately (and around my circle too :P) but I love me some finishing. I started knitting Ingenue from the awesome new book and I knew as I was knitting it, the fabric was coming out a little.. um.. firm. But you know when you have that ah fuck it anyway moment and try to convince yourself that if you just get past the sleeves, it'll loosen up? Yeah. It didn't. So a frogging I went. BALLS. Do you have any idea how annoying frogging yarn (hand spun natural BFL YUM) that has been held doubled is? Well I mean I guess its not *that* bad, but separating those plies are. I have a noodley mess on my craft table that will just have to stay in time out until I am good and ready to ask for help.

I also have a mini clapotis on the go and and really hopeful that it will be long enough when done. The food scale says yes.. but we'll see. We'll see.

I did finish the most awesome sweater EVER. Its warm, cute and I have worn it a million times already. I used the Blue Sky Alpaca worsted that I reclaimed from a cardigan that just got too big. It killed me to see that huge whack of unused expensive yarn, so huzzah for recycling! Now it lives again in a better life than ever before. I will take pictures of it asap and show ya'll.

I am all about the warm utility sweaters these days. Which is why I was in total denial about the FIRM. Ah well..

In spinning news. I have been going pretty nuts. I got 24 oz of pin drafted Cormo (from an awesome Raveler for 25 $$ including shipping!!!!!) that I almost peed my pants over. I had to get Dana to come and touch it. Like Oh My God! I have been working on the merino seacell roving (and is this spinning up to be the squishiest most lofty yarn!) and maybe will be motivated enough to dye some stuff up.

I went and saw a physio guy last week too. He explained exactly what was wrong with my back and was pretty shocked at how much damage there was. Then when I told him I was 40, he was a little less shocked*, but still said its very significant and good for me for coming in before it gets worse. As it will. Quickly. He basically has me doing kegels right now to tighten the tiny little muscles holding my spine up. Jesus.. that's gross isn't it? Anyways, since I have been doing them, my back hurts more. GREAT. But to be fair, and under used muscles when being worked hurt. Blergh. I go back and see him tomorrow. He couldn't believe I knit. Like only grannies did or something. Silly goose.

Today I am going to try baking some acorn squash. Lets see how THAT goes too.. with some meatloaf? Sounds good.







*He thought I was 28. I told him good answer.

Meme along

I was tagged by the adorable (even without lady shoes) Dana to tell you all six quirky yet boring and/or unspectacular details about myself. Well strap in:

1. Although there are days when I can barely remember what I ate for lunch let alone my kid/husbands/dogs/my own name/s, I can clearly and without a beat remember lyrics to songs I haven't heard in 20 years. Why do I know all the words to J Geils Centerfold, AC/DC Dirty Deeds Done Cheap and pretty much ANYTHING from the 80-90's? I mean this has translated over into inane music trivia as well. Chris' theory that memory only has a finite amount of space is scary if its true. And if it is, I hope he likes hearing all this garbage (oh Shirley Manson, that first album was DIVINE) cause Its all I'll be spouting when I'm old.

2. I hate side seat drivers. Ok hate is a strong word. Strongly dislike. Is that better? I mean I LOVE people who navigate. HUGE DIFFERENCE. Telling me what lane I need to be in, good. Telling me to watch out for that plastic bag? NOT GOOD. Of course this stems from Chris' inability to know where we are at any given moment. Seriously, the guy could get lost within 6 blocks of the house. I have gotten very good at navigating as he needs one. Can I just say the GPS on his Blackberry is a miraculous thing.

3. I believe in Crystal Light cause it believes in me. And it is tasty! All artificial and chemmy.. mmmm... raspberry ice...

4. I am almost incapable of knitting from a pattern. They usually seem wrong to me. Having said that I bought a knitting book! Custom Knits by Wendy (Knit and Tonic) Bernard! Its the best knitting book EVER. And even I am knitting a sweater out of it . But have changed it already :)

5. When I make up my mind about something its very hard to change it. I can totally do it, but am resistant to the end. NIKE? Bad business practices/sweatshops/bad things in my mind all around. I cannot bring myself to buy any products from them. No matter how cute the shoe, how nice the shirt etc. When did I decide this? Um Grade 11. :) HELLO 23+ years ago. Now I just walk past and feel weirdly smug. Go figure.

6. I really want us to evolve a third arm. Or maybe I could graft one on. Or a prehensile tail. Man, so much would be made easier with a third arm. You could read and knit. You could clip the dogs nails. Just think of the possibilities! Sign me up!

Now I'd really like to see Dana, Morgan, Suzen and Alanna as I think none of them blog enough.

Get a buffaload of this!

Seriously close to good for you.

Buffalo pie. (I'd call it shepherds pie but no sheep were involved.)

You will need:

1lb of ground lean bison. I get mine at our local Co-op. In fact I buy it by the whack and freeze it.
1 head o cauliflower
3-4 tbsp of non fat sour cream (or use the good stuff I don't care)
a tsp or 2 or butter/margarine. Whatever floats yer boat.
1/3-1/2 cup of beef stock
1/2 large white onion
couple shakes (or more) of cayenne pepper.
salt and pepper.
1 tsp or so of cornstarch in a few tbsps of h2o. Cold ok? Don't cook this.

Pre heat your oven to say 325-ish.

I did this all in my cast iron fry pan so I would have less clean up. LAZY should have been my middle name.

Chop your cauliflower into florets and steam the ever loving crap outta them until they are super soft. Drain, add sour cream, butter/marg, salt and pepper and ok... this is seriously wack.. use your immersion blender or regular blender (but what a pain to clean. Go get an immersion blender. They are cheap ok?) and blend this stuff until it resembles mashed taters. GET IT?

Chop your onion. Brown your bison with that onion. Add cayenne/salt/pepper. Brown until it really is a lovely brown and getting a titch (TITCH MIND YOU) dry. Add beef stock. Mmm.. taste it! Add whatever else you want. Add cornstarch mixture so it thickens just a bit. Spread evenly in your cast iron or whatever you are gonna bake it in.

Now you are going to take your mashed cauliflower (faux tatoes) and spread them over the top of your bison mixture in a nice even layer. Pop this sucker in your oven for I dunno until Chris gets home? Like maybe an 60-90 minutes or until your faux tatoes are browned and its all pulled away from the edge of your pan and the smell is driving you nuts.

Don't tell your husband what the top is so he won't make that poop face until he agrees whatever it is, its divine and then is all shocked when its cauliflower. Enjoy, feel virtuous and make sure your frozen snicker bar with almonds is hidden well in the freezer.

Makes 4 servings. Yay dinner for 2 nights!

Don't fence me in!

Charter members of the We Hate The New Fence Club.



President Pickles and Minister Of the Interrier Max.

You know its kinda funny.. I applied for 2 jobs this past month on a whim. I was offered both of them. One I turned down because I got the hinkies (and a wise woman told me TRUST YOUR HINKIES) and the other I turned down because they asked me to take out my nose ring. Um. For a part time job? AT A COFFEE SHOP*? Seriously? The manager and I hit it off immediately, we chatted like old friends in fact. She asked me about a dress code, no problem right? Except their corporate policy doesn't allow any facial piercings. For reals? I asked. She looked crestfallen. She also explained that she has had a lot of people turn down the job for that reason. Ah well I thought.. I finished my Americano, wished her luck and left. Stewing.

Then her district manager called me to see if I would reconsider. Well I had been considering.. all frikkin night and was royally pissed off by that point. I explained to her how let down I felt that I would be precluded for a nose ring. That in the employmentally challenged microcosm that is Calgary it is cutting off your nose (hahahaha) to spite your face and that although I have been a loyal (nay FANATICAL) customer for years, I was now reconsidering that as well. I think she wasn't expecting any response like this I tell you. You know, if I was from India we wouldn't have even had that conversation. Unless they won't hire anyone whose culture has nose rings? Dammit if I didn't forget to say that. But anyways.. she was shocked at the response I gave her. I mean I know its not her fault, but WELCOME TO THE MODERN WORLD DICKHEADS. I think after I use up whats left on my card, I am done. Now I need to find a new source for my crack coffee problem.

I can tell you that latte I had today didn't taste as sweet as it usually does. And I don't think the lack of Splenda was the problem.






*oH COME ON YOU ALL KNOW ITS STARBUCKS RIGHT??

PIctures of things

Flowers from my sweetie..

Pickles being cute

Then not.

Scarf for Chris.

Sweater for me.

Happy T-day ya'll.

Now showing

Whip Up features Keep Away felted slippers!


Seriously.. how cool is that? The link is over on the sidebar if anyone wants it.

Awesome way to wake up today! :)

OLD (fail)

You know, as you get older your medicine cabinet no longer becomes the place where you have the odd Tylenol, Advil, vitamins and various weird herbal things. It starts to actually hold.. MEDICINE. Who knew? Aches and pains that you used to be able to brush off or sleep off (HI HANGOVER) are hanging around longer and causing more HEY! moments. While discussing the aliments of old with some pals, I was informed it was NOT NORMAL to live with such pain and while the stock I have in Robaxacet profits from it, I really should go see someone about the back pain that JUST WON'T GO AWAY. So I did.

Today I went for a callback about some X-rays I had done last week and since my usual Doc is on paternity leave (awwwwwww) I saw the stand in doc. Nothing like being told you have a narrowing and slightly slipped disc with some osteo-arthritis forming in your spine and oh yeah a slight congenital defect by some young whippersnapper maybe in her mid twenties. Its bad enough that my regular doc is 4 years younger than me, this was almost like seeing Jake as a doctor. Le sigh. She offered to get me into the SPINAL CARE CENTRE who can give INJECTIONS INTO MY SPINE* but I said I'd be happy to try some physio first. YIKES! The good news?

At least this isn't all in my head!







*shudder. Hi that's a last resort. And the photograph at the top of the page? Not an accurate representation of my med cabinet. Yet.

Debate? What debate?

This is what my last 5 minutes have been:

Pickles: Moms.. hey moms.. hey moms... hey moms...

Pickles: Moms.. I'm over here! I'm over here!!

Max: Jesus.. doesn't he ever sleep?

Pickles: Guess where I am now? OVER HERE MOMS!

I wanted to watch the VP USA debate last night. Chris didn't want to. So with no debating, there was no debate. For some reason we didn't even entertain the notion of watching our own leadership debate. Eh. Instead we watched poker. See my husband has a poker problem. Its transferred enough now that last night I dreamed about playing poker with Phil Hellmuth. Using crib hands. Then going for dinner. *sigh* Ok then we watched RAMBO in HD. OMGWTFBBQ. Most awesomely violent movie ever.


The culinary gods took a dump on my head yesterday. My espresso grounds exploded, my tomato sauce was hot sweet ass and I burned the bananas foster. I give up.

We had sandwiches.

NEVER AGAIN...

will us as Canadians have to suffer through the nightly dinner interruption of an unwanted call. Or least for 3 years at a pop.


Canadian Do Not Call List!!!!

Go register all your numbers. I did. All of them. Cells too. And now when someone calls trying to get me buy an alarm system* I can make sure they pay the price.





*I had to get all up in some guys grill (hahahaha white mom) when some alarm company WOULD NOT stop harassing us. 4 letter words flew, and voila! Only 5 calls later did they stop.