the krazybarrister

Productivity

2012-01-10T20:29:00.001-05:00

Not one, but three finished projects to report:

(1) Ptarmigan by Brooklyn Tweed (2) Sophie by Ysolda Teague (3) Tangled Yoke Cardigan by Eunny Jang

Wintry Goodness

2012-01-08T19:46:00.001-05:00

For dinner tonight, I had a bowl of heaven. Made a few adjustments as I was too lazy to go out to the grocery store, and was therefore bound by what I had at home.

Used one leek and half an onion. Had only half a head of garlic, so I just minced the whole shebang, bringing the pot to boil, reducing to a simmer for about 10 minutes before adding the potatoes. No chives in the house but I can only imagine how extra tasty this would be with a sprinkling, so may have to get some to top off my leftovers this week.

Mmmmm. Perfect winter fare.

Marathon

2011-12-11T21:13:00.002-05:00

It's been in my queue for awhile and I can't believe I've waited this long to get at it.

I'm talking about Downton Abbey. I'm a sucker for these kind of period pieces, but this is something so delicious, I can't even describe it in words.

Sunday is usually reserved for football (I need to keep tabs on my fantasy football roster, of course!) but I needed to cram since my friends and I are going to catch the Season 2 premiere screening at the Dryden Theater tomorrow night, so I just watched all seven episodes of Season 1. (It also helps that I've got a bye this week, currently sitting at the top of my league.) Am tempted to go through and watch them again. Right now. I don't know how I'm going to wait until January for the rest of the second season!

At least I didn't waste my entire day just watching tv ... I finished these:

And dug this out which hasn't seen the light of day in many moons:

Catch Up

2011-12-06T21:59:00.002-05:00

Finally am feeling caught up.

Caught up on work. Work goes in phases -- it's either insanely crazy or insanely slow. Never in between. Just coming off an insaner than insanely crazy spell. The inbox overflow onto my desk at work is no longer and the inbox is actually almost empty. Whee!

Caught up on sleep. Goes hand in hand with the above, in addition to things like the aforementioned disco, orchestra concerts (I play with a local university orchestra), and the start of the holiday party season (attended my first over the weekend).

Caught up on my new favorite show. Sherlock. Check it out. You'll see what I mean.

And more or less caught up on knitting.

I just hope the kid hasn't grown too much since I started it!

Night Fever

2011-11-27T18:07:00.002-05:00

What's a gal to do when old friends are in town? The World's Largest Disco, of course!

What a great shot my pal Jim got on his new ~~iPhone4s~~ toy. As for me, well, I was too busy dancing to worry about taking pictures!

Turkey, Already?

2011-11-20T19:55:00.005-05:00

I can't believe Thanksgiving is coming up. I've been so busy, yet not really aware of where all my time has been going. Work has had its spurts of insanity and am just coming off quite a hectic run. So little to speak of, though having spent Friday engaged in a day-long CLE [continuing legal education], I did manage to get a good chunk of minor knitting in.

Having discovered a nifty knitting-two-at-a-time tutorial over on knitty.com, I had originally thought I could whip up a couple pairs of these really simple handwarmers in a flash. I love this idea of knitting two at a time but after having gotten through the headache of casting on, which if I recall, took me a good whole afternoon, I had difficulty hanging onto the yarns in a way that made sense and keeping my tension. Two handed knitting in this fashion isn't quite the same as double-fisting fair isle and at the end of the day, this was all I had:

I ended up frogging the very little I had, saving the project for another time. I finally got around to casting on last weekend during a bit of Sunday football, and finished the pair sitting through my CLE. So much quicker doing it the "old-fashioned way"! Oh well. I haven't quite given up on this technique yet, but it's good to know that it's not necessarily a time saver.

I've also been working on these socks which seem to have become my CLE socks. I started them during a CLE I attended last month and they've kind of sat around in my basket as I haven't had a whole lot of time for knitting since I cast them on.

I love this pattern. Retro Rib indeed. This pattern is so reminiscent of socks I had in my childhood and the subtle tonal differences in this colorway give it that extra something.

Re-post: In Memoriam

2011-09-11T16:42:00.001-05:00

Originally posted, 9/11/06

On the Bandwagon

2011-07-31T18:14:00.004-05:00

The Game of Thrones bandwagon, that is. Recommendations for the series came at me from every direction and finally I succumbed to see what all the fuss was about.

The fuss is well-deserved.

So far, anyway.

I'm halfway through A Storm of Swords (Book 3) right now and have spent pretty much every waking free moment I have with the Starks, Lannisters, direwolves and dragons. Unfortunately, things have gotten in the way of my speeding through to the end like oh, say, work (back to back trials - ugh!) and sleep (unfortunately, much needed when doing back to back trials). Sheesh!

Okay, I admit, I did sneak some time in there to go catch the Harry Potter finale and attend the Chicken Inferno, but other than that, haven't been up to much else.

On that note, back at it I go. Perhaps when I've gotten through to its current end (Book 5, with two left in the series, publishing date tbd), the HBO series will have made it to Netflix. (I don't have cable).

Summertime

2011-07-10T20:24:00.002-05:00

Haven't been posting much of anything; lost my mojo just shortly after JazzFest started (though I saw a number of great shows). What have I been doing instead?

Amanda and I have been checking out new (and old) places to bike. It's been made so much easier to venture out since I finally buckled down and bought a bike rack -- I love my Saris Bones, which after its initial fitting to my car straps straps on and off very simply. Yesterday we headed up to Charlotte and biked along the Genesee Riverway Trail and took in the breathtaking views of the scenic gorge. Unfortunately, most of those picturesque views came while traveling uphill and I wasn't about to get off my bike for fear of never making it to the tops if I were to stop! The swans however were paddling along in the river, where the path was level.

This summer has also been a good one for sailing, as I've been able to get out to the lake and race generally twice a week. A couple weeks ago, I helped out on the race committee boat and rocky as that vessel was in the windy waters that night, we perhaps had the best seat in the house.

Getting Lucky

2011-06-12T23:16:00.005-05:00

Lucky Peterson, that is.

Yep, it's that time of year again when Jazz Fest is my life. Unfortunately, I've started this year fighting off The Worst Cold Ever so I've had a slow start but have still managed to catch some great acts.

So getting back to getting Lucky. Seriously. He played on our table. Apparently, there's now a taboo on taking photos during the gigs so I guess I can't post the up close and personal shots that I, er, didn't take. The Tent was rocking. He played over the allotted time so by the time he was done with the first set, it was too late to go anywhere else so we stuck around. It wasn't as rowdy, or even packed which I'm guessing was because it was Sunday night and everyone crammed in for the earlier show. However, those of us who stayed got quite a treat with a completely different set. Lucky and wife Tamara closed out with a duet of "Proud Mary" and the opening riff of "Play that Funky Music."

Best so far: Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts. I saw these guys opening night simply by tagging along with friends who had seen them before and couldn't stop raving about them. These guys were A. Ma. Zing. To think I almost missed them -- I had been feeling pretty lousy and almost opted to call it an early night and head home. My friends' hype could not have prepared me for what I experienced and wow, have these guys set the bar high -- what a great way to kick off the fest.

Honorable mentions go to the three shows I saw yesterday -- Les Doigts de L'Homme, Arild Andersen Trio, Ensemble Denada and the aforementioned Lucky.

The Girls With Guitars were fun; Soweto Kinch was interesting (I think I liked him, but am still deciding) and Champian Fulton was sweet.

As I'm a sucker for anything Django-esque, my must see for Monday is Stephane Wrembel. I saw him a few years back and am looking forward to some more.

O, Jazz Fest, how I love thee.

For actual substantive commentary on the festival, go visit Greg's site and follow his links.

In "Training"

2011-05-24T21:12:00.002-05:00

Some friends and I decided to try and "make fitness fun," as the conventional wisdom goes. We are entered into our first duathalon -- some of us as a relay team and a couple doing the race individually [color me impressed!] I have neither the desire nor constitution to put my knees and ankles through a run and thusly have chosen to be the cycling leg [20k] of a relay team. In preparation, pal Amanda and I decided to check out a new (to us) trail over the weekend and get used to riding again [we've been spinning at the gym]. While we usually hit the canal [tow]path, we ventured out a bit east to check out the Lehigh Valley Trail and what a lovely, pastoral ride it was. We chose a midpoint, rode to the western endpoint and returned for what amounted to approximately a 23k ride. Our next attempt will be at something hilly and maybe, just maybe, we'll be ready for the race [just a week and a half away - yikes!]

Saturday Morning at the Market

2011-05-01T12:12:00.003-05:00

Saturdays are traditionally my mornings to sleep in, with no alarm prodding me awake. Yesterday however, despite my best intentions, I was wide awake at some ungodly [for Saturday] morning hour. Of course this doesn't happen to me during the week when I have to get up. At any rate, with the sun streaming in announcing what amounted to be a beautiful spring day, I begrudgingly got out of bed and decided to take advantage of the early awakening and headed out to the Public Market. I must admit that winter lethargy has kept me home Saturday mornings since last fall.

I think this is the earliest I've ever made it to the market -- there were roosters crowing when I got there! I happily stocked up on numerous items including these lovely hydroponically grown tomatoes:

I was directed to this vendor when I ran into my friend Kim, while bemoaning the fate of my beloved Sabres with the Pierogie Guy, who offered his condolences upon noticing my Sabres cap. I had been recounting the sadness we all felt when that OT goal at Game 6 sealed our fate when the woman standing next to me turned. Kim, who shares in our season ticket pool, had apparently heard, "Sabres" and "Game 6" and turned to find me standing there.

Yep, I was there that fateful Easter Sunday, cheering on the boys. Despite the disappointment (which, one is quite used to having grown up with Buffalo sports), I'd have to say they made a nice run, making it in to the playoffs after we had all (myself included) written them off. I'm excited about the new Pegula regime and appreciate all the little changes that have been made thus far, which are clearly noticeable at the home games. (I particularly enjoy the Jeanneret scoring calls that are announced over the speakers). While sad to see this season end the way it did (what the hell happened in Game 7?!), I'm looking forward to next year (ever the optimist) ...

Living Out of a Suitcase

2011-04-17T20:28:00.002-05:00

But filled with fun times.

Traveled out west for a friend's wedding out in Santa Ynes, CA.

Stayed in neighboring Solvang and lingered an extra day after the wedding.

Then hit the road to Vegas for a few days before heading back East.

Upon returning thisaways, on a last-minute whim, road-tripped it to Philly with a fellow fan and braved the intimidating Flyers' arena for Game 2. (Losing may have saved our lives).

Next weekend, I plan to chill at home.

Barring any new last-minute whims.

Time

2011-02-21T17:57:00.004-05:00

A weekend is never really enough time to get everything done that one aspires to. So, I took advantage of the three-day gift (county employment has its benefits) and extended it by a couple days and had a bit of a mini-break. 5 luxurious days en toto, to be exact.

I cleaned (oh, so very much needed). I read. I knit. I went to two hockey games (we lost both). I sewed. I watched movies. I even went to the gym a few times.

Man, I need to do this more often. If I did, I might actually finish stuff! Not only do I have a nice, clean apartment, I got to devote the better part of a day toward my next quilt.

I think I may have been a bit ambitious in choosing to do this as my second quilt. Theoretically, using the HSTs makes a lot of sense and should be relatively "easy." I hadn't taken into account that I was going to have to match up a lot of seams which turned out to be quite the tedious task, often resulting in seam ripping and do-overs. And I still have seams that don't quite match up, but I've decided to forge ahead anyhow. It's not the most accurate piece of sewing in the world, but it will have to do. I've just filed away all the "don't's" in my head for next time. In any event, the quilt top is coming along, and I'm kind of liking it, despite its flaws.

A few more hours left of freedom before checking back in to reality ... hmm, what shall I do with it?

Sunday Dinner

2011-01-23T20:18:00.002-05:00

Wintry weather calls for the warm and hearty, like Shepherd's Pie.

I need to find a good local butcher to get my hands on some ground lamb though I made this batch with ground beef, and it hit the spot.

I seasoned my helping with some Tabasco sauce, as it was a bit on the bland side. Next time I might add crushed red pepper to the filling, but there will definitely be a next time.

Comfort Food

2011-01-09T21:16:00.003-05:00

I stumbled across this blog a few months ago and it has very quickly become my new favorite chow site. The lakefront precipitation has covered this area once again with the white stuff, and what better to hunker down with for dinner than a bowl of broccoli soup? Especially when I get to use my new immersion blender and clean out the fridge. Since I needed to get rid of it, I used feta and shredded parmesan instead of cheddar, and sprinkled the top with a bit of mozzarella (what can I say, there are always cheeses lurking around my fridge!). I certainly plan on making those tasty looking mustard croutons at some point in the future, but I have some seasoned ones courtesy of Danny Wegmans also needing to be used up and as that was the theme of the evening ...

Yum.

"Holiday" Knitting

2011-01-02T09:36:00.004-05:00

It's been awhile since I've had consecutive days with time enough to knit, but the holidays brought some reprieve and enough down time to do so.

I managed to finally finish the Broad Street Mittens I started last January -- mostly out of necessity. My first pair is getting rather natty, and I really do prefer convertible gloves -- I like having access to my fingers at the flip of a mitten-cap. The pattern is easy to knit up, but as winter bloomed into spring my interest in completing them waned until the snowy season returned.

Tangled Yoke is also knitting up quite nicely but I've gotten to the sleeves and seem to have an incomplete set of DPNs for them. It seems that a couple needles have wandered off! I'm sure that as soon as I buy another set, they will return a la Murphy's Law. As I also need smaller circulars for the remainder of the body, I bought them all together online and wait for them to arrive.

I'm usually more prepared when I start a project, but I had some initial difficulty getting gauge -- I had to go down two whole needle sizes, which is unusual for me. I'm a rather tight knitter and generally have to go up a size. Thus, not only did I overshoot gauge, I had to knit several swatches before finally getting it. My LYS's have not been good to me in terms of finding the right needles - it seems that a shop will never have the type and size I'm looking for and especially when I need more than one size, I end up running around to several locations in order to collect them all.

What, oh, what did people do before online shopping? Drive themselves crazy and all over town, I suppose.

So in the interim, I've gone to work on, well a pair of socks, of course!

While generally I am not a yarn stasher, I have a slight addiction to multi-colored sock yarns, and have a significant collection of them. The difficulty with these yarns though is finding a pattern that is palatable both in style and color and not all colorways are suitable for all sock patterns. Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarns has a lot of helpful hints in determining which patterns work best for which type of colorway but even with those tips, it still seems to takes some trial and error to find the right pattern. Or maybe I'm just incredibly picky.

I've been starting and ripping and starting and ripping with this Jitterbug beauty [the tag seems to have escaped with my runaway needles so I haven't the foggiest what the name of the colorway is] for several months now and finally returned to the Jaywalkers for it. The chevron creates the right amount of dispersal to get this combination of bold colors to look right and while I generally don't like to repeat sock patterns (because then how will I ever knit all the sock patterns in my queue?), I certainly didn't want this yarn to go to waste. So while I wait for my needles, Jaywalkers, it is.

Merry, Merry

2010-12-25T00:01:00.001-05:00

Enter, Winter

2010-12-05T21:30:00.002-05:00

Fold & Bead

2010-11-28T21:42:00.004-05:00

What's inside?

Just a little beaded something.

I've always loved origami and it was one of the first crafts I ever learned back when I was just a wee thing. Didn't have any gift boxes around so I whipped up the little "money pouch" which worked just perfectly for these earrings that also took very little time.

These crafts are about as close to instant gratification one can get!

Unfortunately, haven't had much time for the sewing or knitting lately...

Branching Out - The HST

2010-10-24T21:58:00.004-05:00

When I first decided I wanted to learn how to quilt, I never thought I'd be motivated enough to do anything beyond simple squares. After all, it was the how I was much more interested in, and being able to execute that how. Then I started reading all that's out there on the internets and seeing what others are doing with their quilts and I was intrigued by all the different piecing ideas and techniques. Intrigued enough that I wanted to, rather than feeling compelled to, try my hand at piecing together a block that was more than just a square. So for my second quilt, I'm giving [half-square] triangles a shot. While it's a lot more work, it's fun seeing these blocks come together.

Without any proper segue, here's my plug for Tropic Thunder, if you haven't yet seen it. I'm just kicking myself for waiting so long to do so. It's been sitting on my coffee table courtesy of Netflix for quite some time. I had wanted to see it when it initially came out and never got around to it, and then it just fell off my radar. I can't remember the last movie I saw that made me laugh so hard. My stomach still hurts a bit. Robert Downey, Jr, excels in such an unexpected way (as far as I'm concerned, he can do no wrong, but this exceeded my expectations!) and the plot itself is quite hilarious. Immediately following my first viewing, I had watched it again with the actors' commentary and spent the next two hours laughing even more. I finally made it to bed around 4 AM. I might just have to watch it again (and again?!) before I send it back.

Prepping

2010-10-17T21:02:00.002-05:00

Which is more tedious? Trying to get gauge or the pre-wash?

In any event, recently finished projects means new ones to get all prepped for.

Yep, Mia's quilt is all finished and ready to be sent off to Boston. I'm really, really, really happy with how this turned out!

3-Day Weekend

2010-10-11T19:33:00.002-05:00

I need more 3-day weekends. If I had them, I'd get more things done. Case in point:

How much do I love this? I can't even express in words how much. While I finished knitting this quite some time ago, I had been inexplicably [or perhaps just distracted with new hobbies? (see below!)] procrastinating weaving in the ends and adding the fringe. Now that it's done I'm kicking myself for not getting it done sooner. Still, the timing couldn't be more perfect as the autumn cool seems to have settled in these parts and this will be perfect.

Timing was not so accommodating with the Whisper Cardigan, which after a year and a half is finally finished, just in time for ... er, next summer. This is not one of my favorite knits. I was mostly bored by this, but the scrumptiously soft yarn was so wonderful to knit with, and I really loved this colorway. The lace-weight yarn makes this shrug easily collapsible to throw in a purse and I'm sure will get its use when the weather is more appropriate.

I also was able to finish quilting Mia's quilt and now all that's left to be done is the binding. Since I was only quilting in straight lines, it didn't take too long, though I did have to take a bit of a break when I started going cross-eyed. Repeating straight lines in quick succession on mostly polka-dotted fabrics can overstimluate one's optical nerves!

I'm so happy with how this is coming out and I'm really fascinated by this whole quilting process. So excited that I've already bought the fabric for my next quilt ...

Funny, when I first started perusing all the online fabric shops out there, I was overwhelmed and frustrated because most sites were classified by designer and how was I to know who is who? Little did I know how quickly I would become fluent in fabric designers and file away in my brain my likes. Anna Marie Horner is definitely in my Top Ten.

Mini-Break

2010-09-27T19:44:00.003-05:00

My old roommate was in town for a visit so I took a few days off and we made a mini-break of it. I contemplated working half-days, but I'm never very good at that as they turn very close into full days and frankly, I needed the respite after a few crazy weeks anyway.

We ran up to Niagara-on-the-Lake to catch an unfortunately not-so-ideal production of An Ideal Husband. The weather was unexpectedly gorgeous and we walked around the quaint little town perusing its shops, but the usually solid Shaw Fest performances I'm used to were nowhere to be found in this unfortunate butchering of my favorite Oscar Wilde play. In fact, the only thing that saved this show was the script itself. Despite the [mostly] beautiful costumes [Mabel's outfits were stupendously horrendous] and the intriguing set [but such awful blocking!], most of the performances were flat -- the actors had no chemistry with each other and seemed merely to be reciting lines, rather than acting. We couldn't figure out if they were just having a bad night or if the entire run has been this horrible as all the reviews we were able to find online were favorable, if not raving. Steven Sutcliffe's Lord Goring was the only somewhat engaging character with the exception of Anthony Bekenn's Phipps, who had some of the best deliveries of the night in his very, very minor role.

However, we didn't let the disappointing play let us down and spent the rest of our days stuffing our faces, getting in some outlet shopping, hunkering down with cheesy chick-flicks and just generally being wonderfully lazy.

I got in an extra day of laziness after putting her on the plane and spent the remainder of my holiday on crafty endeavours:

Finished piecing the top and putting together the quilt sandwich. Now, I'm trying to decide how I want to quilt it. And yep, that's Whisper Cardigan in the background blocking. Am so not looking forward to the piles that have likely accumulated at the office during my absence, but I suppose that's inevitable after such an indulgence!

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like ...

2010-09-19T23:01:00.003-05:00

A cardigan. Whisper Cardigan, that is. I love this yarn (Malabrigo Lace). I love this colorway (Whales Road). I'm pretty sure I'm going to love this shrug-ish sweater. If I ever get it done, that is. But at least after almost a year and a half, it's actually looking more and more like a sweater, than the legwarmer it was looking like for so long. The construction of this piece is simple but quite clever -- the sleeves are knit in one piece end to end before picking up stitches for the collar and body. But the delicate yarn and endless stockinette make it a bit tedious. Still, there's an end in sight (a day of football helps) and I can't wait to wear this baby merino loveliness against my skin.

Happy Home-making

2010-09-06T18:47:00.003-05:00

The beauty of this holiday weekend was that despite having spent all of Sunday at the office, I still managed to get a real weekend in. While I probably should have been cleaning [but laundry counts, right?], I spent my energies on other more enjoyable domestic endeavors.

I think the last time I sewed any kind of garment was probably when I was in junior high, when the Home Ec lessons were fresh in my mind and my mother's assistance a mere holler away. Clearly at some point, I became distracted and my interest in sewing dissipated.

A few years ago, I told myself I was going to sign up for a sewing class. Still, I lacked the motivation (and time!) to get myself enrolled. Then came Jenna forging the way getting us all hooked on sewing and teaching me how to quilt and a long-forgotten skill set came to the forefront. It occurred to me that with the vast amount of information on the internets (gotta love YouTube!) and my vague memories of lessons past, I just might be able to get away with jumping right in.

Well, sorta. I bought Weekend Sewing quite some time ago, in part due to a fleeting moment of inspiration but mostly due to its aesthetics - it's just so beautifully photographed.

I found this print on sale at JoAnn's a few weeks ago and figured it might be a good one to start with and settled on the Trapeze Sundress. I failed to heed the comments posted on flickr about how large the dress ran and went about my way.

It's a pretty straightforward project, though not without its hurdles. I was careless either in my cutting or my piecing, because one side of the bodice section is slightly narrower than the other side, so I fudged the topstitching a bit (there are four rows on one side and five on the other). The hemming is also a bit wonky. I think I was just so excited it was almost done, I rushed through the pinning and sewing and it wasn't till I got to the last stretch that I realized it was slightly off. I pressed the heck out of it to try and straighten it out, but this dress definitely screams home-made!

And the part about failing to heed those that pioneered the way? Well, when I tried it on before attaching the back straps I was stunned at just how large it ran. So then I spent a good couple of hours trying to figure out which would be the best way to adjust the size - Rip the seams and re-cut? Just chop off the excess and re-sew? Ultimately I settled on two additional pleats in the back which also seemed to help slightly with getting rid of some the bagginess at the sides, but it's still a bit tent-ish.

I will say though that it is rather comfy, so this may end up just being a laze-around-the-house dress. Unless I can find a belt I can wear with it.

All in all, this was a good experience and I'm excited about sewing more. The dress took up all of Saturday and a few more hours today, which was interspersed with breaks to keep up with the laundry [I will forever be grateful to my friend and landlord for installing the washer and dryer in this place even if I have to hear about how horrendous it was to bring that thing up three flights of stairs]. But before the sun set and before my tummy got growly for evening chow, I even started piecing this quilt which I'm making for my cousin's new baby:

Speaking of chow, I'd been craving blueberry muffins ever since smitten kitchen blogged about them last week. Since I seemed to have most of the ingredients in the house and a nice lazy holiday morning, I whipped up a batch for breakfast and finally got a chance to use these darling measuring cups I picked up a few months ago.

I didn't have any lemons in the house so I subbed 1 T orange juice for the zest and made the sour cream version.

Mmmmm. Delish!

So, all in all, this was a good, home-making weekend.

The Funnies

2010-08-29T07:40:00.001-05:00

Ha!

Pretty In Pink

2010-08-28T22:02:00.002-05:00

I was all excited to get started on the Trapeze Sundress from Weekend Sewing today... but alas, when I pulled out the pattern [that I had not bothered to review prior to starting], I realized I needed tracing paper. As it didn't look like Michael's carried what I was looking for, I purchased a roll online, so now I wait for it to arrive. Sigh.

Well, at least the fabric's all washed and pressed --

It's actually slightly darker and brighter than I was able to capture it.

In the meantime, I finally got around to finishing the binding on my placemats and am pretty happy with how they turned out --

Have also made significant progress on the Whisper Cardigan that I'm beginning to think it might actually get finished sometime this century. I've only been working on it for a year and a half.

Loving The Wedge

2010-08-22T11:02:00.002-05:00

South Wedge, that is.

I've been meaning to check out Hedonist Artisan Chocolates for quite some time now, and what better occasion than to find a little something for my dinner hostess? Yum.

And since I was in the neighborhood, couldn't resist popping into thread and found these sweet little bowls on sale:

Summer Update

2010-08-01T20:45:00.003-05:00

Knitterly:

Annual tradition:

Continuing education (new hobby):

The Final Days

2010-06-20T20:34:00.002-05:00

Another Jazz Fest come and gone. It's always sad to see it end and hard to say goodbye ... sigh.

[Day 8]

Bryan Lee & The Blues Power Band (Abilene) -- If being anointed by Muddy Waters isn't enough, I don't know what is. There's no feeling blue while listening to these guys jam out the blues -- just pure enjoyment, appreciation and maybe a little itch to dance. There was no question in our minds that we weren't going to stay for the second set.

[Day 9]

Gwyneth Herbert Quartet (Max) -- I took Greg's advice and checked out the spunky Brit with the sweetly mischievous tone and immensely amusing lyrics. Charming and self-deprecating at the same time, the girl's got musicality and a voice to match. My only confusion is, why quartet? (I only recall there being three ...)

Ibrahim Electric (Montage) -- Part punk and part California surf-rock with a sprinkling of Afro-beat and a whole lotta quirkiness, I couldn't have asked for a better way to close out the Jazz Fest than with these Danes. Fun, personified.

Repeater

2010-06-17T23:01:00.004-05:00

[Day 7]

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (Montage) -- This was friend Ken's pick and I ended up at the Montage really only because it worked out that I could make it there after a "late" exit from the office (actually, "early" on a regular day, but I've been operating on JFT [jazz-fest-time] these days). These guys were awesome despite a slight snafu to their start. The pianist opened with a couple amazing solos due to some "equipment issues," which we ultimately discovered had something to do with the upright bass (or lack of one, rather). After playing a tune or two with the electric bass, an upright eventually arrived and the guys were clearly in their groove for the second half of the set (though pre-groove was very, very good!). Their final piece which was played upon request seems to sum them up quite well -- "Drethoven" [inspired by their love of Dr. Dre and Beethoven] Oh, a happy new discovery!

Bottle Rockets (Abilene) Roots rock at its core - clean, solid set. Just some good, old fun.

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey (Montage) Nope, not a typo and yes, we went back; this time with our other friends in tow. If we thought the foursome was amazing earlier, nothing could have prepared us for the jaw-dropping performance we were in for and which we happily and greedily enjoyed right up front. These guys have incredible chemistry and just play and feed off each other creating intensely energetic but beautifully musical pieces tinged with optimism and humor, each song amped higher than the last. I walked home grinning from ear to ear, and am still feeling happy thinking about that set. A stupendous show!

Can't Get Enough

2010-06-16T22:52:00.004-05:00

[Day 5]

Trombone Shorty, Take 2 (Harro East) -- Though the Tent is a much better venue for these guys acoustically, it sure didn't affect these guys' energy. I just love these guys.

Alison Brown Quartet (Tent) -- Tried to see her the last time she was in town but it was not meant to be. This time however we scored seats right in front. Not sure which wooed me over more, her picking skills or her charm. Either way, I'm so glad I got to see her this time 'round.

Russell Malone Quartet (Kilbourn) --- Wow. The man can play jazz, funk and da blues. And lucky for us, he played for an hour and forty minutes, including a take on Hendrix's Purple Haze. Oh, yeah.

[Day 6]

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, The Final Act. (Harro East) - Um, yeah, so a bit of a groupie. We caught the night's second and festival's final billing tonight and are we sure glad we did. Apparently having to cut the first set short due to a fire alarm, the boys from New Orleans were amped up and raring to play. As an extra special treat they played musical switcheroo just to show us how good they really are.

Hackensaw Boys (Abilene) -- Makes me just wanna watch O, Brother Where Art Thou? These Virginny boys were a hand-slappin', foot stompin', do-si-do-in' hoot 'n a holler.

Back to Work, But Jazz Fest Marches On

2010-06-14T23:06:00.000-05:00

[Day 3]

Charnett Moffett Trio -- The guy's got mad skills and for the most part, I enjoyed the gig. Some of the stuff was a little out there and I wondered if the band were always in sync, but not a bad way to start the evening.

Christine Ohlman & Rebel Montez -- The Beehive Queen can rock the blues and put on a lively show. Too bad (but good for her) the place was packed -- otherwise I think there would have been a whole lotta dancin' goin' on.

Chuchito Valdes -- Talk about flying off the keys. This. Guy. Was. Incredible. Though dismayed at first when the place was packed despite getting there very early, this performance was worth the wait, the sore feet, stiff legs, tight back and general tiredness from having stood through the Ohlman show just before. I don't know that I could say that about any other performance, but I'm sure glad I stayed and ignored my initial instinct to bag it and head home for a foot bath.

[Day 4]

Ryan Quigley Sextet -- Yep, still loving Ryan Quigley and his trumpet and his sextet was just as enrapturing as Brass Jaw was on Saturday. I really can't think of a better venue for these guys -- both ensembles captured the resonance the church's echo-y acoustics have to offer. I was a bit torn to have to leave before they finished up, but after last night's near miss at the Montage, we didn't want to miss our chance to see Trombone Shorty over at the tent.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue -- This was the guy in the lineup that I had to see. I fell in love with him back in 2006 when he and other New Orleans musicians guested on Studio 60 On the Sunset Strip and played an incredible performance of O' Holy Night. The write-ups for the festival brochures all suggested he rocks and funks out just as well as he emotes. Well, he sure funked out the house tonight and just when you thought he couldn't possibly get any better, he closed out the night with a rendition of When the Saints Go Marchin' In -- Louie style. Literally. Shorty, who can rock it on the trombone, trumpet and on vocals pulled out an incredible replication of that seemingly singular gravelly voice we've all come to love, right down to the scat. And, since I couldn't get enough, I plan on going to the Harro tomorrow to catch some more.

Oh man, do I love Jazz Fest.

9th Annual Jazz Fest Is Here!

2010-06-12T23:57:00.001-05:00

After missing out on most of last year's musical festivities due to work obligations (I'm not bitter or anything), I am happily ensconced in Jazz Fest life for the next week or so that's left.

Highlights thus far:

[Day 1]

Billy's Band (Harro East)- These guys were just as fun and quirky as they were when last I saw them. I was a bit worried that the guys who wowed the crowds at Max a couple years ago would be suffocated by the acoustically challenged space, but the sound guys have done amazing things this year. Both the Russians and Catherine Russell have sounded great at the Harro.

[Day 2]

Catherine Russell (Harro East) -- Loved her the last time she was around, and more than contentedly saw her again. Tiny woman. Amazing pipes.

Terry Clarke Trio (Xerox Aud) -- This band was not on my radar and I had no idea what to expect but I tagged along with friends and was pleasantly surprised by their extremely polished performance. I felt smarter by the time they were done. It was like having read a really, really great book.

Brass Jaw (Christ Church) -- Love, love, love these guys. I could have listened to them all night long. And the church? Couldn't have picked a better venue for this band. Have I mentioned that I love, love, love these guys?

Hazmat Modine (Tent) -- They look and sound like gypsies -- in the good-gets-the-beat-going-makes-you-wanna-get-up-and-dance kinda way. Great way to close the night.

All In a Day's Work

2010-05-31T19:15:00.002-05:00

before:

after:

Saturdays at the Market

2010-05-30T17:41:00.002-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that mornings are not my favorite time of day. Such as it is, Saturday mornings are that target I shoot for during the week -- the morning I can finally sleep in. However, with gerbera daisies waiting for me at the market, as well as the fresh produce, empanadas and cheese lovers' heaven, well, there is some incentive to get up and get moving out to the hustle and bustle of Union Street. Not to mention the company. My friends are rather religious about going every Saturday and the past two weeks I've managed to make it out and join them for a cuppa joe, a breakfast sandwich and some trolling through the tents. Perchance I too will make it a weekly habit -- now if only I could say that about my blogging!

Anything For Me?

2010-03-22T00:10:00.001-05:00

No boxes lying around today so the bag had to do.

$20.10

2010-03-15T00:10:00.002-05:00

It was restaurant week hereabouts in Western New York with prix fixe menus for, yep, $20.10. The purpose of course, is to dine somewhere that may otherwise be cost prohibitive; or, a good excuse to try something new, all while supporting local businesses. I enjoyed several delightful meals courtesy of its semiannual appearance on the NYC dining scene during my former incarnation as an impoverished student there.

While this is a great opportunity for local chowhounds, I nearly missed it, which is slightly better than last year, where I disappointingly discovered it after the fact. For whatever inexplicable reason, it was not well advertised here in Rochester. I learned about it at the last minute, with barely enough time to schedule a night out to take advantage of it. My other beef (pardon the pun) is that this spring's list of participants left a lot to be desired -- at least on the Rochester scene. While we enjoyed ourselves at one of my favorite spots (Bistro 135) it wasn't hard to choose that out of the meager list of ten options.

Buffalo on the other hand, according to my hometown pals, seemed to advertise its more-than-100-participants to the fullest extent. So I did get a second chance while there this weekend for a Sabres game, and hit Toro for decent tapas before the opening face-off. Granted it's a larger city, but there are a number of local eateries here in the Flour City that could really give this advertising gimmick some real substance. Hopefully next time around, they'll step it up.

2010-03-01T20:43:00.002-05:00

Haven't had a whole lot of time lately, but I have been making progress on Lady Eleanor. How much do I love entrelac? Ask me again after I've done another square...

Eleanor will take a little more time, but sometimes, instant gratification is in order. I am no more than a dabbler -- anything beyond beading and a little wire manipulation are beyond my capabilities, but it comes in handy when one needs a last minute birthday present!

Lame

2010-01-30T23:58:00.006-05:00

I've been fighting off this cold all week, popping vitamin C, drinking gallons of orange juice while putting in 12-hour days at the office. Today was such a luxury -- sleeping in, napping and more napping. But, I hauled my butt out of the house to wish a dear friend happy birthday. I rarely see Doris and the others what with their kids and my work schedule, so I made a special effort to get out to see them.

What I didn't really consider was that meet-up time wasn't going to be until 10:30PM. Why should that matter? Well, if I had considered the other factors I may have been a bit more prepared for what I was getting into -- the other girls had rented a limo (I opted to drive myself), they had roped their husbands and others into watching their respective kids and the the rendevous point was a suburban "night club."

Maybe it's because it's been awhile since I've gone "clubbing," but I was not prepared for the long lines, music at inhumane decibels and limited elbow room. It also didn't help that I wandered, or rather squeezed, through the club several times without being able to find the girls (all the while thinking, why are all these people here and do they really think this is fun?!).

An unsuccessful texting attempt resulted in me relying on the kindness of some overeagerly helpful men in order to try and find the pieces of my cell phone that scattered when I dropped it whilst messaging a plea for some direction in that mayhem. After about a half hour of shoving through the throngs without any success I managed to work my way out the front door and into the parking lot. I made one last-ditch attempt to locate the birthday girl with a phone call, which worked except that meant I had to wait in what was now a longer line to get back into the hellhole that was making my cloudy head worse. Clearly, I stood out like a sore thumb still bundled in my coat and scarf while the other patrons were very much enjoying themselves dancing, drinking, mingling and ogling -- most sans sleeves and laden with costume jewelry.

Now, I love to dance. I require not a drop of alcohol and usually just start going if there's a beat. But tonight, I just couldn't feel it. All I wanted to do was to get out of there ... so that's what I did. Yes, I'm horrible, but I just couldn't stay. Gave Doris a big hug, promised her dinner in the future, waved to the other girls and was out of there like a bat out of hell. I'd like to blame it on this cold, but I really do think that I've just aged out of that scene.

I'm so much happier now that I'm home and in my flannel pjs, wrapped in my fleece robe with my furry feline friend on my lap. Doesn't get much lamer than that, now does it?!

Tough Call

2010-01-24T21:09:00.002-05:00

It's been awhile since I've been as excited about a knitting project as I am about Lady Eleanor. Mr. Postman made the delivery on Friday just in time for the weekend and I just can't get enough. It's like crack. Well, it's what I imagine crack is like, anyway. I just can't decide which is more enticing -- the fascinating development of each rectangle, or the beautiful colors of this yarn.

I had been considering Boku for about as long as this has been in my knitting queue, but could never settle on a colorway. This time around though, these warm colors spoke to me and I was not disappointed upon opening that box. However,the yarn splits easily and I've had to loosen my normal grip and pull on the yarn. It was hard at first, but it was more frustrating splicing the yarn back together. It's been quite a few tiers since I've had a split, so I must be getting better. It was painful just tearing myself away to blog about this, but I think my wrists needed a little break (because a computer keyboard is such a great solution to that!?)

Interim

2010-01-18T21:14:00.001-05:00

While I wait for my yarn (colorway 03) to come for my next project, I've gone stash diving and found some little somethings to tide me over:

I always thought cozies were a bit silly but my coffee maker got busted in the move and I've been too lazy to go out and get a new one. I love my french press but the coffee gets cold if I make more than one serving and I hate having to dirty a thermos as that would make one more thing to wash. I modified this pattern, knitting top down instead of starting at the base.

And as soon as I get this sumptuously soft hand painted merino wound, I'll be casting on for a second pair of Broad Street Mittens.

Slightly Eerie

2010-01-11T19:38:00.002-05:00

Hitchock definitely unnerved me. Thusly the chills upon seeing this outside my window yesterday afternoon:

Tis too late in the season for migration, no?

Irresistible

2010-01-02T21:45:00.001-05:00

Why I love Parkleigh ...

Welcome, 2010

2010-01-02T01:34:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I've been here -- have been a little lacking in motivation and inspiration to blog about anything lately, but with the new year here, I'm gonna give it another go and see where it takes me.

I grew up in a house full of plants, though it wasn't until I first moved out on my own that the lack of them in my apartment made me take notice. Over the years I've attempted to counter the brown thumb bestowed on me at birth and have had mediocre results. But, I keep trying.

For Christmas, my mother gave me an orchid, together with good-luck vibes. Apparently even her green thumb has had some ups and downs with these beauties, so I'm supposed to not feel too bad if I can't keep it up, but I am determined. Maybe 2010 will be my year of the orchid ...

I need to knit something. My fingers are itching to do so, but I haven't been able to figure out what they're looking for. I've been repeatedly scrolling through my queue and scouring all pattern resources hoping for that magic pull that says "knit me!" to no avail.

Sigh.

I did however finish the Wildflower socks I started last spring so my handknit sock collection is slowly growing. I read somewhere that once you start wearing knit socks it's tough to wear any other kind. It's true. You can't beat the colors sock yarn comes in and they just feel so much nicer on your feet. They are insanely warm and so are perfect for Rochester winters but my body temperature runs too high to wear them any other time of year.

In the meantime, Pippin has been keeping me entertained with his insatiable need to crawl into any and every box that should come his way. Clearly, his eyeballing skills need work. He seems to think that every box should (and will) fit him.

Chickens & Babies

2009-08-23T15:44:00.004-05:00

No summer is complete without the annual foray into Pennsyltuckey and thither we traveled for Chicken Inferno 11...

It's been a year of babies, and I find that my last few knitting projects have been for little ones.

Back in May, Kaia went to Katie -- now the proud mum of Tessa. I left out the lace edging at the bottom and instead added the ruffle to give it a little flair. I thought Katie was kidding when she told me the top half of the dress matched the paint the papa had chosen for the baby's room but while dog-sitting over there a couple weekends ago, I got to witness the nursery in all its glory. I never would have guessed that hot pink could have been done so tastefully, but Josh managed to put together the most wonderful little room.

Jen & Terry are expecting their little bundle of joy in November, gender TBD. So green seemed a good way to go and I figured this pattern will flatter any little gal or guy. I stumbled upon the cutest little frog buttons while perusing the racks at Joann's.

Unfortunately, there were only two buttons in stock and the pattern called for four. I spent forever rearranging the buttons in every possible permutation before settling on the single one at the top. I somehow managed to forget to add the garter edge at the bottom, but even with the rolled edge, I am still very happy with how it turned out.

Pressed for time as well as being a bit burnt out from baby clothes, I chose Elijah for Frankie IV, due to arrive in October to Julie and Frank, III. It truly is a quick knit. I not only finished this in time (shower this morning), but was not up all night cramming to get it done. He was knit up with the leftovers from the cardigan. I was truly loathe to give him away, he's so stinkin' cute. I really wanted to keep this little guy! But, I know that he's found a good home.

With this pattern, I not only learned a new cast on, but I did french knots for the first time. Now I want to put french knots on everything. They're so freakin' easy. And lovely. Picking up the stitches to add each appendage was the most frustrating part - the ears in particular drove me bonkers - but all in all, I loved knitting this. What I found fascinating about this pattern is that with every new addition, it got cuter and cuter and I could not wait to finish it to see it completed. Perhaps that's why it was such a quick knit.

But. Enough babies for now. Maybe I'll finally get some rhythm going on the Whisper Cardigan that I'm making for me that I started [what seems like] eons ago. And maybe, just maybe, it'll be done before it gets too cold to actually wear it.

Countdown to Harry Potter

2009-07-05T08:15:00.002-05:00

No matter how good the movie, the books are better. I can think of few exceptions to this rule and the Harry Potter productions are not one of them. That being said, I enjoy the movies and look forward to every new installment. When Goblet of Fire came out two movies ago, I hadn't had time reread the book before seeing it. Reading it afterwards allowed me to appreciate both. During the movie, I didn't remember enough specifics from the book to notice what was missing while reading it afterward was a rediscovery of scenes forgotten. I employed the same philosophy for Order of the Phoenix, confirming this wasn't a fluke.

This time 'round I've actually got a bit of time so I intend to reread books 1-5, saving Half Blood Prince for after the movie. Over the last two days, I've zipped through books 1-2 and started Azkaban (my favorite!). Now, if I can just pace myself I won't be tempted to read Prince until after the movie ...

This has become a food blog of late, but that has more to do with actually being inspired to cook lately. Since I joined that food collective at work , not only am I determined to use up all my produce, I'm trying to work in new recipes as well. There's been good and not so good.

I've discovered that I really don't like radishes -- well, not unless they are prepared the Korean way (a la mom) but for those, I need Daikon radishes - not these garden radishes. I found this salad idea but found myself picking out only the avocado to eat, leaving the radishes behind. They are too bitter for me, I guess. The idea of cooking them doesn't appeal to me at all. Warm radishes? Just the thought is like fingernails on a chalkboard. Oh well.

But. Garlic scapes? They are a whole different animal. They even look like one!

I'd never heard of these until they appeared in my weekly delivery. They came with a pesto recipe, but I wanted to find other uses. I discovered they perfectly complemented the leftover sausage ravioli I had -- sauteed in olive oil with basil and oregano and then tossed with the ravioli. They're milder than actual garlic, with a slight sweetness. Despite looking like a curly version of scallions, they are much firmer and have a nice crunch.

But the real winner this past week is this Indian twist I found.

I used Dutch Gold potatoes since I had them lying around. I wanted to add some meat to the dish, so while the potatoes were cooking, I browned a pound of ground turkey seasoned with salt, pepper and about 2 teaspoons garam masala and then set it aside. Since the meat was seasoned with the masala, I opted not to add Indian chilies as the recipe recommends. Instead, after adding the panch phoran, I stirred the veggies about a minute. Then I added the meat and continued cooking until the mustard seeds began to pop. Topped it off with this simple raita. I wish I had more scapes to throw in, but I used the last of the bunch. This is definitely something I will make again, though I suppose I will need to find a substitute for the scapes once their season is over ...

Last but not least, a little shout out to what is becoming my new favorite LYS. Though the Village Yarn Shop will always have a soft spot in my heart it is not as convenient since it moved from its downtown location. I often find myself instead at the Yarn Boutique which is a bigger (just big enough that it's quite cozy!) and better reincarnation of the former Knit n Purl, since it's just up the street. I was there earlier this week and they wound my yarn for me -- winding three hanks of this Cascade 220 in less time than it would take me to wind one [the old fashioned way of course with the hank looped around my knees and my thumb's circulation being cut off].

I've been to other shops where they point you in the direction of the winder and let you have at it, which is fine, but what service! Wonder whether Spirit Work will pick up the habit when it moves in just down the way ... Of course, with three yarn shops all within a relatively easy distance, I certainly can't complain!

Good Food Eatin...

2009-07-01T17:25:00.002-05:00

My office decided to participate in the Good Food Collective and I thought this would be a good way to cook with more vegetables and support the local farms. Since the shares are supposed to be enough to feed a family of four, I split one with a coworker, and delivery on our fresh local produce started a few weeks ago. Sacked with non-stop back-to-back trials after a week-long intensive training seminar, my first two weeks of veggies sadly went mostly to rot (with the exception of the strawberries that barely made it to the fridge since I inhaled them so quickly). This week though, I was determined to use my veggies.

So far I have been doing well and thought I'd share the tasty meals I have been enjoying.

I found this insanely simple recipe for sauteed spinach with peanuts. Lacking vegetable oil, I used peanut oil instead and eyeballed measurements of the remaining ingredients for a single serving. Despite adding a tad too much soy sauce, the extra liquid made an excellent sauce to pour over the tilapia I chose to accompany Popeye's favorite green. I added extra crushed red pepper and savored the extra kick it gave my meal. Having read the comments ahead of time, I skipped adding any extra salt. The tilapia was brushed with a dry rub (flour, cayenne, paprika mixed together) and then sauteed - about 4 minutes each side. Quite possibly the quickest meal I've made in a long time. Delish.

This week's share also included fresh peas that I knew would go bad if I didn't use them up soon. It came upon me that the peas would go great with ravioli. And, how convenient that The Ravioli Shop was on my way home from my errands! Now, if you live here in Rochester and have not yet indulged in their homemade pasta you are missing out. After conferring with the proprietors, I settled on a box of the sausage ravioli (and stocked up on a box of roasted pepper w/mozzarella). I shelled peas for the first time ever and had quite a bit of fun -- it's rather delightful popping open that pod to see the little buggers waiting to be raked out. On the flip side, it's also very deflating to pry open a pod to see wee little things that aren't worth scraping out. Still, I had enough and steamed them during the last minute of the pasta cooking. For a sauce, I left about a tablespoon of pasta water, added juice from half a lemon and let that simmer with a heaping full of oregano. I then added a couple tablespoons of unsalted butter and heated the mixture until the butter just melted. Pour over pasta, add the peas and yum, yum, yum.

Next time I'm taking pictures!

Instant Gratification

2009-05-10T21:00:00.003-05:00

Sometimes, one needs to put together something that only takes a few minutes.

I had forgotten I had these beads until recently. It's nice to be reminded!

Belated Easter Cheer

2009-04-19T21:28:00.002-05:00

Late to the web, but this little spring basket did actually get delivered just before the Big Bunny hit town. I stumbled across the lovely idea some time ago, and found it to be a good use of leftover sock yarn. The basket went to a friend, who last year lamented the sadness in being unable to preserve real Easter eggs.

I've been on a cooking spree lately and trying some new dishes. I sometimes forget that tasty meals can be really simple, like this zuchinni & corn pasta. After sifting through the comments, I did as many did and sauteed the vegetables in the bacon grease instead of boiling them, also adding a small onion. I used a whole wheat pasta and Wegmans' pesto from their olive bar. I halved the recipe, which left me a sizeable serving for dinner and plenty for at least a couple days' lunch. Yum. (of course, generally anything with bacon is!)

Play That Funky Music ...

2009-04-05T01:00:00.003-05:00

Last year I wore the short dress with the go-go boots. As much as I loved getting all decked out, this year I wanted to go a bit more casual to the annual Ugly Disco. (Proceeds from this event go to the Wilmot Cancer Center and the local Boys & Girls Club). What's more casual than jeans, right? However, try as I might despite checking out the local thrift shops, bell bottoms are hard to come by and I refuse to pay an arm & a leg for them at the costume shop.

About a year and a half ago I inherited a sewing machine. My mom sent it my way when her friend moved to the West Coast and left the bulky stuff behind (it's one of those that come in the cabinet). I've been meaning to take sewing lessons for years now and just haven't gotten around to it. The last time I used a sewing machine was about two decades ago in 8th grade Home Ec. But, finding what appeared to be an easy tutorial for making bell bottoms, I wondered how hard it could really be. Even though it took awhile to read through the manual and re-familiarize myself with the workings of the machine, these were easy and took only a little over an hour.

While I definitely need more practice (my hems are rather horrid), I am actually pretty pleased with how they turned out.

Though I'd love to take credit for the embroidery, I confess that the denim came that way from the fabric shop. Sewn to a pair of ten-dollar jeans I found at Marshalls, and paired with silver platform sandals purchased in the late 90s when they resurfaced in fashion, I joined my friends and got down tonight.

We were not-so-much cage people, but there were certainly plenty of takers:

Don't you wish you were there?

Justified Splurge.

2009-03-15T19:37:00.004-05:00

I popped in at my favorite little shop to find a wedding present for a friend's upcoming nuptials. While browsing amongst the goodies, I fell in love with this handcrafted beauty, but I was there to get a wedding present, right?

I stood there admiring it for a bit while chatting up the sales woman, who asked if I had gotten my shamrock yet. What shamrock? Apparently, they were having a sale -- the amount of the sale to be determined upon the shamrock you drew, with discounts ranging from 10% to 30%. I wandered back downstairs to discover what their pot of gold had in store for me ... * drumroll * ... 30% off!

Well, that certainly changed things and I gave in, because the deal was just too good to ignore. My early birthday present to myself.

The designer, Jennifer O'Donnell is a local gal and the line is called "Fancy Girl."

And yes, I did manage to find a wedding present (discount applied to the entire purchase)!

Spring Is In the Air ...

2009-03-08T16:45:00.004-05:00

The temperatures hereabouts have been warming up a little bit, even if only for a few days. The warm winds accompanying the milder climes served as the inspiration for getting these Wildflower Socks started.

What's more Spring-like than wildflowers and these delightful colors?

I'm not a yarn stasher, really. But. Sock yarn is a different story. If a colorway catches my attention, then I. Must. Have. It. So I confess, impulse-bought sock yarns take up an entire nook in my cubed bookshelf.

When I knit my first pair of socks, I quickly gave them to my mother, thinking that despite being fun to knit, they were way too toasty for my usually warm feet. However, the past winter had me sporting my handknit socks more often as I discovered that they were warmer than any store-bought pair out there. They also became my preferred choice of footwear for shuffling around on the hardwood floors in my apartment.

Who knew - me, a sock knitter!

Unconditional Love

2009-02-24T00:37:00.001-05:00

Knowing When To Say Goodbye

2009-02-22T23:00:00.002-05:00

I've been knitting quite a bit over the past couple months, and my WIP pile has, thankfully, gotten smaller and smaller. Still, today I decided to reevaluate my remaining projects and seriously consider their futures. As a result, projects that really have no chance at completion got frogged -- and I must say, it was quite refreshing. I've narrowed the to-do list down to two projects, opening the way to new ones with much less guilt. Recently completed projects (for more info, see my Ravelry page):

In the meantime, the library is feeding my addiction at an acceptable pace, and I started Breaking Dawn yesterday, with just a few chapters left. If the Oscars end at a reasonable time, I might even finish the book tonight, though I'm not quite as into this last volume as I was with the other three. We'll see how I feel when it's done.

All In a Day's Work

2009-02-08T20:36:00.002-05:00

Books read:

One.

The library came through quicker than expected and I picked up a copy of Eclipse last week. Flew through the six hundred, twenty-seven pages in one sitting (for the cost of a sore back).

Skeins spun:

One.

My first plied yarn. Woohoo!

'Twas a productive Saturday.

Practice Makes ... Not So Perfect (Yet)

2009-02-01T16:15:00.003-05:00

I've always liked oatmeal, though as a kid, I didn't know anything beyond the instant stuff. After discovering the real deal, I could never go back, but the other day I was thinking about the different flavors the instant packages came in and had a sudden desire for apple-cinnamon oatmeal. I found this tasty recipe over at epicurious.com and whipped it up this morning. I highly recommend it. I subbed applesauce for apple juice like one of the commenters did and I'm hooked. I may have to start the remaining winter mornings on this stuff! (And, I think I might just need to make a whole bowlful of honey-walnut clusters just to snack on).

My friend Amanda asked me to do the invitations for her boyfriend's 40th birthday, so that kept me pretty busy this weekend. I'm rather pleased with how they turned out.

But, they didn't take the whole weekend; though, it has been a rather crafty one at that ... A few years ago I picked up a drop spindle and some roving at a local fiber arts fair. I got as far as two balls of slubby, badly dyed yarn and about a half-spindle more before giving up and hiding everything away. I have no idea why after almost three years, yesterday morning I woke with a desire to try again. But I did.

After bouncing around the web from here to there and yonder, I've got the general idea, and seem to be getting a little better with each spindleful ... [I found Megan Lacore's 3-video tutorial to be the most helpful, though she's using a top whorl spindle.]

This is what was left on the spindle from my last try:

It's all uneven and kinky.

I want a lighter weight yarn to ply with, so I pulled off a small bit of roving and gave it another whirl [pun intended].

Much happier with the weight, but it's still over-twisted and kinky in way too many spots.

Take 3 is setting right now, and I seem to be getting a little better. Still having problems with drafting consistently for thickness but I had a lot less kinking this time and am feeling much more comfortable with the twisting aspect of it.

Last time around it was really frustrating, but yesterday I really enjoyed myself. I think I might take a class this spring. In the meantime, I still have quite a bit of roving to practice on ... with hopes of perfection one of these days.

Welp, I'm off to get all settled in for the Super Bowl and get in some quality knitting!

Patience is a Virtue ...

2009-01-24T23:29:00.002-05:00

So they say. Not sure how virtuous I can be though while I wait for my number to come up in the library system for Stephenie Meyer's Eclipse. Of the 78 copies in the county library system, they are all either checked out, on hold or in transit for hold. And I'm Number 46 on the list. This is what you get for getting on the bandwagon with everyone else who is devouring the teen fiction vampire series. I was at a holiday party when one of the guests recommended Twilight with such passion, that I was intrigued. I had no idea that I was going to get just as mesmerized as she and that I would have to read it through in one sitting. The following weekend I zipped through the second book, New Moon. Unfortunately, Eclipse isn't out in paperback until August 2009 and I'm not really willing to shell out the buckaroos for the hardcover... though, if my number doesn't come up in the next month, I don't know if I can hold out!

I haven't posted since I finished the Scrunchable Cowl (can I say, really quick knit?!). Managed to get it done in two football games (playoff weekends serve a dual purpose, yay!).

I'm feeling oh so productive as I've actually been finishing stuff lately.

So now I'm back to an older project, the I Do shrug from Knitty. I started this last spring in hopes of having it ready for my final concert, as I think it will pair wonderfully with a black dress I have that doesn't fit the sleeve requirement for concert dress. The sweater I often wear with it is just too warm for the hot stage; especially in the spring months. So I'm hoping that this shrug is lacy enough to keep me from overheating.

I hadn't gotten too far when I started it then, and I'm glad I didn't, as I had cast on way too many pattern repeats and in picking it up again, couldn't figure out where I even got that number from as it didn't seem to meet any of the sizes set forth in the pattern. After frogging that, I had to rip back again when I realized I twisted my join (Arrgh!). Third time was the charm though and I finally got through the first sleeve. The lace pattern is easy to memorize and is so simple that I can even watch tv while knitting this pattern and don't have to count too much (bonus!) -- though watching tv may have had something to do with my inexplicable cast on number during "take 1". At any rate, it's knitting up much quicker than I anticipated, so I might actually get to wear it before the orchestra breaks for the summer.

Making Up For Lost Time

2009-01-04T09:53:00.003-05:00

I hadn't realized how much of a toll my job had taken on me though until this past holiday season when I had the luxury of an extended break. I didn't bring any work home. I didn't check my email. I didn't check my voicemail.

I read.

I knit.

I slummed in my pj's.

It was wonderful.

In indulging in these hobbies, I've rediscovered how necessary they are for me in order to keep my center. Sure, I was exhausted every day and didn't really have time for anything other than work, but I think that during that craziness, a part of me also just lost interest.

So now, I'm making up for lost time. Or something. I've been knitting like mad.

I finally finished the Central Park Hoodie and I'd have to say I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I had some problems seaming around the armholes, but I think I fudged them well enough to get away with this time.

Even after blocking the pieces, I seemed to have some extra stitches here and there, but that may have had more to do with the interrupted knitting during this project, as I wasn't quite as diligent about marking where I'd left off as I usually am. Then there was my button dilemma - I must have bought about 5 different buttons before ultimately narrowing it down to two.

I forced myself to just pick one. So, little more than a year after it commenced, my cozy hoodie is complete!

I admit, I do have button issues. As such, I've been wearing my more or less complete Broad Street Mittens after whipping through them in just a few short days (of uninterrupted knitting while being snowed in).

I haven't yet chosen the buttons that will eventually go on the cuffs to keep the mitten flap down, but I have been happily donning them around town. I love these gloves. I might need to make another pair. While I love the pattern this sock yarn makes, the wool could certainly be a little cushier. I'm thinking a cashmere/merino mix. So I'm on the hunt for the perfect yarn. In the meantime, these will do.

I've also started up this Seamless Baby Kimono. She's got two different patterns for this -- one with a worsted weight yarn, and one with a bulky yarn. While I usually prefer worsted weight or lighter for garments, I liked the bell sleeves on the bulky yarn version, and was feeling too lazy to figure out how to alter the other pattern. It's nice because it's seamless, but I'd forgotten how quickly bulky yarns can knit up. I'm using Plymouth Encore Chunky (Plymouth Encore has become my favorite baby yarn to work with -- a soft wool/acrylic mix with a great color palate) in this very happy pastel green.

The problem though is that I've gotten to the part where I need DPN's and while I seem to have them in every other size, I guess I don't have them in 10s, so this will be put on hold until I get to the LYS to pick up a set.

No worries though as I'm having fun working on the Scrunchable Cowl -- and getting rid of leftover yarn to boot.

The bottom is worked up in Odyssey I had leftover from a pair of Voodoo mitts I made for a friend last year, and the remainder is being knit up in the Wool-Ease I have leftover from this. I'm pretty happy with how the colors complement each other. And talk about a fast knit -- the perfect mindless knitting for watching TV (this weekend, that would be the wild card playoff games).

I've been reading like mad too but I'll save that for another post.

Jumpin' Jack Cocoa

2009-01-01T11:01:00.000-05:00

Perhaps it's my age getting the better of me, but I've grown a preference for low key New Years Eve nights.

Went out for Thai with some friends then we split up as they went off to their party and I came home to cozy up with my book and some hot cocoa ... the special kind, of course!

Directions:

Pour a mugful o' milk (I usually use 1%) into a small saucepan. Throw in a heap o' cinnamon and two heaps o' sugar. Add hot cocoa mix (I used about 3 spoonfuls of Ghiradelli Mocha Hot Chocolate). Stir and heat until just before boiling.

Pour a shot of Jack Daniels into your mug. Add the hot cocoa and stir (with a candy cane, if you'd like!). Throw in a handful of marshmallows. Yum!

Happy New Year!

It's Like Magic!

2008-12-21T20:03:00.004-05:00

For the first time in a long time, I enjoyed a more or less leisurely weekend. After more than a month of back to back trials, I am looking forward to the holiday respite made possible by my judge taking off for a fortnight. Who am I to complain?

I've long since come to grips with the fact that the Bills are out of it this year after a promising start, but it sure is nice to have # 5 back and being productive (and about time they moved LosSman to where he belongs -- at third string). At least they are fighting for some pride. It was highly satisfying watching them pull off today's win.

S0, while in Seattle this past May I finally made it out to the San Juan Islands, only to be besieged by torrential downpours foiling our hiking plans. In search of a bookstore, we also found a little yarn shop where I picked up a skein of sock yarn and attempted my first patternless pair of socks. I figured that the self-striping pattern would suffice to keep the sock interesting. I was certainly right about the striping ... not so much on the socks. At the time I was operating without my normal tools (tape measure, row counter, etc) and was simply eyeballing everything. I wasn't wholly off, but upon my return East I ultimately frogged the sock with plans to revisit it in the future.

I had however had the Broad Street Mitts on my to do list for quite some time now, and frustrated by the lack of properly fitting gloves for my small hands in the swiftly failing retail industry, I turned to my rainy day yarn. It's the perfect winter palate for a pair of of these convertible mittens and the pattern perfect for my preference for easy access to my digits. It seems to be a pretty quick knit, but what I'm really enjoying is just watching the stripes and the fake-isle pattern develop. It's like magic!

Speaking of magic, while the holiday season has crept up on me, it's hard to deny that it's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas:

Wishful Thinking

2008-11-30T00:38:00.001-05:00

If you stare at a pile of knitting long enough, will the pieces just seam themselves?

Sigh.

The actual piece knitting is done. I just can't seem to be convinced to put it all together. I hate seams.

In spite of it all, I have been knitting. Seaming isn't so daunting when the piece is for a wee one ...

The trick is to get it off into the mail before he-who-it-was-meant-for outgrows it.

And, I finally finished the Bellatrix socks. It just took a few CLE's and then some, but at least I got something out of those day-long sessions (well, the credits, help too).

Bliss Baby

2008-10-12T17:53:00.002-05:00

I love Debbie Bliss baby patterns and the Baby Shrug pattern fit the bill when I was looking for something to knit up for an expectant coworker.

Billievin'

2008-09-29T22:33:00.003-05:00

Dad and I were at the home opener a few weeks ago wherein we enjoyed a solid win over Seattle. We knew this year's team was going to do things. The last few games have been nervewracking, but the boys have managed to comeback when it counts and here we are sitting atop the AFC East at 4-0. Still a long way to go, but I sure am enjoying the ride.

Let's go, Buffalo!

Ten

2008-09-11T22:32:00.000-05:00

This post is long overdue. Aimee tagged me eons ago when I was being lazy about posting, and then work just got insane. But, I'm finally getting around to it. The deal is to list ten things about yourself ...

1. I bought a bike this summer -- I hadn't ridden one in years but was inspired by a friend who bought one and we've been trying to hit the trails at least once every weekend. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to ride a bike. I worried that I'd forgotten how. Guess what? It's like riding a bicycle. Ha. No buyer's remorse here.

2. Rome is my favorite city in the world.

3. I love Korean food -- which only makes sense since I was brought up on the stuff. That being said, I don't usually crave it. Until recently. Once I left home for college, I'd go for long period of time without Korean food. When I came home for the holidays, I was reminded of how good it was, but I didn't really have cravings. When I lived in NYC, it was much more accessible than it was when I was living in my small, rural college town, and I went out for it often enough, but usually at the behest of others. This past year though, the cravings have been coming on. Weird. Must have something to do with getting older.

4. My favorite ice cream is Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Cup. Mmm. Yum. I might just have to run out now and get some. After I finish this post.

5. Coupling. I love this show. I own the whole series on DVD. I watch them over and over and over and over ... Yeah. I know. I have problems.

6. I can't stand reality TV. That was, until I discovered the Bravo shows that have become my crack. It started with Top Chef. Then hopped on to the Project Runway bandwagon (a few seasons late, but I soon discovered its draw). Now I will pretty much watch anything on Bravo. Even the bad episodes have me hanging on until the end.

7. Speaking of reality TV, despite my resistance, I've also become hooked on a Korean show, We Got Married. The premise? Ridiculous. The show pairs up celebrities who pretend they're married. Every week they get tasks (i.e., setting up house; buying a mother's day gift, etc.). I got so obsessed with it that when I was home this past weekend I made my mother dig out her old Korean/English dictionary and give it to me. Subtitles don't do the show justice. My mother found it rather amusing that I am watching Korean TV online. I once taunted my friend who introduced me to this show, and now look what I've become!

8. My favorite smells and sounds are of the ocean. This is odd, as I grew up nowhere near an ocean, nor did we travel much to it. Somehow though, I got it from my mother. After I graduated from college, I spent a year in Korea teaching. My mother was out for a visit and dragged me all around meeting all sorts of relatives I never knew existed. She took me down to her small, coastal hometown and told me that her favorite sounds and smells are of the ocean. I'd never known that. But, somehow, I guess I did.

9. Mornings are my least favorite time of day. They are also my least agreeable time of day. My old roommates say that I made nasty faces, and they didn't dare talk to me until after I'd had my coffee and shower. Apparently, it's so bad, that a close friend once called me around 10 am and at the sound of my hello said he'd call back after the coffee kicked in. Hard to tell which is worse -- my morning mood or my "i'm starving" mood.

10. As crazy as it is, I love my job. I think I'm pretty lucky -- I don't know too many people who can say this. So I guess I'm in the right place for now.

I'm not taggin' anyone, but if you join in the fun, drop me a comment and a link.

Rant

2008-09-01T12:37:00.002-05:00

While I understand that the whole point of labor day weekend is to honor our nation's workers and that not working would be the best way to honor that, as much as I would love to oblige, because our county can't be bothered to give us enough money to get enough attorneys to actually make our caseloads manageable, some of us actually have to work on labor day, just to perform one's job competently.

So, please pardon my extreme irritation at not being able to get into the office (which of course only has limited hours because heaven forbid we actually have access to our building) due to the parade. I spent half an hour driving around trying to get to the garage -- or close to the building even, as I would have been perfectly happy finding a parking spot anywhere. When I explained to the one (very nice) cop at an intersection near the office that I was just trying to get into the office, he told me the parade was just finishing up and if I drove around to the back end of the parade, I could get in since the farthest intersection had opened up. So I drove all the way around only to find it was still blockaded and traffic was being directed by the biggest asshole of a cop who didn't even want to listen to me as I tried to explain what the other officer had directed me to do.

I ended up just coming back home. I'm contemplating riding my bike in, but at this point, I now would have to stay late just to get all the crap I need to get done, and downtown around here ain't exactly the safest of spots, so riding home late is not really a viable alternative.

I'm just a little peeved.

Good Things Come On Small Plates

2008-08-30T20:49:00.003-05:00

I love that more restaurants are going the tapas route -- how wonderful it is to try a bite of many different dishes! I took a much needed mini-holiday last weekend and trekked down to Jersey to stay with my little brother. It didn't hurt that he's a mere train ride away from the City where I reconnected with old pals. My friends introduced me to the delightful Bar Stuzzichini in the Flatiron District -- an Italian eatery specializing in the small plates. Couldn't get enough of the ricotta crostini or the savory artichoke fritters, which I think I will continue to dream about for the next few weeks or so.

Rochester has its own rather tasty "small plate" restaurant, Social, that not only serves tasty food, but uses mostly local foods. I treated cat-sitter Amanda there tonight as thanks for caring for my separation-anxiety prone Pippin while I was gone. The portions are just right, as long as you don't order too many dishes because you are feeling greedy, like we did (oops!) I am rather partial to their pomme frites (it's the aoli that makes it so wonderful) and tonight had the foresight to save room for dessert. Their house specialty, apple fritters with carmel sauce and vanilla gelato is heavenly. They have a rather large selection of vegetarian dishes which is nice for my not-so-carnivorous dining companion who is often frustrated by the lack of variety at most of the other places around town. The place can get kind of loud at night as the interior design, while aesthetically pleasing to the eye, is not so acoustically accommodating as sound bounces off of everything. However, Amanda and I had an early evening reservation, which provided the perfect ambience to nosh and converse.

I sign off with the snapshot of the day:

It's hard to tell whether he's guarding my knitting, or preventing me from getting to it (as knitting takes my attention off of him).

Crystal Ball

2008-08-17T18:44:00.002-05:00

Never in a million years would anyone have ever predicted I'd come home with a golf trophy. It helps though when one is playing in a team and the best shot governs play. However, I was about 6 feet shy of a hole in one. Who knew?

I Used to Blog

2008-08-16T09:35:00.005-05:00

Once upon a time I was blogging more or less regularly. Ran out of mojo for awhile -- either didn't have anything to blog about, or on days I did, just didn't have the wherewithal to log on and post.

At any rate, I've been enjoying my summer. With a little minor arm-twisting from a friend (okay, so I hardly needed any urging at all), I bought a bike. She and I have been trying to go at least once every weekend. The canal path as well as a couple others are rather easily accessible to us, so we've been exploring.

Of course, no summer is complete without a run down to Pennsyltucky for the annual Chicken Inferno. This year marked a decade's worth of chicken burnings.

It's all in a day's work:

Jazz Fest Is Hard Work. RIJF Days 5 & 6

2008-06-19T21:29:00.013-05:00

Phew. On the one hand, I think to myself, "It's over." And on the other hand, I think to myself, "It's over?" Jazz Fest is hard work, I tell ya. Popping from one set to the next, listening to great music, indulging in greasy street fair food, slurping on frozen custard cones and carrying on at the after hours sessions. I mean sheesh! A gal can get tired, for crying out loud!

So ends another Jazz Fest, and another good one at that. I didn't hit too many of the after hours sessions, but last night was one of them, as we closed the night out and I came stumbling home around 3 in the morning.

Caught up on my sleep today, gleefully hitting the sack last night without turning on the alarm clock. Though I didn't stay out late every night, the hustle and bustle sure catches up to one so I took advantage of this day of rest, and slept until my body could take it no more.

I ran out of time during the week to keep up on my posts, so here's a partial rundown of the latter half of the week:

Day 5 - Double Dosage

A college friend of mine was in to The Yellowjackets. I remembered that I liked some of their stuff so decided to check them out at the Harro East to start my evening. I've decided that smooth jazz isn't really my thing, but that being said, the band is quite good. The musicality was excellent and you can tell these guys have been playing together for awhile. Not a bad way to start the day.

After the show I met up with Seth and some others to catch the tail end of the Bill Tiberio Band. Greg joined us shortly thereafter and we set up shop for the Henderson-Owens Trio with Dr. Lonnie Smith. Being relatively new to this whole jazz thing, I had no idea who this guy was. I learned however that he is a fellow Buffalonian and Akiko's teacher.

Oh, and he's Phenomenal.

He was on fire and if I had thought Akiko could play the organ, well then I don't know what the Doc was doing with it. At one point he was even blasting away at the keys with his nose. He was flying all over the organ filling the Tent with funk and groove in Pentecostal fashion. Check out Seth's blog for some great pics of the fabulous flying fingers.

Staying for the second set was a no brainer. The later show was mellower and more soulful but no less rich than the first. During the earlier set, we sat off to the side and had an unobstructed view of the completely synchronized chemistry between him and drummer Ulysses Owens. It was hard to tell who was having more fun -- Smith or Owens.

We moved to a front table for the second set to catch a different view. From there, I fell in love with guitarist Mel Henderson, who seemed to be having the laugh of his life. Every look had some gleeful mischief and it was as if he and Smith were sharing an inside joke. His guitarin' warn't too shoddy neither. I was thrilled to learn he's local and can't wait to catch more of his stuff.

Day 6 - Who Needs Sleep?

After Day 1, I thumbed through the handy dandy Jazz Fest guide to try and decide which artists I wanted to see the rest of the week. I was intrigued by the write up on Jake Shimabikuro, and no less intrigued after I viewed the YouTube video that apparently was the catalyst to his current fame. So he went on my list of must-sees. My initial interest was even more piqued when we heard Tuesday night that he was possibly the sleeper artist of the festival. Apparently both Montage shows were packed and people were turned away. Lucky for me, I was able to sneak away from work early and got myself into the line by 4:20 for the 6:30 show. Even still, I was just shy of a seat in the smallish venue. I did however get the next best thing -- an unobstructed view (very unusual given my lack of height) of the guy who makes the four-stringed ukelele sound much more than that and is well-deserving of the comparison I overheard one festival goer make that he is the Jimi Hendrix of the ukelele.

From there I wandered over to the Lutheran Church to see the Iro Haarla Quintet. I'd have to say that this was the set that disappointed me the most. I went to see this act because the guidebook said she was a pianist and harpist. There was no harp. There was also no audience which guilted me into staying for the whole thing. It was probably this latter fact that threw the band out of sync -- they seemed nervous and out of touch with each other. I felt bad for this band and hope they can iron out whatever kinks they need to to get it together. I also hope that if I ever hear them again, there's a harp.

Despite the letdown at the Church, I got myself over to State Street for the after-hours sessions, after hearing from a reliable source who had heard from his reliable source that it was likely going to be a good night. There were after all, some heavy hitters in playing with the Rochester Philharmonic at the Eastman Theatre. Word was that some might show up and jam with Bob Sneider and company. The word proved true and I discovered among others, trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, whose charismatic talent wowed me and saddened me a bit that I hadn't thought to see the Eastman show. Also with him at the session were saxophonist Eric Alexander, drummer Kenny Washington, and guitarist Peter Bernstein, whose energized performances set the bar high for the night.

We were not to be disappointed.

Jake made his second after-hours appearance (rumor had it he was there the night before) and we had the pleasure of seeing him strum-down with Bob Sneider:

Following Jake was a wonderful saxophonist who I learned to be Stanley Wilson. The night rounded out with a number of young local musicians taking turns at the stage including Mike Cottone, who gets better and better each year.

I stayed for the entire session, thinking that if I didn't make it to another jam session for the whole festival, it wouldn't matter. Of course, I did make it for one more night as I noted above, but I'll save that as well as my thoughts on the last days for another post.

Strumming, Drumming & A Bit O' Be-Bop -- RIJF Days 3 & 4

2008-06-16T23:19:00.002-05:00

I called my pops Saturday morning to meekly beggar off a drive home for the weekend -- it is after all, Jazz Fest, right? Actually, I had been home a couple weeks earlier to celebrate an early Father's Day while my brother was in town from the land of Jersey, so I didn't feel as guilty.

Was it worth it? Am I a bad daughter if I say it was?

The highlight of Day 3 took place at the Montage where Howard Alden graced us with his seven-stringed guitar and wowed the crowd with some of the best jazz guitar I've heard to date. His numbers ranged from Cole Porter to Django Reinhardt to selections from The Sweet and Lowdown soundtrack he was responsible for. Alden joked that Sean Penn was his most successful student while humbly taking credit for the Oscar Penn would win a few years later for a totally different movie (he insisted that learning the guitar was instrumental -- pun not intended -- to the character he portrayed in Mystic River). Though often paying homage to his own inspirational greats, Alden gave each tribute his own flavor and flair. This was a truly wonderful experience.

Though he finished late after starting late, we still made it to the church for Jacob Anderskov's 7:30 performance. Here's the thing about Anderskov. He's brilliant. His technique, his phrasing, his emoting -- all flawless. He was introduced as one about to "have a conversation with himself." Well, with all due respect, the conversation was extremely languid and exhausting. I kept thinking, "just spit it out, please." I felt as if the hobbits must have when speaking to the Ents. Try as I might, I could not sit this one through and after the third piece, left with Christine to get some air and a bite to eat.

We tried to catch up with her sister and brother-in-law at the tent to see Alison Brown and her banjo but it was not our fate. The longish line was not moving, so we wandered over to the stands so I could have my dinner, thinking we had a better shot of getting to the tent a little later. We were lucky enough to grab a table and a couple seats despite the vulture-like hovering everyone was guilty of exhibiting. The guys having stayed through Anderskov's set eventually found us after they too were unable to get into the tent.

We opted to stay outdoors and give JazzKamikaze a listen. I liked the young band, despite a few missteps. They were energetic and certainly gave their all to their rock-ish performance. We stayed until the threat of precipitation actualized into rather large droplets and called it a night. It's a good thing we left at that point, too. The lightning was flashing non-stop during my short drive home.

I had a light enough day at work that I was able to head out a little early (I anticipate I'll be doing this a bit this week) to get in line for the Cindy Blackman Quartet. Lenny Kravitz's drummer was simply a force to be reckoned with. She just kept pumping out beat after beat, the raw power never waning, and in fact just getting richer and richer. It was impossible to take my eyes off of her -- she was mesmerizing. It was a good way to start off Day 4.

We contemplated our musical options and that point and decided instead to have a proper dinner. We popped into a nearby Asian eatery and I introduced my cohorts to the delectable Chinese dessert, the egg custard pastry. Tummies full, we wandered over to the Tent and caught a bit of the tap-dancing, singing trombonist, Todd Londagin and his quartet before heading to the Kilbourn line.

Seth was excited to see Lou Donaldson and I was not opposed (though the sight of the line had us momentarily apprehensive about whether we were actually going to wait it out.) Boy, am I glad we did.

The foursome was Absolutely Magical.

I could have listened to the band play all night, and still not get enough. The 81-year old saxophonist frequently made fun of himself for his age and for his ways, but the old-timer still has what it takes to put on a good show. My eyes told me were sitting in Kilbourn Hall. My ears and my heart told me we were sitting in one of those old school jazz clubs, just whiling the night away. The ensemble never missed a beat, and never missed a chance to highlight each other's talents. Watching them play was like being at a party that was so much fun you hated to see it end. By far, the most pleasant discovery of the evening was organist Akiko Tsuruga (hailing from "Mississippi") who manipulated the organ as if it were an extension of herself. At rest, she exuded innocence. At play, she was a raging beauty. On reflection, she is to the organ as Cindy Blackman is to her drums.

All in all, a fabulous night. Can't wait til tomorrow.

It's All About Timing ... RIJF Day 2

2008-06-15T15:30:00.002-05:00

So yesterday, I headed leisurely over to the Fest with plans to meander before Robin McKelle's 6 o'clock set. After perusing the offerings in the merch tent, I decided to get to Montage early and snag a good seat. Although it was only 5:20 when I got over there, this was not to be. There was a sizable line working its way in and by the time I got in the doors, the place was packed and it was standing room only (it occurred to me later that the audience was full of family and friends of the local star). I spied wall space in the corner and quickly claimed it before that too dissipated and sent off a warning text to Ken who was on his way.

McKelle got off to a late start and my annoyance at the delay and having to stand initially left me apprehensive and looking for a reason to take off. But. The marvelous vocalist made it up to me when she opened her mouth to reveal a beautiful sultry voice that brought to mind Rosemary Clooney and Ella Fitzgerald. Though most of the numbers were standards, her renditions made the pieces all new to me. I was particularly taken with her performance of Billie Holliday's, "Don't Explain" which gave me chills -- in the good way. Between numbers, we got a taste of her witty personality as she sought, rhetorically, a solution to the hair falling in her face, and plugged her new CD, due to come out stateside in August (she repeatedly stressed the limited copies from the European release that she brought with her, humbly pleased with the fact that it debuted #1 on the French jazz charts). Her humor and playfulness shone best though with her performance of "Bei Mir Bist Du Chon," which after a plea for audience participation landed her friend's husband on the stage. He was then subjected to her stage flirtations and doing the salsa.

The annoying waitress was back working her rounds, but finally must have gotten a talking-to, as she managed to tone her voice down to a whisper during the latter half of the show.

Because of her late start, McKelle still wasn't finished with her set at 7:10 when I left to try and get a good seat at the Church. However, my early departure landed me in front of her merch table to snag one of the remaining copies of her new CD.

Next stop was the Church for the show I was most looking forward to -- the Ola Kvernberg Trio. Sporting Austin Powers glasses, the violinist and his band members were everything I hoped they would be and more. Having played the violin as long as I have, I'm always partial to the fiddlers -- especially when they've got something innovative to show me. Kvernberg was just a-MA-zing. Between pieces, he fed us anecdotes of life as a jazz musician. My favorite was his telling us about his grandfather who would tell him there was no money in playing jazz. According to Kvernberg, his grandfather insisted that country music was more profitable and often tried to steer him in that direction. Kvernberg's response was to try to play jazz that sounded kind of like country. What I heard last night was a sound that was just irresistible: bluegrass, Norwegian style, with a jazz twist.

The Church gig won out as my favorite of the night, though it was a tough call between this and The Bad Plus, which apparently has quite the following. After I left the Church, I set off to find Ken at the Tent. There was a significant line there that seemed to be moving slowly, so I let him know I was off in search of grub at the stands. I opted for a giant (and satisfying) hot dog (my guilty pleasure) and noting that the line was already forming in front of Kilbourn (at 8:30 for the 10 o'clock show!), quickly jumped in. Ken met up with me shortly thereafter and we caught up on what the other had seen and heard. The doors finally opened and we quickly snagged the legroom seats (not an issue for me, but the rest of the gang does tend to sport the longer limbs). The auditorium filled up quickly and Seth was keeping us apprised of his arrival status. It was getting closer to showtime and Seth and Christine were still trying to get to us (apparently, their full days not only resulted in a delay getting to the festival site, but also included a return home to get the passes they had forgotten). Surprisingly, the usher was extremely accommodating and kept us updated as to the status of people coming in as well as how much more time we had to try and hold the seats. This resulted a last-minute call to Seth letting him know we still had his seats and they shouldn't give up yet. They made it in the nick of time.

Prior to the start of Jazz Fest, Seth had talked up this band to me. Yesterday, Ken seemed surprised that he hadn't ever made me a mix CD of this phenomenal band (Ken, I'm now waiting for that CD). This was my first time seeing them, and boy, were they nothing but fun. I was completely won over by the time they did their number about the 1980 world champion skiier -- penned by drummer Dave King, who according to pianist Ethan Iverson celebrated for three-hundred and sixty-five days after the win with a victory dance each day (the number allegedly embodied one of those such dances) -- and didn't think it could get much better. But then there were four. The band announced its new collaboration with Wendy Lewis -- a petite woman with powerhouse vocals and took off with Nirvana's Lithium and Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb, to name a couple. Having no familiarity with the band's previous incarnation, I don't have anything to compare it to, but the general consensus appeared to be that the collaboration made a great thing even better. I was completely wowed. Oh, and they obliged with an encore ... oooh, Barracuda!

Something to Blog About - RIJF 2008 Has Begun

2008-06-14T08:36:00.004-05:00

It's not that I've been lazy about posting; it's that I haven't felt that inspired to post. Until now. The Rochester International Jazz Festival kicked off its seventh run last night and I met up with the usual suspects, Ken, Seth (with wife Christine sporting her first club pass) and Greg to see it off to a good start.

After tooling around last year as a club pass member, I knew that there was no other way to do the Jazz Fest. I was left however, with a bit of anxiety up until the last minute as to whether this was actually going to happen. A friend at work had promised me some time ago that he could hook me up with a complimentary pass through a connection in the local music biz. As the time drew closer though, he had not yet confirmed a pass for me despite my numerous efforts to ascertain this status and my willingness to go out and purchase my own pass. He insisted I had nothing to worry about yet worry I did until about noon, yesterday when I was finally given my very own ticket.

The Harro East was our first stop of the Fest and it did not disappoint. This was my first time in this venue, and I was rather taken with it. The acoustics were quite good and the air-conditioning provided a nice respite from the heavy humidity that hung about outside. Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet put forth a worthy tribute to its namesake, whetting our appetites for more jazz. It was the perfect starter course.

We popped into the tent for a few minutes for some good ol' acoustic blues reminiscent of Muddy Waters, courtesy of the Rowdy Blues then made our way to the Lutheran Church, where the Nordic Jazz Now series returned after last year's acclaim. The Five Corners Quintet was one of my favorite gigs from last year and that was certainly one of the reasons I wanted to hear the band's saxophonist with his own ensemble, the Timo Lassy Band. This was my favorite set of the night. Like The Five Corners Quintet, the band was spot-on and clearly enjoying themselves. Their exuberance was contagious and I don't think there was a member in the audience who wasn't swept away by their their Afro-Latin flavor.

Not letting the intermittent rain dampen our spirits, we waited briefly in line at the Big Tent to get in to see the funk band Spam All Stars. The pieces had a catchy beat and there were few in the crowd not bopping to the Latin/Hip Hop groove. This is a band I need to play at my next party, served in conjunction with drinks with tiny umbrellas.

With the rain coming down harder, we sped quickly over to the Montage to hear Rachel Z's interpretation of pieces ranging from Neil Young to Depeche Mode to the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. I don't know if it was sitting in the back corner away from the speakers or what, but the sound quality at the Montage seemed much better than it was last year. The arrangements for the trio consisting of piano, string bass and drums were intricate and engaging -- the perfect recipe for a pleasurable experience.

Like my fellow fest-goers, I opted to go home and save the after-hours jam sessions for another night.

On the agenda for tonight are The Bad Plus, Robin McKelle and the Ola Kvernberg Trio. In the meantime, I'm off to run some errands.

The Aww... Factor

2008-03-29T09:25:00.003-05:00

Why do we knit for babies? Because baby things are just too damn cute!

As usual, these were knit up at the last minute, so I'm going to do some speedy wrapping and make my way to the shower.

Playing Hooky

2008-03-22T11:20:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I took advantage of a renovation sale and invested in my very own pair of skis. At 50% off, I figured it was as good a time as any.

Then I used up some comp time and took the day off yesterday to squeeze in some end of season skiing with my new toy. Despite the spring-ish weather earlier in the week, yesterday couldn't have been a more perfect day to hit the slopes. Sunny skies accompanied the 5 inches of white stuff that hit town the night before in a mid-March winter storm. Got in about 5 1/2 hours of fun, fun, fun.

Pippin also indulged in the sun yesterday, but took a much different approach:

Resolve?

2008-03-20T23:23:00.003-05:00

Ever encounter something during the day and realize that you're already formulating the words in your head to create a blog entry about said event (or non-event, as is usually the case for me)? It happens to me every day. I just never actually have time to see those thoughts come to blog fruition. Though it's probably best that I inundate you kind visitors with as few mundane anecdotes as possible. That being said, it's been ages since I've posted and now that it's Spring, it's a good as time as any to start posting again.

I've actually been knitting quite a bit lately. CPH is getting there, and I see an end in sight. Sorta. Ultimately, in actual knitting time, this has been pretty quick and easy and I haven't really been bored with the pattern. It's just taken me forever for one reason or another (work, sleep and play to name a few). Anyhow, once I get the front bands going I should be fine. I just can't get motivated to pick up the 150 stitches needed to get started. I hate picking up stitches. Picking up 10 is enough to make me grumble, so with 150 loops awaiting their time, I'm just ignoring the damn thing. What are the chances that 150 stitches will just magically appear? Yeah, that's what I thought. Bummer.

What does one do when one is ignoring one project? Start knitting socks, of course! I justify it by telling myself that one must always have a small portable project, right? Besides, who can resist the Bellatrix sock in this fun yarn?! This is the first time I've ever purposely dropped stitches. It's weird -- the first few YOs, I was gingerly pulling off the needle, but after a few rounds, I began whipping through with a bit of a whee! each time it's time to drop away! Yeah, I'm getting a little carried away with my exclamation points. I'll try to stop.

I've got one other project queued up -- baby shower gifts, of course! The topic came up at knitting club tonight -- if one's a knitter, must one always knit for the wee-one-to-be? I often make resolutions that I'm never making any more shower gifts. I'm always knitting furiously at the last minute because I always underestimate how long something will take me, but I never find anything I really like in registries, not to mention that I don't believe in registries; and well, baby knits are just so friggin' cute! I've got a shower coming up next week and I found this sweet yarn yesterday:

It's actually a hint darker than it's coming out in the picture. Leanne's spring baby is getting this & these to form a set. Though I usually tend to stay away from traditional baby colors, this pink stuff just called to me.

After Leanne, there are only three more expectant mommies on my immediate horizon. So much for resolve.

I close with something wholly unrelated to anything I've posted about today. It's just cool. Or maybe infuriating is the better word: Can you Name That Tune?!

Expensive Hobb(ies)

2008-02-12T23:18:00.004-05:00

I've been playing the violin since I was eight years old. Throughout all my years of schooling with the exception of law school, I was always playing -- orchestra, chamber groups, pit orchestras, wedding gigs, church gigs, and even square dances (I discovered a "string band" at my college). When I moved to NYC for law school, the violin lay dormant in my parents' home. Upon my return to WNY, I needed to play again -- after all, couldn't let all those years of lessons go to waste, right? So I found an orchestra that suited my needs -- weekly rehearsals and a few concerts a year. It's tied to a local university so we're off during school breaks -- just the right size time commitment.

Last year I noticed that my bridge was warped. For anyone who plays/ed a string instrument, you know what that means. For everyone else, if you can picture a violin or any of its stringed relatives, the bridge is the little piece of wood perpendicular to the instrument that the strings rest on. Well, it wasn't quite so perpendicular anymore. When I played more regularly, this would have been corrected immediately but given that my playing is now purely recreational, I put it off. This year however, it just couldn't be ignored so I took it to the string repair shop. I had to plunk down $130 for the fix. I suppose if I added up what I've spent in yarn and knitting accessories, I've probably spent a whole lot more per annum, but spending that much at one time for a mere hobby is kind of painful.

So, to make myself feel better, I intend to indulge in yet another expensive hobby tomorrow and go skiing. On this however, I got a deal. A friend -- oddly enough a fellow orchestra-mate -- is a member of a local ski-club and got me discounted all-day lift tickets. I snagged a pack of five -- for less than what I paid to replace my bridge! -- in hopes that I'll hit the slopes often enough this season to justify buying my own skis at the end of it. I enjoy skiing but never really get to go often enough. Maybe this year that will change.

If it sounds like I'm indulging in a bit of a mini-holiday, well, I am. The judge I'm assigned to is on vacation so I also took a few days off. I've spent most of that time giving my apartment a much needed, thorough cleaning and even put a couple hours in on work matters, but tomorrow I am going to play.

Two Years In the Making

2008-02-11T16:34:00.001-05:00

Cozy is finally done.

I stripped the bed the other day and while I was about to put on new sheets it occurred to me that I should probably take advantage of the fact that I was going to be house/dog/cat-sitting for a few days and actually block the damn thing that's been sitting in a pile since I finished the knitting part of it. My only worry was that in my absence Pippin might be attracted to the T-pins and swallow one or something -- I hadn't had to worry about this in my pre-cat days! Since I spent my days between places -- my friends live only a few blocks away -- while I was home, I let the piece block in the open air. When I left, I threw a layer of towels over it and placed pillows on top of the towels. The towels covered the pins well enough and the pillows were an attempt to discourage Pippin from crawling onto the towels and kneading the threads out of place.

I had some doubts as to how well the piece was actually going to block, being more rayon than wool (51% to 49%) and was pleasantly surprised. I'm also really happy with how this drapes, though I doubt I'll ever use this yarn again -- the loose plies made it difficult to get any speed into the lace knitting. Weaving in the ends was also a freakin' pain in the ass -- that had less to do with the structure of the yarn and more to do with the fact that it was a lace pattern. The only thing that kept me going was the idea of it actually being finished and wearable. When I went into Ravelry to update all my project info I realized that the damn thing has been in the works since February 2006. Sheesh!

Winter Classic, a.k.a. Ice Bowl

2008-01-01T22:15:00.000-05:00

Rich Stadium. Sabres vs. Penguins. 1/1/08

Bummed we lost. At least it went to the shootout and we got a point.

Besides, when will it happen again?! It was fun being there, wintry weather and all (but seriously, could it be any other way?).

Happy New Year!

I Have Been Knitting

2007-12-30T17:16:00.000-05:00

Though my posting history hardly reflects it, I have been working the needles. Took a brief hiatus from the CPH to get in some holiday knitting.

Though I tend to eschew holiday gift knitting in order to avoid the headache that inevitably becomes the last minute scramble, I found myself succumbing to the desire to gift handcrafts and whipping up a few last minute goodies. Last year a few local knitters clued me in on the wire votive holders in Handknit Holidays, which come in quite handy for some eleventh hour gifting:

I also knit up a pair of the Voodoo wristwarmers though I forgot to snag any shots of them. I forgot how simple and wonderful these are. I first knit up this pattern a while back when I got up the courage to venture into circular dpn knitting. I chuckle to think how adventurous I thought I was being then, as it was the first non-flat project I tried. My own pair is rather ratty now though I still sport them which is how one of my court deputies discovered them. She'd been eyeing them since I started donning them this past fall, so figuring out what to do for her for the holidays was a no-brainer. A local knit shop showcased a pair worked in this Odyssey yarn so I purchased a couple balls in the 408 colorway for this pair. The yarn was delicious and knit up so softly that I may need to replace my old ones, which were worked in just plain old wool -- perfectly warm, but not quite as soft.

With winter hitting these parts, I was in the market for a new winter hat. Now, I am not a hat knitter. I have bookmarked a number of fun hat patterns, but I always end up just buying hats. Yet, nothing in retail land was striking my fancy and with so many knit items on the racks, it occurred to me that maybe I should just make one. I chanced to remember a Rowan accessories pattern book that I had in my library and settled on a simple earflap one. Knit up with mega chunky wool, the hat was just as cozy and warm as it looked -- I tested it out when I attended the Bills/Dolphins game several weeks back.

Knitting with the chunky yarn was the inspiration for knitting for my giftee in our Chicks with Sticks exchange. Everyone should have a nice, cushy winter scarf, so Adriana got one in wintry white, and I subsequently had to have one of my own to match my hat.

I finally made my way back to the CPH last night, only to discover that I hadn't brought enough yarn with me to my parents' house where I've been lounging excessively for the past week. I usually pack an extra skein with me when I'm traveling with my knitting, but I guess I just forgot. So, that will just have to wait til I get back home.

I guess that leaves me more time to engage Pippin with the feather toy he got from Santa:

Hockey Heaven.

2007-12-17T22:08:00.000-05:00

It's a hockey fan's ultimate experience to catch a game from the owner's box. By some strange stroke of last minute luck, this bloggin' hockey watchin' gal did just that on Saturday. The Sabres hosted local boy Patrick Kane's return home with the Blackhawks. The number one draft pick is as good as they say he is, if not better. Rather poetically, he scored Chicago's only goal, and the first goal of the game at that. Then, the hometown team pulled off a solid win. Does it get any better?!

Bonding

2007-11-25T21:10:00.000-05:00

I meant to go into the office today. After all, I haven't been in since Tuesday. I took advantage of my judge's own holiday schedule and used a floating holiday to take off Wednesday so I've been enjoying a five-day weekend. It's been a rather full weekend though so I decided that today was going to be a lazy day. This does mean however that I will be going in at the crack of dawn to catch up on what I probably should have done today. Oh well.

I took Pippin to the vet on Wednesday so now it's official. He is a he. 14 lbs of a he. And apparently he's still on the skinny side, which surprised the vet too. At any rate, even though I was the evil person who took him to be poked and prodded and then left him that same day for a couple days, he and I have had some quality bonding time getting to know each other.

I swear the poor critter has got abandonment issues or something, because when I'm home, he does not like to let me out of his sight. My apartment is on the small side but if I get up from one room to go to the next, he gets up and follows me.

Oh, and apparently he's a lap cat. He gets all bent out of shape if I actually have to do things that require me to be up and about and will follow me around mewing like crazy until I sit down so he can claim the lap. It's pretty funny.

He's quite forgiving though and is still all lovey dovey despite a few mishaps -- like me stepping on his tail accidentally (not being used to having a cat underfoot), or like him kneading my bare ankle (I usually sit indian style) with his claws causing me to yelp and start in pain such that I sorta pushed him backwards off my lap and he banged into the edge of my desk, causing him to yelp and start in pain. Actually, I think he forgave me first for that one, as I was still smarting from the gouges left on my ankle from the initial kneading and the subsequent digging in as he was trying to find traction when he was falling.

He's not sure what to make of the knitting as that means that I'm not paying quite as much attention to him (who does he think he is, a dog?) And while he's certainly intrigued by the yarn, he's downright predatory toward my knitting needles. I've been working the Central Park Hoodie on straights, so he eyes the needles going up and down, up and down as I knit away, but as soon as he gets the chance, he'll grab on from the most fortuitous and convenient grabbable position on my lap.

Every now and then he needs a change of scenery and will give my lap back to me for a short while he stretches out across my pattern instead.

I've finished the front panels since I've gotten him, so with any luck this sweater will be finished soon.

Perhaps I'll be done before the new year!

Welcome, Pippin.

2007-11-18T19:45:00.000-05:00

About a month ago, a friend of a friend took in a stray cat that appeared during a rainstorm. He fed it and nursed it back to health, and needed to find it a home since it was driving his dogs batty. Thusly, I am now a cat owner.

We think it's a boy. Only a trip to the vet will confirm, so for the time being, he goes by the name of Pippin.

Another Book Meme

2007-11-12T01:00:00.000-05:00

A book list? Can't say no. Found it over on Ken's blog. As he said, no, having watched the movie doesn't count.

These are the top 106 books most often marked as 'unread' by LibraryThing's users (as of some time in the past). As usual, bold what you have read, italicize those you started but couldn't finish, and strike through what you couldn't stand. Add an asterisk to those you've read more than once. Underline those on your to-read list.

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel*
Anna Karenina
Crime and Punishment
Catch-22
One Hundred Years of Solitude*
Wuthering Heights*
The Silmarillion
Life of Pi : a novel
The Name of the Rose
Don Quixote
Moby-Dick
Ulysses
The Odyssey
Pride and Prejudice****
Jane Eyre*
A Tale of Two Cities
The Brothers Karamazov
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
War and Peace
Vanity Fair
The Time Traveler's Wife
The Iliad
Emma*
The Blind Assassin
The Kite Runner
Mrs. Dalloway
Great Expectations*
American Gods
Atlas Shtrugged
Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books
Memoirs of a Geisha
Middlesex
Quicksilver
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West
The Canterbury Tales
The Historian: A Novel
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
Love in the Time of Cholera
Brave New World
The Fountainhead
Foucault's Pendulum
Middlemarch
Frankenstein
The Count of Monte Cristo
Dracula
A Clockwork Orange
Anansi Boys
The Once and Future King*
The Grapes of Wrath*
The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel
1984
Angels & Demons
The Inferno
The Satanic Verses
Sense and Sensibility
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Mansfield Park*
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
To the Lighthouse*
Tess of the D'Urbervilles*
Oliver Twist
Gulliver's Travels
Les Misérables*
The Corrections
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
Dune
The Prince
The Sound and the Fury
Angela's Ashes: A Memoir
The God of Small Things
A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present
Cryptonomicon
Neverwhere
A Confederacy of Dunces
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Dubliners
The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Beloved
Slaughterhouse-Five*
The Scarlet Letter* -- Can't figure out how to strikethrough. I truly hate this book. Only read it again because I had to for a class.
Eats, Shoots & Leaves*
The Mists of Avalon
Oryx and Crake: A Novel
Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed
Cloud Atlas
The Confusion
Lolita
Persuasion*
Northanger Abbey
Catcher in the Rye*
On the Road
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Freakonomics: a Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: an Inquiry into Values
The Aeneid
Watership Down
Gravity's Rainbow
The Hobbit*
White Teeth
Treasure Island
David Copperfield
The Three Musketeers

Back to Basics

2007-11-12T00:38:00.000-05:00

I had forgotten how much fun granny squares can be. These are headed to the West Coast for Korin ...

What better use for leftover yarns?!

there's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home.

2007-10-26T21:49:00.000-05:00

California Helpin'

2007-10-25T22:50:00.000-05:00

Korin and I met through an SP exchange awhile back. She's got family down in California that are among those that have lost. If you crochet or knit and have a little free time, please help her out by sending an 8" x 8" square or two to her.

Bruce, Stella and the Hunt for DK Angora Yarn

2007-10-21T23:04:00.000-05:00

My schedule has become more normal over the course of the last week or so as my late nights have become less late and my weekends have actually included some leisure time. Though I have spent the better part of that "leisure" time battling a rather feisty and stubborn cold.

Last Monday night we trekked out to Toronto to catch The Boss play the Air Canada Centre. Springsteen's stamina never ceases to amaze me, though my friends and I were a tad disappointed that this show was shorter than those of concerts past. We initially thought it had something to do with the lackluster Canadian crowd, but when I later reviewed the set lists for the previous Magic Tour shows, it appears that he's cut his playing time a bit. One can't really blame him though -- the guy is 58 or so. He still played for over two hours, and his voice is as powerful as ever. I actually think it's the strongest I've heard him -- though that may have had something to do with the acoustics, which were excellent.

So, did I mention the lackluster Canadian crowd? I bring this up again because if it weren't for the less-than-spirited audience (among other things, my friends and I were perplexed in observing very few Canadians wearing concert t-shirts), we may not have gotten the personal acknowledgment that made our night. After politely sitting through some slower songs, we shot up onto our feet for an upbeat number. It didn't appear that anyone else in our section cared to join us. Bruce made it over to our side of the stage, saw us behaving like crazy, obnoxious American fans, gave us a wave, as much eye contact as can be made up to the second row in the 300 level and a shout out to us "Up on top!" It really doesn't get much better than that.

In knitting news, I took a little break from the Central Park Hoodie (which I ended up frogging in order to correct the cables) to sneak in a couple Last Minute Knitted Gifts for my friends' recent addition to the world -- a beautiful little girl named Stella. Some friends decided to throw a Welcome Stella party in lieu of an earlier baby shower, and had it last weekend. Talk about some truly last minute knitted gifts -- the invitations were sent out just under two weeks before and despite my recent resolution to no longer cram for knitted gifts, I just couldn't resist. Baby girls will do that to a person. Especially since I'd already met little Stella a few times and knew how adorable she was.

I never cared much for knitting baby booties, but after seeing Kate knit up the Baby Angora Booties a while back, I was tempted. Figuring I'd knit up a couple pairs to go with the Baby Bonnet from the same book, I calculated about eight hours of knitting time which meant that I'd have plenty of time, right? Not so much. Who knew that DK weight angora yarn could be so elusive? I ended up trying four different shops before I was successful. By the time I actually managed to get the yarn I needed, it was the Friday night before the party. Then I thought the party started at 4 and figured I had all morning to finish knitting. It's a good thing my friend Amanda thought the party started at 1, or we may have never checked the invite to find out it was actually at 2. Needless to say, I failed yet again to finish a project in time. I did however complete the gifts shortly thereafter, so that's a small accomplishment. And really, aren't they just too cute?!

Heartbreaker

2007-10-10T00:22:00.000-05:00

Last night I lost my voice and my heart at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Going into Monday's game, I wasn't overambitious -- wasn't looking for a win. I just hoped that we would play well -- something the Bills hadn't done in a long time until last week's spark against the Jets. Then Monday night came. Five interceptions. A forced fumble. A kick return touchdown. Defense and Special Teams were on fire. So how on earth did we lose?!

Dad and I left after the Bills denied Dallas the 2-point conversion. 20 seconds left. We were going to beat traffic. Halfway to the car, a fellow fan announced that the Cowboys managed to recover the ball. By the time we were on the road, the Bills had lost.

I don't know which is worse -- leaving the game thinking you've won, only to discover you've lost, or staying the whole game and losing it at the very end.

Dick Jauron has had his fair share of questionable plays, but I've never felt particularly strongly about them until now (of course, if we had won, we'd all be focusing on the insanely awesome trick play they worked in with Moorman on the first drive). However, Jauron consistently fails to use the clock, and with this I must take issue. Granted, last night our running game left something to be desired. However, by the fourth quarter, he should have been finding a way to grind it out and take time off the clock. Instead, he did everything possible to make sure Dallas got the ball back several times, with plenty to work with. What was that all about?

Okay, I'm done with the griping.

If there was a game to be at -- last night's was definitely one of them. The first Monday Night game in thirteen years. The fans were hyped, and until the end, we played a solid, exciting game (see Moorman link above).

[Okay, maybe not so done with the griping -- I wonder if a Buffalo sports team will ever figure out how to Finish a game. Typical.]

On the positive side, D looked good, despite all the injuries and the loss of starters. I hope they give Edwards the starting QB job as I've never really cared for Losman. Having been a Bledsoe fan since his glory days with the Patriots, I was bummed about the way he was let go, and yes to be truthful, have held that against J.P. [I'd like to note that Bledsoe's time in Buffalo was plagued by the lack of an effective offensive line.] So anyhow, I really, really, really like this Stanford kid. Yes, offense had little to do with Monday night's game, but Edwards looked more comfortable out there with the crowds and the ESPN cameras and the undefeated Cowboys than Losman has ever looked. Anytime. Losman always seems confused and hesitant. If he had played last night, I doubt we would have even had a chance.

To add insult to injury, last night's game put my Fantasy Football opponent in the win column -- Romo was his QB and until Dallas played, my co-worker's team was trailing mine. Go figure.

All this being said, hope springs eternal. Two weeks from now I'll be back rooting for my team. I am, from Buffalo, after all.

** Disclaimer: I do not profess to be any kind of sports' critic. I am merely a fan with rather strong opinions, -- as any proper sports fan should be.

Dyslexic Memory

2007-10-07T23:21:00.000-05:00

They say that Memory is one of the first things to go. Perhaps my excitement to start the Central Park Hoodie got the better of me. As I got about halfway up the back panel I realized that I'd been doing my cables backward. Recalling from memory, rather than actually putting much thought into the mechanics of which stitches to pull forward and backward in cabling without a cable needle, I forged ahead. When Brett Favre made yet another inexplicable interception I stared down at my knitting and realized that when I should have been pulling stitches from the front, I was pulling from the back and vice versa. Not sure that that one misstep had much to do with the other, but something about the sloppy football play made bells go off in my head.

Dad got a good chuckle as I resignedly stuffed my knitting back into my knitting bag where it will sit while I contemplate whether to frog it.

It's not that noticeable, really --

The cable is just off by one full repeat, I guess. I dunno ... I'll have to think on it. On the upside, it didn't take that long to knit up, as I just cast on last night.

I'm enjoying this brief respite home with the 'rents. The last eight weeks have been rather hellish, but things will start to calm down a little bit as I move into an easier schedule in my current court rotation. Nonetheless, I still put in full days at the office both yesterday and today before hitting the road, but tomorrow I'll get to sleep in a little before dealing with the files that took the short road trip with me. Then Dad and I are headed with high hopes to the first Bills' Monday Night Game in ages.

Obsessed with Austen

2007-10-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

Anyone who knows me knows that I am insatiably (sp?) obsessed with everything Austen. So, when I heard about Shannon Hale's Austenland on NPR a few months ago, I just had to check it out. It's a hysterical, quick read and I think will be much appreciated by anyone who loves the BBC miniseries. There is apparently, according to Ms. Hale, a contingency out there completely appalled at her seeming "attack" on Austen-ites, but I really saw it as a tribute to Austen and her fans. Hale's main character sets off to England to partake in her distant rich relation's parting gift to her -- three weeks at Austenland, a fantasy world where Austenites dress up and live as the Regency English would have and live out their favorite Austen storylines.

On the flip side, anyone who appreciates Austen should most definitely skip Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife, which is just pure smut and devoid of any wit. To be sure, there are passages in there that are just laugh-out-loud funny -- as my summer traveling companions can attest to as they often witnessed my chuckling outbursts -- but it's about as satisfying a sequel as Alexandra Ripley's Scarlett is to Gone With the Wind (i.e., wholly incredible, superficial and lacking the depth of the original). Standing alone, Berdoll's attempt at a Bennett-Darcy sequel is a decent summer romance read -- light and ridiculous. As a tribute to Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice? A complete failure.

Go Bills!

2007-09-30T22:39:00.000-05:00

I really like Trent Edwards.

The Grind.

2007-09-30T22:38:00.000-05:00

I love my job. That being said, the past month and a half or so has been quite the grind, with my work day averaging 18 hours -- late nights, early mornings, and weekends to boot. I've been out of touch with family and most friends. Oddly enough, I have been knitting. When I get home from the office at midnight, I've been unwinding with an hour or so of television, and despite general exhaustion, my fingers have been itching. Something about Autumn knocking at the door perhaps woke the dormant knitting bug, though we've had more summer-ish days than I like this time of year. I've been eagerly anticipating starting the Central Park Hoodie, but was determined to finish that damn Cozy first. Never thought it would happen, but I finally finished it. Well, the knitting part of it anyway. It still needs to be blocked, but I'm comfortable procrastinating on that ...

So anyhow, I'm psyched to start the Hoodie. Initially, I was going to start on the Summertime Tunic -- which was going to be an Autumntime Tunic that is looking more like it's going to be a Wintertime Tunic To Wear Under Things -- but as I was loading up my newish Ravelry queue, the Hoodie grabbed me and moved to the top of my list. After perusing the Flickr and Ravelry sites, like many others I decided to use Cascade 220 and settled on Burnt Orange. I'm in love with this yarn -- it's soft and squishy, and just the color I wanted it to be!

West Coast Wanderings

2007-08-11T15:52:00.000-05:00

My friend Ami announced her engagement this past holiday season. Attending the resultant wedding festivities in Santa Clara, CA a couple weeks ago kicked off an incredible 2+ week sojourn Out West.

I see that in my absence Seth tagged me to enlighten the blogosphere on a quintet of personal factoids. Rather than put forth the effort to come up with 5 more facts about me, I've decided instead to share five highlights of the trip (though limiting to five is quite restrictive!)

1. Ami's wedding wasn't just any old wedding. She and her now-hubby pulled out all the stops for a traditional Hindi wedding, spread out over three days of celebration. The ceremony itself on the final day is immediately preceded by the baraat and my friends had it all, including the horse:

2. I convinced my Seattle-based pal Tina to come join me while I was in her time zone so she flew down and joined me in sunny California. Following the wedding festivities, we hopped in a rental car and made our way to the City of Angels, via the incredibly breathtaking Pacific Coast (i.e, Route 1). Preferring Tina's much nicer camera over my bare-bones one, and the unlikelihood of her taking pictures (she tends to forget -- thusly, it was rather amusing to learn that she got the camera as a birthday present), I am currently without any images of the stunning views of that amazing coastline. The best part of our 2-day road trip was catching the sun setting along one of the prettiest bits of coast between Carmel and San Simeon. We stayed in San Simeon that night and took advantage of the oceanside fire pits our hotel had set up on the beach 'cause damn, it was cold!

3. We kicked around L.A. for a few days (including a delicious venture into Koreatown) before taking off for Vegas where I would eventually be meeting up with other friends. This was my first trip -- Tina's fourth. I never fancied myself a Vegas kinda gal, but wanted at least to see it once. Perhaps because I went with only curiosity rather than any expectations, Sin City managed to draw me in and I do intend to go back to do (and eat) the things I didn't get to do on the short stay. Maybe next time I'll even win enough to catch a Cirque show.

4. Tina headed home after Vegas, and I caught up with my East Coast gals Kelly, Jenna and Katie. We ventured south in hopes of escaping the scorching Nevada heat, and made our way over the Hoover Dam toward the grandest of holes in the ground -- the Grand Canyon. Words cannot describe the magnificence of that natural wonder. Only there for one full day, we chose a short but challenging hike down the South Kaibob Trail to explore beyond the Rim:

5. After "conquering" the Grand Canyon, we had one final stop in Denver, CO for my favorite part of the trip -- whitewater rafting. We none of us had done this before but by the end of our 2-hour adventure, we were all itching to do more. I think I'm going to have to find me some whitewater adventures up thisaways!

Now I'm back and it's back to reality. Though I can't complain too much as it was a nice vacation: long enough of a break to enjoy it and leisurely enough that it was indeed, a vacation. Besides, I'm looking forward to soon meeting the latest addition to Ken & Kari's family (shamelessly fishing for an invite, Ken!).

No Sleep Till ...

2007-07-22T12:41:00.000-05:00

... Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is done. Picked up a copy first thing in the morning yesterday at my local Wegman's to take with me to the 9th Annual Chicken Inferno. At the risk of being antisocial, I spent a significant chunk of the afternoon on Hopkins Hill in the sun with the highly anticipated final installment, while other attendees kindly encouraged my retreat into the magical world with nods of understanding and a few longing glances at my sole copy on the Hill.

I wasn't completely immune to the festivities -- after all, there was the food. And the comraderie. And the game of Catch Phrase. And of course once the sun went down, it was all about the Glorious Chicken.

For a number of other reasons, I ended up not camping out and instead made it a day trip down with friend Kari. We got back into town a little before 1 am, and I hunkered down for a sleepless night for the remaining 500 pages. I finished up a little before 9 am this morning. Don't worry, no spoilers here. I'll save my thoughts on this for a later date. In the meantime, I think I'm going to hit my porch rocking chair for a reread.

Hogwarts and Then Some

2007-07-17T22:18:00.000-05:00

Couldn't wait too long before catching the latest Harry Potter installment, so I caught a viewing over the weekend. The movie was entertaining enough -- but Prisoner of Azkaban is still my favorite thus far. Not sure that I care too much for Yates' direction, and I often questioned the editing as many of the transitions were sloppy and choppy. My friends criticized the adaptation in that it condensed too much, and upon further reflection, I'd have to agree with them. Much was left to conjecture which we of course filled in with our readings (and re-readings) of the novels prior to viewing. When Goblet of Fire came out, I didn't have time to re-read before catching the movie, and waited instead until afterward to fill the memory gaps piqued by the live version. I think the mistake this time around was refamiliarizing myself with the book before the movie. The criticisms aside, there were some good things about The Order of the Phoenix. The casting was spot on. The denouement at the Ministry was well done. All in all, a fun movie. However, as is usually the case -- the book is so much better.

In knitting news, I've been working furiously away at Cozy, and I'm actually getting the sense that it is going to get done.

There is added motivation for its completion --

I have not yet opened this package to devour its known contents. In it is the yarn that will become my Summertime Tunic that I am not allowed to start until I finish at least one WIP. I've resisted the urge, though I'm dying to know if the real-life color is what I want it to be.

I close with a blurry shot of this -- the reward from my recent take-out adventure:

I think this is the first time in a long time that my fortune cookie gave me something other than some lame saying and some lotto numbers. This fortune I intend to see to its fruition.

Shoulda, Coulda, Ought-to-have

2007-07-04T09:01:00.000-05:00

They screwed up last year when they didn't keep Jay McKee or Mike Grier. Apparently, the lesson was lost on them and Drury & Briere are long gone. I certainly don't blame the guys; it's F-ing management that's got their heads up their asses.

At least the Bills have a clue -- they resigned Moorman.

Resolution (i.e., Resurrection)

2007-06-28T22:58:00.000-05:00

With the Monkey socks now done,

the resolution is to finish all the languishing WIPs in my knitting pile. So, Cozy is the first to be resurrected. The problem with this particular piece is that while it's quite a simple pattern, it moves slowly. I put a few hours into it today and it only seems to have grown a couple inches. Sigh. But, I am determined to finish it.

*****

So, I've been hoping that it wouldn't happen though knowing that it was more than likely that Drury would be leaving the Sabres, but ... the Rangers?!

It's a Wrap

2007-06-14T23:34:00.000-05:00

My Club Pass is now retired. I closed the festival by checking out Andy Milne's Dapp Theory at High Fidelity -- the bar, not the movie. But in the spirit of that movie and an attempt to to answer Seth's question the other night about one's Top 3, here are my "Top" 5 of the Fest (in order of viewing):

********

Stephane Wrembel (Day 2)

Zanussi5 (Day 2)

Five Corners Quintet (Day 5)

Zapp String Quartet (Day 7) Granted, I have a soft spot in my heart for the violin, but I can say without bias that this is one of the best string ensembles I've had the pleasure to hear -- classical or otherwise; recorded and otherwise. Max was the perfect venue for the quartet as well. These guys played seamlessly, and it was a treat to hear the classical instruments playing contemporary pieces (many specifically written for them!). I had been looking forward to hearing these guys since Day 1 when Ken told me to check out their downloads on the RIJF page.

Soul Rebels (Day 9) I've never been to New Orleans, but this stuff sure sounds like what I imagine N'awlins music to be. These guys just rocked the tent tonight, and I let myself get rocked away with the rest of them (although I missed the reputedly stupendous Avishai Cohen Trio because I wanted to see the whole show in the Tent, I have no regrets [too bad there's no Tivo for the Jazz Fest!]. These guys know how to get people on their feet. I particularly enjoyed their rendition of Blister in the Sun.

**********

It's impossible to rank these performers in any order since their modus operandi are so diverse and varied. As Ken and Seth have both commented throughout, and repeated in their guest appearances with the Jazz Session's Jason Crane (accompanied by their fellow blogger and podcaster Greg), it's the variety of the festival that seems to make it such a success.

This past week has been incredible. Not really sure what I'm going to do tomorrow with no Jazz Fest [actually, that's entirely false as I know exactly what I'll be doing -- shuffling off to Buffalo to spend time with my pops], but the daily attendance has become such a routine that it's hard to believe it's been only a week. It seems unnatural that there will be no more JazzFest until next year. But, as they say, c'est la vie, and la vie goes on.

Some thoughts on the shows I attended the last few days that I've been hard-pressed to find time to blog about:

Day 6:

Christian Scott Band -- The band is full of talent and promises to be a musical force to reckoned with in the years to come. While their age was apparent in their performance, they certainly did not lack enthusiasm. Experience should cure the nerves and the need to overplay, and I look forward to catching up with these cats at a future Jazz Fest.

Ilmiliekki Quartet -- This foursome did not disappoint in the Nordic Jazz Now series which became an automatic stop in our daily venue hopping. The introspective Finnish ensemble was a stark contrast to the youthful bouyancy and funk of Christian Scott and his mates. Their style -- contemplative; the musicality -- soothing.

Bonerama -- A powerhouse ensemble that just knows how to party. Then again, would you expect any less from an ensemble comprised of four trombones and a sousaphone? Fun, fun, fun! In my wildest dreams, they'll be playing the Chicken Inferno.

Hilario Duran Trio -- This guy can play the piano. Max resounded with rich hues of Afro-Cuban culture. The only things missing were a drink in a coconut and a conga line.

Day 7:

In the Country. Thanks to these Norwegians, I am now enlightened on the subject of torch fishing (as well as alligator counting and frogging, courtesy of Seth and Ken, respectively). Their style called to mind that of Badly Drawn Boy, but with less rock (i.e. more jazz). The pieces were interspersed with bits akin to a stand-up routine, and clearly engaged the audience; yours truly was no exception.

Corey Harris. Muddy Waters meets Bob Marley. What a great juxtaposition.

Jason Moran & The Bandwagon. My JazzFest companions loved this act. I will at least agree with them that Jason Moran is a tremendous pianist. The drummer, also of high caliber. The performance as a whole however, gets merely an "S," in my book. I was particularly annoyed by the inexplicably loud bass line, which should have been turned down a notch or three. Louder is not always better, especially at the acoustically challenged Montage. Balance is key to a great musical performance, and I found this lacking in this show.

Day 8:

Don Byron's Ivey Dyvey Trio -- Unfortunately due to timing issues, I only managed to catch about five minutes of these guys. Those 5 minutes were fantastic, and Jason Moran again delighted by moonlighting (eve-lighting?) as the pianist.

Omar Sosa -- This trio was just on the cusp of my Top 5. These guys were clearly having a fun time playing their Afro-Caribbean tunes. That kind of energy just infects an audience -- at least, it infected me.

Andreas Petterson Quartet -- Ever heard Gershwin? Not like this you haven't. I never would have pegged an acoustic guitar to be a conduit for swing. These guys gave yet another stellar performance at the Church. We had the added pleasure of catching the band at the after-hours, despite my inadvertent bullying past them to get to the bar (hey, they were in my way, and I wasn't paying attention to who was actually blocking my path).

Toots & The Maytals -- Not sure which was more entertaining -- the reggae act on the stage, or Seth's giddiness at being there.

Day 9, a.k.a., Day Last:

Layah Jane -- This chick's got a phenomenal voice -- a perfect accompaniament to a much-needed ice-coffee from Java's. I caught the tail-end of this free show on the Gibbs Street stage when I arrived too late [from an extremely satisfying outlet mall shopping spree] to catch the highly regarded Bill Frisell Trio.

Jens Winther European Quartet -- Another tight, solid performance fronted by a Swedish trumpeter, in what I've been calling the "classic" jazz style. If only it weren't so hot in that Church! What a great series -- I'm looking forward to what they'll bring next year.

Andy Milne's Dapp Theory -- A good club show. Ran into friends Binet and Paul who aptly characterized these guys as stereotypical "Eastman Jazz" types. These guys played what I'd describe as "intellectual jazz" -- thoughtful, multilayered compositions that kept one's mind constantly thinking (reminds me of Mozart). I'm not sure how I feel about the "percussive poet" though. He had great delivery and rhythm, and those characteristics made me think of De La Soul's Tread Water, but the lyrics left me a bit wanting. Still, an enjoyable performance to end my Jazz Fest run.

So ends a great week:

(Clockwise from top:

Trusty Program Guide: Well, this was a replacement I picked up the second day due to my careless misplacement of the first. This one though made it through the week as is evidenced by its well-worn look.

Silk sleeves: So much more convenient to cart around than a sweater, these beauties came in handy for the unexpected cooler summer nights and air-conditioned venues. How lucky was I to have been drawn by Kate in the Chicks' holiday gift exchange?!

Club Pass: The thing speaks for itself.

Monkey Sock No. 2: Perfect break-time knitting!