In which there are haircuts and to-do lists

Happy 2009! I know a lot of people who had a rather rough time of it over the past 12 months, and I hope that this year goes a lot better for them.

That being said, I have not made any concrete resolutions. I have started using a to-do service (Toodledo) and it helps me to keep track of things that need to be done. Right now I have categories for knitting, cleaning, work and Ravelry. It's pretty cool.

I don't have a whole lot to say today, I suppose, other than the usual hooray for the new year bit. I got my hairs cut recently, and got a fairly cute PhotoBooth shot of it last week.



I'm feeling a little weird today. I have a bit of a headache and feel kind of dizzy. I'm also a bit flushed. (This is a good reason for not showing you a PhotoBooth of today's look, although my hair somehow gave itself sausage bangs.) And I got a bill for the $88 my insurance decided not to cover from the cortisone shot I got last month, which was nice. I suppose I should be happy that they covered some of it, eh?

I need to go now. I started writing this post four hours before actually publishing it.

On French taunting and gifts

I had a really nice holiday. I got some cool gifts (including Wii Music!) and got to see Spamalot at the Civic Center in Des Moines.

The show first: it was a riot. My mom got the tickets for the family as a Christmas gift. There was a 2-for-1 price for the show on Christmas day, so eight people ended up going (the parents, both of my brothers and their girlfriends, my "third brother" [who is really just one of those random hangers-on, but we love him anyway], and I).

It was a nice way to spend the evening. The cast was extra funny, and there was a lot of ad lib going on. A couple different performers stuck Christmas songs in the middle of their pieces, and the insulting French guard said, "I will taunt you a second time. I throw shoes at your president." We all cracked up at that one. If you get a chance to see Spamalot, I highly recommend it.

Gifts: My mom's a rock star. She got me some nice things for the house that make life just that much nicer. One thing she found is a tension rod shower organizer. The best part is that the baskets and hook are adjustable and can be whatever height you need. The chief reason she got the thing was for the hook. When my bathroom was re-done, the landlord installed a curtain rod that has a 90° turn in it, which is great except for one thing: it sags from the weight of the curtains. The hook on my new organizer eliminates the problem and works a treat. Yay!

Another cool home thing I got was a curtain rod that has a hinged elbow piece, allowing it to hold a curtain at an angle. I have a very heavy lined curtain separating my upstairs bedroom from the rest of the house, which helps keep heating costs down. (For some reason there are no heating vents upstairs, but only a return.) To stay warm at night, I have an electric sheet. I had always had issues with getting the curtain to stay; it was always just too short to fit the gap. Now the curtain turns the corner and fits pretty much perfectly. (In truth I am amazed at just how nice a job the thing is doing. Just 20 minutes after having hung the curtain on the new rod, there was a noticeable difference in temperature between upstairs and down.)

I also received an iTunes gift card, a Target gift card, and a book, as well as a random assortment of chocolates. I used the Target gift card already and bough some new in-ear headphones for my iPod and a copy of Animal Crossing: City Folk for the Wii. (I have been wanting a new AC for ages, and now I finally have it! I'm so excited. My new town is called Growly; my character is Xa and my brother's, Rawr. We are silly people.)

That is all I have for now. If I don't post again before Thursday, then I'll see you next year! Here comes 2009 ...

On finished knitting and broken scrapers

I have managed to finish a couple projects since last I posted. Firstly the Whovian Fish Hat, which will hopefully be a good compliment to my dad's Dr. Who scarf. (You know, the really long-ass scarf that he never wears.)


Won't this be sexxy on someone's head?

I also finished a gift for (my brother) Brox's girlfriend. She told me that she's often cold, so I designed a pair of armwarmers for her. They're made of worsted wool, and have cables. I intend to post the pattern to Ravelry. They're called (at the moment) Not Fancy Cabled Armwarmers.


I am testing them at work today for ... quality assurance.

I think there are a couple adjustments I might make (like not as many thumb increases, or using twisted rib instead of regular ribbing), but all in all I'm very happy with them. Hooray!

In other news that's not related to yarn (except for all the knitted things I was wearing at the time), I managed to break the ice scraper while chipping really thick ice away from the van. Oops! That's the second scraper my family has broken in a week — my mom broke her new one chipping through ice last Friday. That's crazy.

Needless to say, I had to walk to work this morning. And I had to deal with Frosty Scarf Syndrome (which is when your exhalations leave a cold, evil residue on your scarf and then it presses against your already frozen face).

I'm done with winter.

Two photos of frosty windows, and lots of words besides

I'm pretty sure Google has gone crazy, because my computer is displaying it in Spanish. It seems my IP address changed (although I don't know how, as I have had a static IP for a long time).

Anyway, what I really want to show you is proof that I will indeed have patchwork tape windows.


Cat Attacks Window, Leaves No Sign Of Struggle

WTF? My windows are not made of catnip, last I checked. Ah well.


Awesome swap package!

I joined an ornament swap for the Knit / Crochet House Cup on Ravelry. My package arrived yesterday from the UK, sent by the fantastic cmelvin, who is pretty much a rock star. As you can see, she sent some really cool stuff: an angel, a drop spindle ornament, a book plate, and a postcard, as well as a letter from Professor C. Melvin and a Christmas card. I love it all.

I sent my swap package off today, which heads to Florida. I hope the recipient enjoys what I made!

And now, before I'm buried in the ice storm and potentially lose power (seriously, they're projecting that the eastern 2/3 of the city loses power because we have above ground power lines and the rest of the city has buried lines), I'd like to share two more things. First, it's my kitchen window this morning. The frost looked kind of pretty.



And lastly, a local story from the Associated Press, which was shared by elisamatic over on Plurk.

Iowa town's roads well seasoned
ANKENY, Iowa (AP) — Slush has never smelled so spicy. City crews in the Des Moines suburb of Ankeny are using garlic salt to melt snow and ice on streets from Tuesday's storm. The salt was donated by Tone Brothers Inc., a top spice producer headquartered in Ankeny.

Public Works Administrator Al Olson said the company donated 18,000 pounds of garlic salt to use on its 400 miles of roads.

Olson doesn't have details, but he said the salt would have ended up in the landfill, so the company donated it. A telephone call Wednesday to Tone Brothers wasn't immediately returned.

Olson said the city mixed the garlic salt with regular road salt and it works fine. He said some road workers say it makes them hungry, but Olson doesn't recommend it to spice up lunch or dinner.

Really, Iowa. You just keep getting crazier. Now I want to go to Ankeny and see if it makes me crave Italian food.

Anyway, I'll let you know what happens.

Tell me about yourself

You have probably seen this game before, but if not the rules are simple: copy my questions and answers, replace my answers with yours, and either post on your blog or in comments.

I totally swiped this from GeekLover on Plurk. Follow the link for her answers.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
My middle name, which is one of the most common middle names ever, was from a great aunt. Also, my mom told me once that my full first name was after the Spanish word for chestnut, which is castaña.

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
I think it's been a while. I'm probably due.

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Sometimes my writing looks really nice, and other times it's sloppy as hell and I can hardly decipher it. For the most part, though, I think it looks fine and it serves its purpose.

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
Whatever is on the Spicy Italian at Subway is pretty tasty.

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
Nope. Just a metric ton of cats.

6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
Depends on what kind of other person I would be. Maybe, although I suspect I'd annoy the shit out of myself.

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT?
No, I have never once in my live used sarcasm. (Bwa ha ha ha ha.)

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS
Yes indeed, and one of them has a really funky growth. Always has.

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
I totally thought about it in Corinth, over the Corinthian Canal, but they weren't open.

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
Kix, or Rice Krispies. Or Honeycomb.

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Nope. (I take my shoes off at work, too, and walk around in socks for most of the day.)

12. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
Peppermint stick with the candy cane bits. I love this time of year for that. I also love rainbow sherbet.

13. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Their knitted garments, then their hair.

14. RED OR PINK?
Deep red, but sometimes pink.

15. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I'm very fluffy; there's what seems to be an 18-wheeler's tire stuck there.

16. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
My Luther friends. Why do they all live so far away?

17. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU?
Meh.

18. WHAT COLOR SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
I'm at work, so I'm not wearing shoes at the moment. But I am wearing my Kaylee socks.

19. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE?
A gigantic Kit-Kat.

20. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
The hum of fluorescent lights and computer fans, tempered by the occasional hiss of the police scanner.

21. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Probably turquoise.

22. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Outside after a thunderstorm. Also this funky body spray I have.

23. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My ride to this evening's Music Club festivities. (They were indeed festive.)

24. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
I stole it from a blog — it was sent like manna from the gods ...

25. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Knitting Olympics count, right?

26. Hair Color?
Medium brown.

27. EYE COLOR?
Hazel, though they change a lot. They're probably tinted toward green at the moment.

28. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
Nope.

29. FAVORITE FOOD?
Toast is the best thing ever to happen to sliced bread.

30. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Happy movies with scary endings?

31. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
I saw Twilight with my mom Sunday evening.

32. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
White undershirt, olive green long-sleeve tee over that, and forest green sweater on top.

33. SUMMER OR WINTER?
I hate the cold, but I also abhor the humidity. Iowa has both, and I don't quite understand why I continue to live here.

34. Hugs or kisses?
Kisses, because I don't like those white swirls in the Hugs. (You were talking about Hershey's chocolate, right?)

35. FAVORITE DESSERT?
Chocolate anything.

36. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND?
I'm not asking for responses, but it would be nice if you'd like to.

37. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND
I'm not asking for responses, so I won't be too disappointed if nobody responds.

38. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Um, I suppose I ought to get past the intro in The Carbon Age: How Life's Core Element Has Become Civilization's Greatest Threat by Eric Roston.

39. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
I don't use mouse pads. They make me angry.

40. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Headlines on Leno, and the first bit of Craig Ferguson, who's effing hilarious.

41. FAVORITE SOUND?
Thunder, or wind against the house when I'm snug in bed.

42. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Eh, I don't mind either. "Penny Lane" is a nice song.

43. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Istanbul, Turkey.

44. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I play with yarn, and I like grammar.

45. WHERE WERE YOU BORN?
Des Moines, Iowa

46. WHOSE ANSWERS ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING BACK?
Whoever decides to fill them out.

Baby, it's cold outside

Hello! First post at the new URL. *happydance* Unfortunately, xamonster.blogspot.com was taken, so I decided to go with piratexa. It's very nice. Also, I didn't realize it but the last post was number 666. See?



Bwa ha ha ha ha. (I also have a PhD in Horribleness.)

Yesterday my mom and I put plastic on the windows, because this week's forecast calls for frigid air. Even my weather widget says it's frigid. Here, let me show you it.



Ice cubes, right? Under the lower left of the yellow box, it says the temperature is a balmy negative 2 degrees ... and the wind chill is 18 below. That's horrible.

Anyway, we decided to do the outside plastic on one window — the one that opens onto the porch — because there weren't enough materials included with the box of inside hair-dryer plastic. We got a cheap-ass kit at the dollar store for the outside. Now when I say cheap-ass, I really mean it: the "mounting strips" are flimsy cardboard. Needless to say, it didn't work. We put the plastic over, and it took forever, and it sucked and didn't even stay there anyway. There was a huge rip in it two hours later and the plastic was flapping in the breeze.

But the inside plastic went up like a charm. There's almost enough to cover the porch window after all; we just need a little more tape. The only thing about having the plastic on the inside is that I have one cat who still has his front claws. This is a bad thing, as evidenced by the popping sound I heard at about 10 last night. I felt the plastic over each window and sure enough, he'd ripped a (thankfully small) hole. So I grabbed the handy dandy white Duck Tape (that's the brand) and slapped some over the tear. I have a sneaking suspicion that my windows will be a patchwork of tape by the end of the winter. I suppose I should get more colors and at least make it festive ...

Conclusions: buy more yarn to insulate the house. Also: knit fast, die warm. See? Everything really does relate to yarn.