Red is for Passion

Momo

2012-01-20T05:50:00.000-08:00

This is Momo. I used the pattern Owl Puffs by Jenna Krupar. It's supposed to be stuffed in a way that makes the corners stick up like ears. But I rolled up some left over quilt batting and there wasn't enough for the ears. So they droop. Hence I made it into a dog.

Details:
Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky, leftover from a sweater I made for my sister years ago. The photo is off, since the yarn is turquoise, not blue blue.
Needle: US 10, one metal circular, one bamboo circular

Method:
~ Used Turkish cast on at the top of the head and 2 circulars to knit downwards. It was really easy and resulted in a pouch that I could keep the yarn and needles in when not knitting on it.
~ Then I stuffed it and knitted the bottom closed in a flat hexagon so it would sit up.
~ I threw it in the wash to felt it a bit. I have front loading washing and drying machines, so it didn't felt very much.
~ Embroidered on face with worsted weight wool. I'll wash it again to felt it in place. I hope.

Started Jan 12, 2012, finished Jan 19. It really could be done in a just a few days but I've been sticking to my project rotation, so have worked on this only every 4 days.

I made it for Husband's secretary who is expecting her first kid in February. I really love Momo.

I'm going to make a baby sweater or toy a month so I'll have something ready to give when I hear about an impending baby.

I forsee making several more Momos or stuffies. I have so much feltable wool that needs to be used!

About Us

2011-12-31T08:02:00.000-08:00

Went to California for Xmas instead of Wisconsin to see the in-laws. Started in San Francisco for a few days and drove down the Pacific Coast Highway to Los Angeles, with a stop in Cambria half way on Christmas Eve. Lovely trip with lots of knitting time. I took my topdown raglan sweater to work on. I started with a pattern, then modified it to add stitches in the bust but went too far and now it's all wonky. I modified the neckline too.

So, I have downloaded the Raglanify app onto my iPhone, entered my gauge from the non-wonky part of the sweater and will cast on sometime in the new year.

Currently my knitting rotation is:
Sister and Brother-in-Law's blanket.
Husband's blanket.
Baby Sweater for Husband's secretary (instead of the blanket).
My sweater or new baby blanket. Not sure yet but that will be the project for Jan 1, 2012

Also my project for the new year is getting the adoption going. We met with the consulting agency last week and they gave us feedback on the profile booklet we're putting together for birthmothers.

We've nearly finished the homestudy part where a social worker assesses our suitability as prospective parents, in an "objective" way. This included criminal background checks, assessing our financial situation, visiting our home, getting letters of recommendation, and medical exam. I understand wanting some minimum level of suitability, and am sure we meet or exceed all of them, but wonder how much leeway would be given to a poor couple, or a couple with health problems.

The profile booklet is much more subjective. This is where we introduce ourselves to the birthmothers, describe where we live, what we do, how we live, our families and friends. We spend the vacation taking pictures of ourselves as a happy couple, being careful to crop out any beer or wine glasses, and not cutting up like we usually do.

Putting this profile booklet is like posting on this blog or on Facebook. Which sides of ourselves do we show? We want to present ourselves as competent people, a happy couple, and fun-loving but not outrageous.

These booklets are given to the birthmoms and from these 15 to 20 pages of words and pictures, she decides whether or not we are the people she wants raising her child.

No pressure.

Managing projects

2011-12-05T07:08:00.001-08:00

Not a great picture, but these are the knitting projects I'm focusing on now.

Three of them are gifts and are getting varying degrees of attention. So I decided to rotate them. Everyday, I will work on one and then the next, work on another, and then the next day another, etc. Some days I get more knitting in than others, so this should ensure that they all get some progress. Especially the sloggy projects.

I started this weekend and this is how it's shaking out so far.

Sat: started the Baby Blanket for Husband's secretary, who's due in February. (Lower right)
Yarn: Various worsted weight cotton and superwash wool yarns, held double.
Needle: US 10 (6mm)
Construction: Center out, stockingnette and garter stitches.

Sun: Husband's Blanket (lower left)
Yarn: various worsted weight wool (not superwash, I don't know what I was thinking), black and pastel colors, held double.
Needle: US 10 (6mm)
Construction: Using the Chinese Coin quilt pattern, but in stockingnette stitch

Mon: Sister and Brother-in-Law's Blanket (upper left)
Yarn: Various worsted weight superwash wool yarns in shades of blue and natural, held double.
Needle: US 10 (6mm)
Construction: Cast on 200 stitches, random stockingnette stripes

Tue: Sweater for me (upper right)
Yarn: Rowan Felted Tweed, DK weight
Needle: US 6 (4mm)
Construction: Top down, funnel neck, raglan sleeves, stockingnette stitch.

Wed: back to the Baby Blanket
Thur: Husband's Blanket

and so on.

I just started this on Saturday, so we'll see how long I manage this.

One snafu already: what will be my portable knitting? So far, the DK weight sweater is still at a size and stage that is portable, and I'm going to a reading tonight, a lunch with a friend tomorrow, and an HOA meeting Wed night. So I'll probably take the sweater for those days, and thus wrecking my knitting schedule already.

Option: Take the sweater out of the rotation, use it only as portable knitting. Then add it to the rotation when it gets too big to be portable.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is Awesome

2011-11-30T07:06:00.001-08:00

I recently saw the 80 minute video of Stephen Colbert, as himself, interviewing Neil deGrasse Tyson. The talk was wide-ranging, funny, thoughtful, touching, and just really enjoyable.

If you like or care about science, science fiction, pop culture, education, exploration, history, and eloquence, definitely go watch it at http://t.co/jewrEpJf

The part where he talked about how we are part of the universe, just like the planets and stars are, means that we, too, are made of star-stuff, brought tears to me eyes.

Neil deGrasse Tyson is awesome.

Japanese and Taiwanese Craft Books

2011-11-11T14:55:00.001-08:00

The crochet books are from Japan, the Katchwork book is from Taiwan. The book at the lower left is from Japan but I bought the Chinese language translated version in Taiwan.

My favorite book is the lower left, by the collective Knot. Below are the 2 pieces that made me want to buy the book:

And this picture makes me want to dress like this:

The pieces are simple crocheted bits made with DMC embroidery thread, combined in ways I hadn't thought of.

The book with the red flower is full of crocheted flowers. And I got it for the red flower on the cover.

Below is the hat that I got the pale crocheting book for:

Here's the pattern for it:

It is highly, highly unlikely that I'll make this hat.

Below is the Avril yarn company retail section at the Handicrafts department of a department store in the Shinsaibashi shopping area of Osaka, Japan. The yarn is sold by the gram off the cones.

Here's the wool yarn I bought there:

The Katchwork book is written by a woman named Kat who was inspired by American quilts of the 1930s (really, 1920 to 1950s). There are instructions for making American scrap quilts as well at items like these below.

Out and about in Hsinchu

2011-10-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

So, I am in Hsinchu, Taiwan, for a kind of impromptu family reunion. Above is the Eastern Gate in downtown Hsinchu, back when it was a walled town centuries ago. Now it's the center of a traffic island. There's a park behind it that one uses an underground pedestrian way to access it.

Sister and Husband in Law have been planning to come here for a while. Brother One is already here with our parents Then Brother Two decided to go. That would leave me as the only one in my family not going! So 2 weeks ago, I confered with Husband and bought a ticket.

So Sunday we celebrated our 12th anniversary :), and a few days later I left him for a 2 week vacation :(. Husband couldn't get away like I could.

Below is a picture of the track for the light rail righ outside the back door, connecting our neighborhood near the Science Park (Taiwan's Silicon Valley) to the Hsinchu train station of the high speed rail line that runs from Taipei in the north to Kaoshung in the south. Now, it would take only 2 hours to traverse the island.

That used to be just rice paddies int he back, but now there's a lot of new development.

Yesterday, the Brothers and I wandered downtown Hsinchu, and I came across a fabric shop. Bought a few feet of a bunch of different fabrics for the quilt stash.

Today, going to the yarn shop in the neighborhood where I bought my first supplies when I learned to knit in home economic class in 1987 :)

Twitterific!

2011-10-13T09:09:00.001-07:00

Wow. It's been a month since I've posted on the blog. However, I've been tweeting a lot more. So.

I'm on the last book of the series that began with Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve. The original protagonists, Tom and Hester, were teens in the first books and in books 3 and 4, they've had a daughter, Wren, who's now a teen, having adventures with other teens and adults. So still teen friendly.

The war between the Municipal Darwinists (who believe that it's natural evolution that entire cities are mounted on gigantic wheels and roam around trading with or eating other cities, towns, suburbs, etc.) and Anti=Tractionists (who believe that cities should be static and stay put) continues.

I've been cranking away on blankets as I read. A garter stitch Baby Moderne-esque Log Cabin for a friend. Husband's City Lights blanket. A blanket for Sister and her Husband.

Finished the baby blanket. Going to look for a new project soon. Something portable, something 1 skein-ish. Maybe simple lace. I'd like to do a chunky lace on size 11s or something. But that's hardly portable. Perhaps I should cruise Ravelry a bit...

Steampunk Novels -- Sept 2011

2011-09-16T12:04:00.000-07:00

The books I've really enjoyed so far this month:

1. Heartless by Gail Carriger -- the 4th in the Parasol Protectorate series, set in Victorian England about Alexia Tarabotti who has no soul which gives her power over werewolves and vampires. At one point, I had to tweet the author about her great plotting and characters. Within a few pages, Ms. Carriger threw in a red herring; revealed the truth about a doomed love affair that broke my heart; a flirtation between two minor characters that were in character that made me cringe; then broke my heart again with 2 other characters. So well done!
2. Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve -- the first of a 4 book series in a post-apocalyptic Earth far in the future where cities are built in tiers and mounted on wheels where they roam around hunting and eating other cities and towns. They call it Municipal Darwinism. They're opposed by the Anti-Tractionists who believe that cities should be stationary. Very inventive and fun.

I've pre-ordered Goliath by Scott Westerfeld, the 3rd in the Leviathan series. It's set during WWI between the Darwinists (genetic engineering) and the Clankers (steampowered machines with legs instead of wheels).

What these all have in common are action, adventure, and romance.

Another book was A Life in Stitches by Rachael Herron, aka Yarn-a-go-go. It's a series of essays about her life, really the important people and events in her life, that have knitted pieces associated with them. For example, her quest to knit her own wedding dress, but really it's about her wedding to Lala and what weddings and marriage are really about. Another book that mad me smile and tear-up. Lovely book.

So far, September's been full of good books.

Dragon*Con 2011 and water damage

2011-09-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

Husband and I went for the second time this year, which was also D*C's 25th anniversary.

There are tons of pictures on the web, on Flickr, How Stuff Works, CNN, etc. I didn't take many pictures myself, unfortunately.

When it began, I wanted to go to sessions about Whedon, Dr. Who, Writing, and Alternate History/steampunk and Silk Road, the "Asian" track. For the first time this year there was a Dragon*Con app, which was so cool! With a few clicks, I could add the sessions I wanted to attend to my iPhone calendar. I double, triple, quadruple booked myself for nearly every time slot.

What I actually made it to:

A few steampunk panels, including one about Steampunk and Orientalism, a term that makes me cringe. However, the panelist was very clear that it was a very Eurocentric term to include anything East and South of Europe. One person asked for recommendations for steampunk books set in Asia. The panelist said he couldn't think of any that are available in English.

A reading by Jammy Wurtz. I want to broaden my reading horizons and picked that reading randomly. She gave out copies of her 4th book in a series of 7 to newbies. I was the only newbie. That one was alright. I wish I went to the author that preceded her; sounds like she wrote romance fantasy/sci-fi. Good thing I can look her up on the app or paper schedule.

A fan panel where Snape, the Winter Queen from Narnia, and another villian explained their side. Was the weakest of the panels I went to, but they can't all be gems.

Urban survival in case of zombies -- now I know what the Y2K survivalists are doing. Husband suggested that I take a class on how to use a shotgun. Hmmm.

Market trends in sci-fi/fantasy -- It was an interesting peek into the business side of publishing.

Spent a lot of time wandering the exhibits. Didn't buy anything. Other than the cost of the membership, my money went to food and drink. A lot of drink. Which is kind of why I missed a lot of the sessions.

Another reason I missed alot of panels: the night before Dragon*Con started, some of the sprinklers in our condo building malfunctioned, spewing water. So I had to stay and take care of that with the maintenance people, calling insurance (which could not find our policy at first), etc.

All in all, however, it was a great time. Definitely thinking of going again next year. Thinking of making a little Jayne hat as a fascinator or headband. I'm not one for dressing up but would like to let my geek flag fly a little. Let's see what's on Etsy....

Progress of all sorts

2011-08-24T08:07:00.001-07:00

Finished sewing the pink border to the blue field of the 5 year quilt. Here's the cat using the quilt top as a bed. Next up, sewing on the yellow border, then shopping for orange fabric for the binding, something for the back, and the batting.
Here's the roll of blue Kaffe Fassett fabrics, partly laid out. Was watching Season One of Warehouse 13 while doing this.
Speaking of Syfy, I've really been into Alphas. I think I've mentioned before that I like how the show starts by just dropping the viewer into the story -- there are people with powers (called Alphas), there's a team of Alphas headed up by a non-Alpha that works for the US gov't, and they work to solve crimes that may or may not involve Alphas.

Part of the mythology is dangerous Alphas are sent to be imprisoned in a special facility in Binghamton, NY; the US gov't doesn't like that there are Alphas, and there's a rebel group of Alphas called Red Flag that is agitating for the right to live freely and not be hunted down by the gov't.

I've also been using MyFitnessPal app to track calories in, calories out. In the 3 weeks I've used it, I've lost 4 lbs, then gained back 2. Plus exercising more. Dang I'm tired. However, in the long run, it'll be good for me.

Fabric shopping

2011-08-11T12:06:00.000-07:00

I can see the end of the tunnel with piecing the 5-year quilt top. So I went to Intown Quilters to see if they do finishing work. They don't but did refer me to people who can.

Quilt shops are like yarn shops. All the colors! All the possibilities!

I first went to Hancock Fabrics where I picked up the quarters. I'm consistently drawn to bright colors. I thought about getting some different kinds of colors too, but none of them spoke to me.

Then I stopped at Intown Quilters and picked up the roll of 20 Kaffe Fassett fabrics bundled in 2.5 inch strips. I so want to start a new project and have many in mind. Once I get the 5 year quilt off for finishing....

Winding wool

2011-08-02T11:17:00.000-07:00

Spent some time today winding wool. I had wound up one skein of the Plymouth Kudo and started a summer scarf. Gonna try one of those infinity loops all the kids are wearing these days.

And for the fun of it, I wound up the other balls of Kudo yarn I got last week.

Then I wound up some fingering weight yarn I've had for a while.

The green is one is Toasty Toes by Numma Numma in the Pepper Jelly colorway. To be combined with the blue/green cashmere/merino blend of something or other. Lost the ball band.

The black/purple is the Raven colorway from ... forgot already. Possibly to be combined with the Madeline Tosh light in the Tangelo colorway.

New fave author: N. K. Jemisin

2011-08-01T05:32:00.000-07:00

It started a few months ago. I saw a tweet by Felicia Day (a pop culture geek goddess, though I've only ever seen her Whedonverse work) recommending it, especially for the strong female characters. The first book of Jemisin's Inheritance Series trilogy, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, happened to be on sale as an e-book for about $3 so I bought it. See a tweet, download an e-book from home. I felt like I was living in the future!

Jemisin's created a very interesting world where there are gods, godlings, humans, power struggles, love, hate, action, wisdom. I guess it would count as fantasy, as there is magic, coming from the gods. In terms of plot, there was a war among the three gods that resulted in one god becoming dominant, another killed, and the third enslaved to the human ruling family.

Yeine, the heroine of book one, has been summoned to the capitol because she's in the running to inherit the ruling crown (not that there's a literal crown). She's been raised in another part of the country/ another kingdom where the women are the warriors. Her claim to the crown comes from her mother who left the capitol and married a man from a different culture. So Yeine has lots of challenges due to a different cultural upbringing, being the upstart, being the reluctant participant in the intrigues among the humans and gods.

Up to the end, it's not clear who's going to get the crown and what's going to happen to Yeine.

Jemison does a great job describing the different cultures and ethnicities of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (we only really see one), by describing hair texture and color, describing freckles, skin color. And I love that Yeine is a strong female character (as is Oree, heroine of the second book The Broken Kingdoms), and they don't resort to physical violence. Yeine, the trained warrior, uses her head first to figure things out, and to think about the consequences of using violence. I know! When's the last time you saw that?

Also, it's clear that Yeine is of a brown ethnicity and Oree definitely of African descent. Except that the Kingdoms aren't on earth, so there's no Africa.

NK Jemisin's website is really interesting also, with posts about gender and race in speculative fiction (new term for sci-fi/fantasy? I like it) and creating cultures for the books, and other stuff. It's right up my alley.

Stayed up late reading book 2, so happy book 3 is out later this year.

Now off to look up the manga and anime she references as her influences.

ETA: This morning I sent a tweet to @feliciaday, thanking her for the recommendation and tagged @nkjemisin in it as well. Then at lunch, I get a tweet back from FDay saying she's glad I liked the books, do I know when the next one is out? *squeeeeee!* So I looked it up on NKJ's site and wrote back to FDay. I may also have squeed a little. Fortunately in the tweet back saying thanks for the info, FDay overlooked the squeeage.

squeeee!

Plymouth Kudo

2011-07-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Went to NeedleNook yarn shop in Atlanta, meaning only to get some needles and a project bag. It's soon time for the annual Husband's family reunion and I need something to keep the yarn organized.

Well, I walked out with the above as well, except for the red skein of Kudo on the bottom, which I got last year. I seem to have a thing for Plymouth Kudo and I haven't even knitted anything at all with it. But they're so pretty! I'll find a use someday. The grey and red/white/blue Kudo skeins will be made into a shawlette or something. The yellow into...?

Kudo: 198 yds. Size US 7 needles. Cotton/Rayon/Silk

The red and grey skeins of Panda yarn will be made into the Pretty Twisted cuffs by Cat Wong at Knitty.

The grey Cotton Classic will be added to the cotton crochet blanket.

On the other hand, most of these things were on sale.

Deathly Hallows Pt 2 tonight

2011-07-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

Am going to the midnight showing tonight of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Am really looking forward to it; have been trying to avoid spoilers, unlike in the past. Will also bring kleenex. It'll be the end of ... not an era, but a huge end. I've been a fan of the books from the start and will be sad to see it end.

Will have to give Pottermore a look later on.

Progress on the 5 year quilt

2011-07-14T07:24:00.000-07:00

As I posted before, I'm motivated to finish my 5 year quilt. I have started sewing the pink border to the blue/green field. I like the contrast of the the neat seams w/ the raw edges.

The label says [row] 27, bottom, 353 to 358. This means it's row 27 of pink diamonds, it goes along the bottom of the quilt (the picture's upside down), and it's the row of diamonds #353 to 358. Out of a total of 469 pink diamonds. And there are 238 blue/green diamonds.

I had originally cut out green diamonds to go around the pink, and then finish with yellow half and quarter diamonds. Depending on how I feel when the pink to blue joining is done, I may skip the green and just go to yellow.

Have not decided on what to do about the back yet. Need to know how big the top ends up being first.

Onwards!

Thinking about love and marriage

2011-06-26T10:05:00.001-07:00

So New York State has finally legalized gay marriage. Finally people who love each other can get married and have that union be recognized and protected.

Made me think of the Supreme Court decision of Loving v. Virginia, decided on June 12, 1967, that made interracial marriage legal. This was decided before my husband and I were even born and thus by the time we got married, it was not a legal or social struggle.

I also woke up to the news on Saturday that a friend's husband, dealing with cancer, passed away. As a wife who really, really loves her husband, it broke my heart to think of my friend without hers.

And so happy that I got to spend all of Saturday with Husband. I tell him everyday that I love him, that I think he's the best part of my life, of how much I appreciate what he does for us. As I think about my newly-widowed friend, it breaks my heart all over again.

Sibling Reunion 2011 and Buffy rewatch

2011-06-23T07:57:00.001-07:00

This month, Brother One came to the US from Taiwan for a visit. As a legal permanent resident but not a citizen of Taiwan, he is required to leave Taiwan once a year. As a citizen of the US, he decided to come to the US. He's stateside about 3 weeks and staying with me and friends in Atlanta for about 2 weeks of that time.

It was also Brother Two's birthday this Monday, so we all met up at Sister's place in the DC area. Brother One and I drove from Atlanta to Sister's. Brother Two took the bus from NYC to DC and Sister picked him up.

Sister lives in a one bedroom 800 sq ft condo with her husband. It's a good thing we were only there 2 full days.

Much of that time was spent eating (Korean BBQ, Papa John's pizza, Popeye's fried chicken, Maryland blue crab -- things Brother One missed about the US) and playing mahjongg while eating snack foods and drinking beer. It was great.

Sister's husband was working.

On the drive up, I borrowed Ananci Boys by Neil Gaiman on CDs to listen to in the car. I had also loaded American Gods by Gaiman onto my iPhone, but that didn't work so well.

When we got back to Atlanta, Brother One and I unwound by beginning the Buffy the Vampire Slayer rewatch, by watching the first 2 episodes of Season One: Welcome to the Hellmouth and The Harvest.

Topics of conversation during our reunion:
sexism, gender discrimination, the Supreme Court decision striking down the sex-discrimination case against Walmart, what our parents are doing, racism, comic books, air guitar (Brother Two has been competing), and of course, eating.

Sister and Brother-in-law's first anniversary is coming up so I offered to knit them a blanket. I took a Knitpicks catalog to get their input about colors. They (really, Sister) choose medium blue, dark red, and cream. The pattern and size I will figure out. I will start with using the superwash worsted weight that I have set aside for the Babette Blanket and then fill in from there.

We also went to Uniquities yarn shop in Tysons Corner. I got Brother Two a skein of superwash worsted weight yarn from Lorna's Laces in blue, green, black to make him a scarf, and one skein each of superwash worsted weight yarn in light grey and tealish blue. Not sure what I'll do with it yet, but they were so pretty together.

Since we were driving, I packed a lot of yarn. Half my luggage was yarn: for Husband's City Quilt blanket, a brimmed sunhat for me, and my portable-ish shawl.

All in all it was a great reunion.

Carnaby skirt

2011-06-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Pattern: Carnaby skirt from Knitty.com
Started March 1, 2011, finished June 13, 2011.

Modifications:
It's written as a mini-skirt, but I lengthened it. Cast on 120 stitches instead of 80.
Used fingering weight linen yarn held double on size US 5 needles, instead of worsted weight on US 8.
Yarn was from a former friend's mother's stash.
Used all 18 (?) skeins of yarn, including the swatch.
Added a draw string, to help keep it up.
The button holes were 4 stitches wide, but should have been 3.
Wooden buttons bought from Hancock Fabric.

#YAsaves

2011-06-05T15:53:00.001-07:00

So yesterday, there was an article at the Wall Street Journal called Darkness Too Visible that complains that contemporary young adult novels have too much violence.

There are so many things wrong with this article. My thoughts:

1. Violence, depravity, bullying, abuse, molestation, cutting, child prostitution, exploitation, incest -- it all does happen to kids. Writing about this and showing how kids can, or might not, survive it is a good thing. Not writing about it doesn't make it go away.
2. There's a tweet explosion using the #YAsaves, where people tweet about how young adult fiction has helped them cope with the issues in their lives, or giving them compassion for others. There's a slideshow of them at the WSJ site.
3. The Hunger Games = the daily survival of bullying, abuse, and/or poverty that millions of kids deal with in real life.
4. Judy Blume, who the article author holds up as a good example of YA writing, doesn't support the article's premise.
5. There's a sidebar of books the article writer does approve of, and it's offered as a list of books for boys and a list for girls. headdesk.
6. The kids reading these books lived through Sept 11, 2001. They know bad things happen.

I have not suffered any of these terrible things that the children and teens in these books survive. I think the article is more about parents wanting, wishing they could shield their kids from bad things; parents wishing the world wasn't a place where bad things could happen to their children.

Afterall, the article doesn't even interview actual young adult readers.

Seattle

2011-05-18T09:35:00.000-07:00

Last week, Husband and I went to Seattle, Washington. I was very excited about going, since I had never been to the Northwestern United States. Other reasons: catching up with friends who live in Seattle, including my friend Natasha who writes the blog Maven on the Move, see sidebar. And there's yarn shops! Lots and lots of yarn shops.

Above is the the Seattle Space Needle seen from the base. Note the characteristic overcast sky.

Husband had to be there for work, I was there for fun. When Husband was doing his work thing I walked around the downtown area. Which is very hilly. That's Elliott Bay in the background, steep Yesler St in the mid ground, and a balustrade in the front. Ooof.

Now I know where there are so many Starbucks and Seattle's Best Coffee on every other corner. So you have a place to sit, rehydrate, and catch your breath. It's a very pretty city, with little pocket parks too to sit and enjoy the sun which it does come out.

After lunch, Husband and I took the ferry to Bainbridge Island. That's the Space Needle on the left, the downtown on the right, and the ferry wake. It was a lovely sunny day for a ferry ride. We didn't even get off the ferry, we just rode back and forth. And we saw a bald eagle fly over us, so that was really cool.

We had dinner at a kosher Indian restaurant with Husband's old college roommate who is now Orthodox Jew and my friend Natasha and their kids. Very nice to catch up with everyone.

The next day, Natasha and I and her kids (3 yo and 17 mo) went on a yarn crawl/tour of Seattle. It was a lovely, sunny day too. We went to Tricoter where I got the Fiesta La Boheme rayon/mohair yarn, Peacock colorway, which they wound for me. For lunch we went to a Vietnamese restaurant then went to the Weaving Workshop where I got the Manos and Cascade Heathers yarn. The Fiesta will become a scarf or trim for a shawl someday. The Manos and Cascade will be a cropped shrug someday. Natasha's kids were pretty well behaved but they have their limits so after that Natasha took the scenic route through the Queen Anne neighborhood before dropping me off at the hotel.

While I was off gallivanting with Natasha, Husband took a ferry ride to Bremerton. Husband grew up on a lake and loves the water. So it was a fun afternoon for all.

Husband and I wandered Pike Place Market. But for dinner we went to Elliot's Oyster House on the pier. We gorged on raw oysters, accompanied by martinis. It was so yummy. My favorites were the Sunset Beach oysters: sweet, big, meaty.

Next time we go, whenever that is, we will have to go to the Experience Music Project / Science Fiction Museum. They had a Battlestar Galactica exhibit! And a Sci-fi Hall of Fame! Oh well, next time.

All in all, it was a lot of fun.

It's about power, not sex

2011-05-17T12:05:00.000-07:00

So the chief of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has been arrested for sexually assaulting a hotel maid.

Here's my take: he's a man of immense power, with the ability to mess around with entire economies. He's also got a reputation of being a "great seducer" with a history of messing around with women.

People say "but he's so smart and rich. Why would he be so dumb/not hire a prostitute?"

It's not about sex, it's about power. He's probably so used to him say jump and people, including other people with money and power, ask how high? Plus, being smart about one thing (economics) doesn't mean he's smart about other things. Especially if he's not thinking with his big head.

So I say good for you, hotel maid, for standing your ground and saying "I may be paid to serve you in some ways, but that doesn't mean in all ways."

Drawing cartoons

2011-05-16T08:07:00.001-07:00

Meet June. She's not a dog person.

And here's Wonder Woman, in her new uniform, taking a break. I imagine she's flying around and saw a little pond and decided to take off her blue jacket, take off the black boots, the silver cuffs, and rolled up her pants to relax a bit. And the golden lasso of truth and headband double as hair accessories too.

I'm a self-taught drawer, so I'm really happy about how Wonder Woman's hand came out and I think I draw good legs and feet. The face in profile needs more practice. In looking at other cartoons and comix, I think the key is stylizing how the face looks. It's not important to look realistic but rather it's a cartoon, so it should be kinda stylized.

I'm using Prismacolor markers, the prepackaged 12 primary and secondary colors. Then I got a marker in the Sand colorway for the skin.

May: Asian American Pacific Islander Month

2011-05-03T12:43:00.000-07:00

And the 10th anniversay of Angry Asian Man, a blog that keeps us up to date on what's happening in Asian America and keeps us angry.

Osama bin Laden killed

2011-05-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

Went to bed early last night and got up late this morning. Looking through my twitter feed, I see that bin Laden's been killed. Have yet to have my coffee, so brain not really on yet.

But, wow.

Romancelandia

2011-04-27T06:09:00.000-07:00

I've been on a romance novel reading kick. Over the last week I've read:

Beyond Heaving Bosoms: The Smart Bitches' Guide to Romance Novels by Sarah Wendell and Candy Tan, of Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. Fun, fast, funny book. They do talk about why they read these novels, the criticism that it's mindless dreck for women, and the issue of rape in Old Skool romance novels and gender and power. They also provide a Choose Your Own Adventure romance novel in the contemporary (what I think of as chick-lit), Regency England, pirate, and paranormal/urban fantasy settings. Hilarious! And a Mad Libs style game for each style too. This book had me giggling out loud, especially at the euphemisms for male and female genitalia. The Smart Bitches take a critical look at the serious and fun sides of romance novels (and the covers. Oh, my eyes.) I highly recommend it.

Bet Me and Faking It by Jennifer Crusie and Agnes and the Hitman by J Crusie and Bob Mayer. Each one took about 6 hours to read. I think I'm done with that author. I don't want to burn out on Crusie. I want to be able to come back and read her other books. I had previously read Wild Ride by Crusie and Mayer which made me think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Rude Awakening of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler. A young woman from the Regency era wakes up in the body of a 21st century woman in LA and has to figure things out. It's the sequel to Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict which I haven't read yet. Rude Awakenings came available at the library first.

currently working on Tommy's Tale by Alan Cumming, yes, the actor. I think this qualifies as a romance because Tommy is involved with Charlie who has a son. This gets party boy Tommy thinking about love and starting a family. If this isn't Romancelandia, a term I got from the Smart Bitches, then I don't know what is.

In other notes, I'm going to NYC later this week and have borrowed from the library and loaded onto the Nook:

Where's My Hero: a collection of short stories from romance authors that give a romance to a male character who was also very appealing but wasn't the hero. Will now have to read the books where these characters came from.

Manhunt by Janet Evanovich, set in Alaska

Vision in White, book one of the Bride Quartet by Nora Roberts. I have never read Nora Roberts before.

What got me going on this whole romance kick was discussions on NPR's Monkey See blog and podcasts about genres that don't get any respect in the larger culture. As should be abundantly clear by now, I am a big science fiction fan. Not a genre that gets a lot of respect. The same with romance novels.

My favorite romance novels, heck any kind of story, has a heroine who is good as what she does, has lots of skills beyond her job, is sassy/feisty/fiery, has a sense of humor, and rises to the challenge of whatever the plot of the story throws her into. She has a group of friends who also are competent, sassy, funny, etc and have their own plot lines, not just around to support the heroine. The hero is similar and they are both in a situation where they both have to deal with an unknown situation and both experience character growth. I really don't like stories where the heroine is bumbling at her job, needs the hero to save her and solve the case, is described as mildly unattractive (oh, noes, her hair isn't blown-dry!) and yet one or more men, including the hero finds her irresistable. Stephanie Plum, by Janet Evanovich, I'm looking at you.

The haters will hate genre TV, Game of Thrones edition

2011-04-17T08:49:00.000-07:00

So tonight is the premiere of the Game of Thrones, HBO's adaptation of George RR Martin's epic low-fantasy book. And so the haters have started hating. Apparently the New York Times reviewer showed only contempt for it, calling it "boy fiction" which threw in sex and rape to get women to watch. Yes, my fantasy-and-sci-fi-loving head exploded, because men hate sex and women love rape. What. The. Hell?!?!? The Slate.com reviewer hated it as well. I read the Slate review, but not the NYTimes review. And apparently both reviews were more about making fun of the fantasy genre, and less a review of what the show is about. Which I believe is what a review does, at its most basic. The interwebs exploded as well, with many responses, especially to the NYTimes' reviewer's assertion that women aren't also fans of fantasy genre, because apparently because she doesn't personally know any woman who is. The one response I like most is by Tightrope Walker, link here. Another good one is at Salon.com, link here. Personally, I do want to see the show, have read all the books and do not have HBO. So will have to wait for the DVD so I can watch them all in one marathon.

Dear US Congress: Do not throw women under the bus

2011-04-13T07:38:00.000-07:00

So last week there was brinksmanship (and yes, men, most of them are still men) in the US Congress over the federal budget. And over federal funding for Title X which supports women's health care services which includes Planned Parenthood. PP provides many health services for women, including abortion. Which is the key issue. Pro-lifers and conservatives want to take away the funding to PP, which is about 0.1% of the US federal budget, because of abortion. Federal funds already cannot be used to provide abortions. Not that that stops the rhetoric and political grand standing. Sen. John Kyl, in his argument to taking away funding for women's services, said that 90% of what PP does is provide abortions. That got people talking and fact-checking and it turns out that abortions is only 3% of PP's services. 90%, 3%, they're close, right? Kyl then released a statement saying that he didn't intent that to be a factual statement. WTF? Of course Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert were all over it. Here's a link to an NPR article about it. I love how Colbert just loses it and has to stifle his laughter during his monologue. Funding for PP for now has been preserved. But last week I was so very afraid that in the political horsetrading on the federal budget, that funding for women's health care would be sacrificed for political expediency, to avoid a gov't shutdown. I wrote to my Congressmen -- and they are all men -- saying all the above. Saying that for years, when I was in college, PP was my only source of health care, of gyn services, and yes birth control so I wouldn't get pregnant and thus avoid the need for an abortion. Fortunately, my Rep is John Lewis, civil rights leader since his work with MLK, and has consistently been a supporter of women's rights. Unfortunately, my 2 Sens are both conservative and the auto reply I got from them say they are anti-choice and will fight to strip funding for abortion providers. It got me so pissed I wrote back again to say: Federal funding is already banned from providing abortions! Stop with the anti-woman political grandstanding! The fight continues.

The 150th Anniversary of the US Civil War

2011-04-13T05:35:00.001-07:00

I see the Conspirator is coming out this weekend, just in time to mark the 150th anniversary of the US Civil War. I had the chance to see a screening of it in February, my review is here. My thoughts on the war: 1. I live in Atlanta, Georgia, which is dotted about with plaques describing battles, hospitals and other notable things about the war. I pass by a lot of them all the time. 2. It's indelibly linked (for better or worse) with Gone with the Wind. 3. There are still lots of people around who think of themselves as the sons and daughters of the Confederacy and display the Confederate flag. They don't think of themselves as upholding slavery, but more the right to live as they wanted. They don't think of the fact that it was based on the brutal exploitation of others, who were black, who were slaves. 4. It's the home of the US civil rights movement, birth place of Martin Luther King, Jr. Setting the slaves free with the 13th Amendment was only the beginning. There is still a long we all have to go to have equal rights among the races. And we haven't even touched sexism among whites and blacks. As an Asian American, not being black or white, it's interesting and important to be aware of this and to think about and recognize as I negotiate my life here.

Wonder Women, X-Men, and other comix

2011-04-04T05:45:00.000-07:00

I've really been enoying Project: Rooftop (in sidebar) and with the discussion of the new Wonder Woman tv show, been thinking about the costume. Plus I got back into drawing. I think this week I'm going to try drawing:

South Asian WW in a (shortened) sari and leggings. Really, how can anyone fight in full skirts?

Central Asian WW in a salwar kamez (knee length tunic, long pants) with golden lasso as the scarf

Korean WW in a shortened hanbok, with pants

Vietnamese WW in ao dai (like a Chinese cheongsam but with higher slits up the side and long pants)

Nigerian style top and skirt set, but shorter skirt. And maybe leggings. I'm thinking of Precious Ramotswe as Wonder Woman.

And also, the women of Firefly as Wonder Woman.

Zoe would be easiest, just change the colors of her usual outfit and add the golden lasso instead of mare's leg gun.

Inara would be pretty easy too. Again, take a usual outfit, change colors, add a WW details and you're done. Plus we also know she can use a sword and bow and arrow.

River would already has boots. I'd put her in big baggy top, skirt, leggings, boots.

Kaylee would be hardest. I'm going to have to think about her outfit.

So the details, as I see it, that are crucial to the WW outfit are:

gold headband with star

golden lasso

WW logo somewhere

a few more stars

cuffs

The colors would be red on top, blue skirt or black leggings/pants, stars in gold or silver, cuffs in gold or silver.

I want to try reading more comics, and will start with the New X-men. I'm looking for strong female characters of color. And mutant-ness is a pretty transparent analog to discrimination in the real world, so I like that. I've asked Dean Trippe (editor of P:Rooftop) for recommendations and he recommended the New X-men. Also asked Glenn Weldon on NPR and he recc'ed the Runaways, which I have already read. I'm looking forward to the movie, but I hope they don't whitewash Nico like they did Avatar the Last Airbender and may do with Akira.

ETA: watching Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths on Netflix watch instantly. I think I like the Superheroes more for the visual style rather than the plot. Enjoying the costumes, enjoying picturing Mark Harmon (who I watch as Gibbs on NCIS) doing the voice of Superman, enjoying Gina Torres as Superwoman, and the Flash as I guess comic relief.

Also, been reading Gunnerkrigg Court, a webcomic. Got volume 1 from the library then read the rest on line. I find the artwork is very important to me. If I don't enjoy the visual style, then I'm just going to have a hard time reading the comic. And I like a certain amount of stylization.

Finishing the 5 year quilt project

2011-03-28T06:02:00.000-07:00

I was inspired to pull out this quilt project to finish while watching the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency this weekend.

I call this my 5-year quilt, and that I'm always in year 2. I started this more than 5 years ago. It's been in hibernation at least 2 years, if not more, and this is it's second emergence from a hibernation period.

The diamonds are all fussy-cut, that is, cut out by hand. I had a template and used a blue ballpoint pen to trace out the pieces, then cut with scissors. I've hand sewn all these diamonds together too, using the blue lines on the backsides as guides. There are at least 200 of the turquoise and lime diamonds, 42 dark blue diamonds and probably another 200 pink ones.

I've sewn together the diamonds into strips, and then sewn the strips together. I'm working sewing together the strips that go at the bottom, where the DVD case is. The strips are labeled and pinned together. They just need to be sewn together, then joined to the blue center field.

There will also be a green border around the pink. By the time I get to that part, I think I'll be ready to send it out for finishing. Not sure that I'd be up for basting it to a back, quilting, sewing on the binding, etc.

At the end of the month I'm going get more active again with the adoption process -- getting fingerprinted for the background check, the home study with the social worker -- things that take a couple of months to complete. We're thinking that we'll have all the money together for the adoption agency by summer. Once we get these things done, then the agency will start actively looking for a match for us.

I doubt that a match will be made for us right after we get all the above done. However, I would like to have the quilt ready for when a match is made.

More Wonder Woman thoughts

2011-03-22T07:15:00.000-07:00

I went over to Project: Rooftop (in sidebar) and looked up Wonder Woman. Yep, they had a contest to remake WW's outfit. I like Leanna Buckley's outfit best, voted Most Fashionably Fabulous, and Sonny Strait's outfit best, which was voted Most Twirliest.

Buffy, the Bionic Woman, and Ziva David -- Part two, now with Wonder Woman

2011-03-21T06:05:00.000-07:00

So Entertainment Weekly has released the first pic of Adrienne Palicki in the Wonder Woman outfit, complete with bustier, skin tight pants, high heels, etc. Sigh. How is she supposed to move, all trussed up like that, let alone fight?

This brings me back to the New York Times article that talks about the trend of women being the bad-ass, kick-ass muscle in shows like NCIS. And how they dress sensibly while doing so.

I guess David E. Kelley, creator of this latest version of the Wonder Woman show, didn't get that message.

So, as a feminist, I love that there are more and more strong women on TV, being capable in many ways and still looking good, in a practical, sensible way. However, them being fighters means they also get beat on, something I do not enjoy watching. It bothers me that strength = physical violence. When I watched Buffy, I would fast forward through the fight scenes, where most of the time, Buffy wore sensible shoes, with the big chunky 90s heels.

I'll give the new Wonder Woman a try, because she's the premier female superhero and I watched the Lynda Carter show. However, she's got a lot more competition on TV and I hope the show's done right. However, apparently Kelley's got a reputation of not writing good female characters, which makes me worry.

And lastly, it's Spring! I've started a new blanket, in cotton. Husband's huge wool blanket will have to go into hibernation for a bit. I've got 4 of the 9 main strips done, so I don't feel bad about taking a break. I was in the mood for crochet and got it going during the Bionic Woman marathon.

Next up: The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency with Jill Scott.

Buffy, Bionic Woman, and Ziva David, part one

2011-03-18T05:37:00.000-07:00

Work is taking off and I've actually got my first payment, so woohoo! And spring is here. The cherrry trees are blooming, as are the daffodils and tulips. Husband went to Whole Foods market to get some beef kabobs and other things to celebrate my first paycheck, and got me some daffodils too. As he wisely noted, in a choice between flowers and dessert, he chose flowers -- lasts longer and better for you in the long run.

In all the busyness of meeting with potential clients, writing proposals to do work for them, and then actually doing the work, I've watched the one and only season of the Bionic Woman remake, from 2008. There were only 8 episodes, which is too bad because I thought it was pretty good. I may do a Nikita marathon next via Hulu.

Recently, as well, the New York Times posted an article called Sugar and Spice and Vicious Beatings about how more women on cops shows, etc. are the bad ass, kick ass muscle. I have some thoughts about it that I'll write about next post.

Earthquake off the coast of Japan

2011-03-11T05:43:00.001-08:00

Woke up this morning to hear all about the earthquake and tsunami.

I called my parents in Taiwan and they said they're fine. Most people live on the western coast of Taiwan, on the Straits of Taiwan facing China. The center of the island is a mountain range and the eastern side facing the Pacific is not very populated.

My parents live on the western side and on pretty high ground, so they're fine.

In other news, Brother One has started his own English teaching business in Taiwan. At this point, that means 4 of the 6 people in my family are entrepreneurs.

Pão de Queijo recipe

2011-03-05T09:17:00.000-08:00

Here's something I want to try. I got it from this article http://blogs.ajc.com/food-and-more/2011/03/02/pao-de-queijo/ by Gene Lee

Pão de Queijo recipe (adapted from Simply Recipes):

Ingredients:

- 1 egg

- 1/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

- 2/3 cup milk

- 1 1/2 cups tapioca flour

- 1/2 cup cheese, queso fresco or parmesan, grated

- 1 teaspoon of salt

Equipment:

- 1 mini-muffin pan

- Blender

——————-

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) Apply a thin coating of oil in each muffin opening in the muffin pan.

3) Put all of the ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth.

4) Pour pão de queijo mixture into each muffin opening about ¾ full.

5) Place muffin pan on the oven’s middle rack and bake for 15-20 minutes, until completely puffy and just a little browned.

6) Remove from oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes.

7) Serve warm

Getting to be Spring 2011

2011-03-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

The past few days in Atlanta have been up in the 70sF, reaching almost 80F some days. And Husband's friend came from Delaware to visit, before moving to Wisconsin. Yes, he likes driving.

The picture above was taken from the Commerce Club of the 191 Bldg. On the left is the Westin hotel. At the top of the hotel is the Sundial restaurant, which rotates 380 degrees clockwise. We ate there for dinner on Saturday night and the 191 bldg was prominent in part of our view. So it's kind of nice to see the Westin and the neighborhood in the day.

The white trapezoidal building in the middle of the picture is the Georgia Aquarium.

And look at the sunny blue skies.

I had been knitting the Carnaby skirt from Knitty.com in wool. However, with spring on it's way, and the fact that I've somehow made one side shorter than the other, and a whole host of things, I think I'm going to start over in some yellow linen yarn from the stash.

Wheeeeeee!

2011-02-19T18:36:00.000-08:00

Today I jumped out of a plane!

For Valentine's Day, Husband got me a tandem skydive. It's my second time doing this.

In a tandem jump, I wear a harness and am clipped tightly to an experienced diver. The first time was with Ronaldo from Brazil, at least 5 years ago. This time it was with Johan from South Africa.

Both times were amazing. Both times we jumped out at 14,000 feet.

It was a beautiful, gorgeous day. Sunny, not a cloud in the sky, and warm -- 70F.

The most nerve wracking part was the actual push out of the plane, done by Johan. Then you're just free falling, air rushing past so, so fast, it's almost hard to breathe. Good thing they gave me goggles.

Then the chute opens, there's a bit of a jerk as your momentum suddenly changes and then it's lovely, and peaceful, floating. I could also see Stone Mountain from where I was up in the air in Carrollton, which is nearly to the Alabama border.

It's interesting. About a year ago, Husband and I went to Miami for something and he got me an appointment to parasail. But I just couldn't do it when the time came. I was just so afraid. I don't know if it was the hormones I was taking that made me so risk adverse. Or it was the stress of work that made me so risk adverse. I talked about the skydiving thing a few weeks ago with someone and it made me sad to think that I had become so afraid of parasailing.

But now that I've quit the old job in January and started my own consulting business (grant proposal writing), I am so much happier. And when Husband gave me the skydiving gift, I was just excited, not afraid at all.

The Conspirator

2011-02-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

Last night I saw a screening of Robert Redford's new movie, "The Conspirator." It's the true story of Mary Surratt, who ran a boarding house in Washington, DC. Her son John Surratt was friends with John Wilkes Booth, who killed Abraham Lincoln. She was arrested and tried for her role in the conspiracy that led to his assassination.

The movie was packed with big names. Robin Wright, formerly married to Sean Penn, played Mary Surratt. She was amazing. And unrecognizable. She sure doesn't look like Buttercup from "The Princess Bride." James McAvoy plays her attorney, who was a captain in the Union army. He starts out not wanting to defend her, but as a lawyer, believing in the rule of law and the US Constitution even in the time of war, really works to make sure the trial is fair and legal.

Since it's a true story, not gonna feel like I'm spoiling anything to say that it does not end well for many characters.

The screening was held as part of the American Bar Association conference. I went with a friend who is attending the conf. So the audience was largely lawyers. Talk about a sympathetic audience.

As I was watching, I wondered if it was filmed in Savannah. The houses where the main floor was on the second, not the easily flooded first floor, seemed familiar. And the fort made me think of Ft. Pulaski. After some internet searching, it turns out that it was filmed in Savannah.

Other big names: Kevin Kline, Alexis Bledel (Rory!), Colm Meaney (O'Brien!), Justin Long (can't stop thinking of him as the Mac guy), Tom Wilkinson. Other actors whose faces I recognized but couldn't place until the credits were Jonathon Groff (Jesse from Glee -- does good smarm), and James Badge Dale from Rubicon. I recognized Norman Reedus right away, who played Darryl in the Walking Dead.

The message was pretty clear that even in the time of war, the rule of law and habeas corpus, etc must be upheld, that everyone deserves a fair trial, and no one should be railroaded into a conviction to satisfy national blood lust. The ghost of Guantanamo Bay and the war of terror was pretty clear. Not a whole lot of subtlety in the movie. The Conspiracy could refer to those who plotted to kill Lincoln and to the Secy of War and the military tribunal that was determined to punish someone.

All in all, it was a good movie. I'd definitely recommend it when it comes out. If nothing else, for Robin Wright's performance.

Downton Abbey and the Gilded Age

2011-01-26T10:22:00.000-08:00

Just watched the first 2 episodes of Downton Abbey. Full videos available on the PBS website until mid February.

The closeted gay footman made me think of the Dr. Who episode with Agatha Christie. Didn't watch the whole episode, but one of the servants was gay and had a thing with one of the gentleman. When the gentleman was killed, Donna lamented that the servant couldn't even grieve openly. I like that the Whoniverse is so positive about the different kinds of sexuality.

BBC America is replaying Torchwood. I caught 2 of my favorite episodes: the one where Capt Jack meets Capt Jack, and with Toshiko and the frozen WWI soldier. I guess I just like the short, tragic love story. However, not going to go see Gnomeo and Juliet. Seriously. That is a movie coming out soon.

Anyway, I've put The Buccaneers at the top of my Netflix queue. It's based on the unfinished Edith Wharton novel where 4 young heiresses go to England to find husbands in the late 1800s. It's like the story from Cora Crowley's point of view.

Vindaloo

2011-01-23T11:08:00.000-08:00

So much stuff going on, starting new things. I've had meetings with people who do what I want to do as a consultant, and am getting good feed back. Going to draft a prospectus some time this week. And a budget. Exciting stuff, eh?

Anyway, I'm still on a cooking kick. Today, I caught an episode of Aarti Party on the Food Network and the recipe for Beef Vindaloo and Cucumber Raita looked good. Will modify to use the chicken I have. I went with this partly because I have one cucumber and half a container of plain yogurt already and had been trying to figure out what to do with them. And I have a container of garam masala spices too.

After scanning the web for recipes, the basics seem to be:

1. Fry up a few diced onions and garlic. Can do. That's the basis for pretty much anything savory I cook.

2. Add in bite-sized chunks of meat and brown.

3. Add garam masala, hot peppers, brown sugar and vinegar until thick sauce results.

4. Simmer covered until meat is done.

I'll probably serve it with rice, but Aarti also showed how to make chapatis.

mmm. Getting hungry already.

One Big Table turns me onto red cabbage

2011-01-18T12:28:00.001-08:00

So I've dived into One Big Table cookbook of recipes gathered from home cooks across the US.

Above is Katherine Dieckmann's Beet and Corn Salad. The biggest ingredient is actually red cabbage. And based on this recipe, I've been eating alot more red cabbage in salads. And next time, I'm going to use canned beets. It was not worth it to cook beets. It's messy.

I took it to a party and got good reviews, especially when combined with cheese.

I also made green goddess dressing and have discovered that I am not a big fan of parsley.

Below is Catfish ala Kenny. Actually it's 2 whole catfish (instead of filets) marinating in a combo of soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, garlic and black pepper. I left out the green onions and ginger, mainly because I didn't have them.

Other modification: I pan fried it instead of broiling. And here it is plated. Believe me, it tastes better than it looks.

I served it with white rice and steamed asparagus, both drizzled with Good Seasonings Italian dressing.

Husband is liking my cooking, and it pretty happy that these recipes are relatively healthy.

Hothlanta 2011

2011-01-14T05:58:00.000-08:00

So, I've quit my job and set up meetings with various people about setting up my own shop as a consultant, or finding another job, or things to do with the adoption, or just catching up with friends.

Then along comes the great storm of 2011 and puts everything on hold.

Atlanta got some snow. About 4 inches worth. Not much, right?

However, it is a rare event in the US South and there aren't enough snow plows, salt and sand trucks, etc to deal with it. Plus, the snow melts a bit when the sun is out and the temp rises, then refreezes at night. So the top layer of all the snow is actually ice. Makes for very slow going. The local news is full of warnings about "Don't go out unless you really have to!" Personally I've seen cars and trucks spin out and one pedestrian slip and fall on the ice. And I got stuck for a bit in it myself.

So schools have been closed all this week, along with many businesses. All my meetings have been postponed until next week at the earliest. As of yesterday, day 4 of the snowmaggedon, this graphic's been going around

I'm a home body, so I'm not suffering. I have many, many distractions:

1. Tai Chi and Yoga

2. Cooking, especially from One Big Table: 600 recipes from the nation's best home cooks, farmers, fishermen, pit-masters, and chefs

3. DVDs galore. I thought I'd rewatch Buffy the Vampire Slayer but have been rewatching Dollhouse Season 2.

4. Netflix Watch Instantly. I saw a tweet about this article http://beyondvictoriana.com/2011/01/09/56-ten-reasons-why-steampunks-and-everyone-else-should-watch-avatar-the-last-airbender/ and was motivated to figure out how to make Watch Instantly work.

5. Nook e-reader and knitting -- 2 things that were made for each other. I borrowed "And Another Thing..." book 6 in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series. It's been a long, long time since I read the other books, but fortunately, they provide a "previously on..." section to catch you up. Especially since it's been years since the last book came out and the author died. This one is written by Eoin Colfer. And I'm still plugging away at Husband's stockingnette blanket. Talk about mindless knitting.

Speaking of Husband and blanket; so it's been cold and I had a lap quilt (made for me by Best Friend) across my legs. Husband wanted a blanket too and asked "is it the only blanket we have?" Pfft! I have made plenty of blankets! So I gave him the quilt and I'm using this blanket.

6. Going out anyway. Even I have a limit to how much nesting at home I can do.

Oh Caprica!

2011-01-05T07:53:00.001-08:00

Sat on the couch for 5 hours last night to watch the last 5 episodes of Caprica. It was so good! Random thoughts, trying to avoid spoilers:

1. Many twists and turns -- so many characters were revealed to be different than presented in the past. Stand outs: Joseph and Willie Adama. So totally did not see those twists coming.
2. Compressed storytelling -- I usually like watching multiple episodes at once, but having 5 back to back, without time in between to digest each episode, kind of gave me whiplash. I feel like things moved too quickly, one after the other, that I missed details. And there are scenes I want to go back and see again. I am definitely getting the DVDs. Though I still balk at the price.
3. Good to see Amanda Greystone in action as the plastic surgeon she is. Makes perfect sense that she's that kind of doctor.
4. It felt rushed; I'm sure that's because the creators knew that they wouldn't be renewed and had to get all the storylines tied up. But it's such a rich world, it could have gone on for years. At least 3 if not the 5 that BSG got or Buffy's 8.

The stuff I want to know more about, still:
1. What was Lacy's story? So much about her character's arc was left out.
2. What happened to Tamara? Are we to assume that she traveled the same arc as Zoe?

All in all, a very satisfying prequel to BSG. Just sad it's over.

Happy New Year! 2011

2011-01-01T10:20:00.000-08:00

Resolutions for this year:

1. Become a mom through adoption

2. Find a new job

3. Be happier

We've restarted the adoption process. In Jan 2010, I started looking into it but stopped because of financial and work issues. Work has been really difficult in 2010 and I put in my resignation notice. My last day will be Jan 7, 2011. I have some vacation days still so may check out earlier.

Anyway, that nightmare will soon be behind me. I have not job lined up but Husband is very supportive as long as I am actively looking for a job. I'll be talking to some people who work in a job that I'm interested in going into.

But really, my big hope for 2011 is to adopt a baby and be a stay-at-home mom. After years of unsuccessful fertility treatments, we think this is the way to go. And after all this effort to have a kid, I want to stay home and be a mom for that kid.

I'm not thinking that becoming a mom will be all roses and I'll suddenly find happiness and all that. After all I know poopy diapers and temper tantrums will be part of the picture.

I just think that life is too short to not actively seek what I want out of life.

And 2011 will be the year to do it.

Happy New Year and may 2011 be a year that makes you happy too.

Gift certificates and e-readers

2010-12-30T10:03:00.000-08:00

First, update on Mother-in-law: she's home from the hospital so that's good.

Second, got $150 gift certificate to Amazon from work. Already ordered Torchwood Season 2, which I'm missing. Tempted to get Caprica 1 and 1.5 but still balking at $70 plus in cost. Even if it's not my money.

Third, cashed in my rewards from my credit card and will be getting $25o in gift certificates to Barnes and Noble. Why, that's enough for a Nook Color e-reader!

So, I've been thinking of getting an e-reader. Kindle is more affordable but doesn't interface with the public library. Nook is more expensive but it does interface with the library. And I still like paper books...

Not making any decisions yet, but I love knowing I have enough free money to get either one!

Unexpected Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T07:53:00.001-08:00

This weekend we went to Wisconsin to visit Husband's family. We got there Dec 23, had a lovely time at the neighborhood dinner. It's a very nice tradition 4 families on the street have. The different courses of the meal are spread across the different homes.

What's interesting is that there are 3 generations now. Mother-in-law talked about "the young people" and I kept asking her if she meant the middle generation or the youngest generation. She meant the middle generation.

And speaking of M-i-l, on Xmas eve, we were to drive 90 minutes away to visit her sisters and relatives. But 20 minutes into the drive, she asked us to turn around and take her to the emergency room. She was dizzy, sweating, hyperventilating.

We got to the ER and she was so dizzy she fell back into the car when she tried to stand. They took her in a wheelchair and it turns out that she had irregular heartbeat. She was quickly stabilized, but since she went in on a Friday, the doctors wanted to keep her in the hospital until Monday and run some more tests.

On Xmas, we visited her in the morning and then again at 8pm. We brought her a plate of xmas dinner and a bottle of whiskey. She couldn't drink any of the whiskey of course, so we did so for her.

A family friend is a doctor and he came with, so that was nice.

We left Dec 26 and didn't have time to visit her before leaving. But our xmas gift to her was to buy her a ticket to visit us in the spring.

The silver lining, for me, was the fact that I got to spend more time with my sister in law (Husband's brother's wife). On Dec 24 evening, while M-i-l was first taken into the hospital and stabilized, Brother-in-law took his wife and me back to m-i-l's house to wait it out. We played gin rummy, ate leftovers, and generally just hung out.

I don't think that in the 18 years we've known each other, that we've really talked and spent time together. We don't really have that much in common and I don't think we'll ever be best buds, but it was very nice to get to know her better.

And tomorrow's her birthday and now I know what to get her: a real purse. Tomboy or not, I think a 39 year old woman needs a real purse. And there are lots of sporty ones available.

How Much for Caprica?!?

2010-12-21T14:31:00.000-08:00

Caprica 1.5 comes out on DVD today. Amazon.com is selling both 1 and 1.5 together for $73.48 (what kind of pricing is that?).

And what kind of pricing is that? Nearly $74 for less than 15 episodes? I liked the show; it was appointment television for me. But I'm balking at the price. I'm gonna have to Netflix it instead of buying it.

Which makes me wonder: what's the economics at play here? By not buying the DVDs, am I confirming that there was no audience for the show? That there's not chance that another network (oh, like AMC) would pick it up?

Or should I just enjoy it and accept that it was a good show.... and there's only one season. Like it's just one novel, not part of a trilogy, as much as I would like it to be.

I'm getting to that point with Firefly. I keep following Whedonesque and am rewatching Dollhouse Season 2, so will stay interested in the 'Verse, but not hoping that it will continue on the web or in comix.

I feel that Buffy the Vampire Slayer the comics have (has?) wander far, far afield from what I enjoyed about it as a show. Granted, I need to rewatch it, but more slowly, and really pay attention. I'm happy to have Shepherd Book's back story, finally, but I think as a periodical medium, comics don't work as well for me.

I contrast this to graphic novels, like Fun Home, or Persepolis, or Maus, which are written as one piece, and meant to be read as one piece.

Okay, I'm not sure where I'm going this train of thought. It's wandered a bit from the price of Caprica DVDs.

Oh, back to the economics/logic of the Caprica 1.5 release: why do it now, when Syfy won't air the last 5 episodes (presumably on the DVDs) until January? I understand the buy-it-for-Xmas push for pretty much any sale, but it still doesn't make much sense to me.

One step forward, one step back

2010-12-18T13:26:00.000-08:00

Bad news: the US House of Representatives voted to pass the DREAM Act that would provide a path to citizenship for undocumented children if they go to college or serve in the US military. However, it did not pass the Senate. Damn!

Good news: both the House and Senate voted to repeal the Don't Ask, Don't Tell policy. So soon, gay, lesbian, and bisexual women and men will be able to serve openly in the military. Hooray! This makes me weep with joy.

Burst Pipe

2010-12-17T09:29:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, a standing pipe on the roof of the condo burst, flooding the elevators, shorting them out. I had to walk up the stairs from the 3rd floor where I park to the 23rd. Had to stop a few times to rest. So Husband and I got a hotel room for the night.

However, that meant I had to pack an overnight bag for 2 nights (just in case) and carry it down 23 floors. Downhill still much easier than uphill. But still tiring. And it was below freezing so I slipped and fell once crossing the park to the hotel.

Yesterday the elevators were working intermittently and I got to use the elevator up home, thank goodness. However, to go out to the Thrashers hockey game, I had to walk down 23 floors.

My legs are killing me and I am so tired. I'm taking the morning to sleep in and watch a Sanctuary marathon.

Buffy reboot movie? Okay.

2010-12-12T11:10:00.000-08:00

Certain corners of the interwebs are up in arms about the proposed new Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie, to be done without Joss Whedon. The director of the first movie, Fran Kazui and her husband Kaz Kazui were executive directors of the TV series.

They own the movie rights, not Joss Whedon, even though Buffy is really Whedon's baby.

I have all the Buffy DVDs and the comics. Even so, I have no problem with the reboot.

1. Whedon was not the only creative and celebrated mind on the show and comics. Jane Espenson and Tim Minear are two of the well-regarded writers who have come out of the Whedon writing stable. So it's not like Whedon's got a lock on Buffy.
2. Therefore: It might actually be good. Who knows? The writer for the reboot is a fan of the show so it could be good. I'll go see it and then judge.
3. If it does well, then there's a new group of people who will go looking for more Buffy, then they'll find the DVDs, and there will be more fans. Think of it as more publicity for Buffy.
4. And if they like the TV show, and want more Whedon, they'll find Angel, Firefly (my personal fave of them all), Dollhouse, etc.

Ultimately, I think if it's done well, then it's all good. If it's done badly, then it'll be just another example of reboots gone badly, not Buffy gone badly. I mean, I never saw the original Buffy movie but clearly that didn't stop the show from happening and from doing well.

And it's a sign that Buffy is bigger than any one person and I think that's good.

New Browncoats and a lovely day

2010-12-11T21:59:00.000-08:00

Today was a really good day. in the 50s F. Husband and I walked 4 miles round trip from our place next to Centennial Olympic Park, through part of Old Fourth Ward, to Inman Park for lunch. We pretty much took Baker Street the whole way. We started in the heart of downtown, walking past skyscrapers, passed over the interstate that goes through the middle of Atlanta, past revitalized neighborhoods and into Atlanta's first suburb.

We had lunch at Pure Taqueria which was very good. We shared an appetizer and an entree and that was quite enough for both of us. We did the same thing at dinner last night too. I think this will be our habit from now on. We both turned 40 this year. We know we have to try harder to take care of ourselves. We haven't been to the gym much since summer ended so today's walk and the sharing one entree is a pretty nice way of doing it.

Plus, this workweek, I did not eat one dinner at home. I had evening meetings or I went out with friends or with Husband.

Wed night I watched Four Days of DragonCon, produced by PBA, Public Broadcasting Atlanta. They're selling it to other public broadcasting stations. So if you want to see it in your city, call your local public broadcasting station and ask them to buy it and show it.

Sneek peak on you tube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQcW65nzQUY

I have a friend who works at PBA so she had a copy and invited friends over to see it. It was fun and she reminded me that I was supposed to lend her my Firefly DVDs.

Thursday, she and I went out for dinner at the Stone Bowl House/Woo Nam Jeong Korean restaurant. I gave her the DVDs then. May convert yet another fan.

And I added a link in my side bar to Mark Watches. He apparently is wrapping up his first viewing of Firefly and will start Dr. Who next. He's also a Harry Potter fan, so what's not to like?

Ellen Ripley Saved My Life

2010-12-08T05:44:00.000-08:00

No, the article is not about me. but I love it anyway.

The author, Sady Doyle, looks at strong women like River Tam, Buffy Summers, and Ellen Ripley and how they help her understand her own life and how culture has a difficult time with strong women.

http://www.theawl.com/2010/12/ellen-ripley-saved-my-life

What everyone's getting this winter gift season

2010-12-05T08:19:00.000-08:00

I love to eat. I think food is one of the great pleasures in life. Over the last year or so I have also started cooking more.

Based on a Wall Street Journal review I bought One Big Table: A Portrait of American Cooking, 600 Recipes from the Nation's Best Home Cooks, Farmers, Fishers, Pitmasters, and Chefs.

Just randomly flipping through it, I looked at about a dozen recipes. Of those, about 5 were by SouthEast Asian refugees, one was Persian, and the rest were Latino and European. I love that mix!

There are also stories about the places, the people, the histories behind the foods.

I think I'm going to give it to everyone I know who cooks. Or eats.

And in that spirit, since I couldn't make it to Sister's house for Thanksgiving, I finally made her a sushi toilet roll cover. It's something she's wanted for a while.

It's the embroidering for this that made me want to take up crewel work. I did buy some muslin and a hoop, and got some books from the library. But have yet to do any embroidering beyond this sushi thing.

I started knitting a scarf instead with the gorgeous red/orange/gold silk yarn I got in Savannah a few weeks ago. It's the perfect antidote to all the grey winter weather.

The Villain's side of the story

2010-12-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Great webcomic that turns the good son vs evil father on its ear.

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0763.html

Must. Resist. New. Craft.

2010-11-30T14:09:00.000-08:00

I ended up not going to work over the Thanksgiving weekend. As I reasoned, I wasn't planning on being here anyway so why go in? And here I sit at the office at 5pm EST Nov 30 done with most of my work, that's due at 8pm EST/5pm PST Dec 1.

Instead of going to work on Saturday, I went to the library. Browsed the craft books, mostly looking at knitting. But the embroidery books caught my eye. I'm knitting a toilet paper cover for Sister and her husband that looks like a roll of sushi (their request). It requires embroidering on the "filling."

Now I want to take up crewel embroidery. I've done it before, a long time ago as a kid -- a unicorn and rainbow if I remember correctly. And I have all kinds of cross stitch floss and needles, lots of inspiration books, and a blue marking pen for quilting that will wash out....

No. Must. Resist. New. Craft.

Life Work Balance

2010-11-27T08:48:00.000-08:00

Debating whether or not to go to work today. If I hadn't gotten sick, then I would still be out of town today, so I had estimated that my to-do list could be accomplished without working Wed to Sun. Plus, it's beautiful outside: sunny and in the 60s F. Perfect day for lounging around the house, doing a little this and that, like hand washing the hand knit sweaters.

On the other hand, if I go to work today, then I won't have to work as long Mon, Tue, and Wed to meet my Dec 1 deadline. And Husband won't feel bad that he's gone to work but not me.

Our little day of the dead vignette doesn't have any advice for me. Maybe other than "No one ever went to their grave wishing they spent more time at the office." On the other hand, it is a grant proposal worth $75,000.....

I'll see how I feel once the hand washing is done.

ETA: note to self: knit with either machine washable yarn or knit smaller sweaters. This stuff is heavy when wet.

Happy Thanksgiving 2010

2010-11-26T14:12:00.000-08:00

I hope it was a good holiday for everyone. I spent it in Atlanta because I was sick and didn't feel up to flying to DC to be with Sister, new Brother-in-law, and Brother Two.

So I did get to enjoy Thanksgiving with Husband at a friend's home. It was warm enough to eat the meal outside in sleeveless shirt and skirt. I was not at 100% and being out in the sun was lovely.

Over estimated how well I was, over ate and over drank, and felt pretty bad for the rest of the night.

However, it is Thanksgiving, so I give thanks for

my family near (Husband, cat) and far (everyone else)
being able to see my parents and have them come visit in October
friends old and new
a job that is meaningful and plays a part in making the world better, heck for being employed instead of unemployed like Brother Two (his company shut down and he was laid off)
a job that offers paid sick leave, which I have used extensively this year for my mental and physical health

I've been reading a lot. Most recently Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld and the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. They're both really good books, written mainly for young adults. I just finished The Hunger Games this afternoon and when I put it down, I was just kind of stunned; it's just so good. Looking forward to seeing the movie adaptation. And compared to the dystopian world and emotional turmoil in the book, and in many places in the world, I'm thankful for the well-fed, safe and loving life I have.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part One

2010-11-19T21:28:00.000-08:00

Loved. It.

There was some gratuitous skin but I think over all it worked well to illuminate the relationships and emotions.

And it renewed my affection for Ron. He's like Xander. Harry = Buffy, Hermione = Willow, Ron = Xander. I just love the guys who are witty, funny, not necessarily the alpha or hero, and still throws himself into the fray and does what he can.

Now there's an idea: watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer season 1, read Harry Potter book 1, etc.

The friend who I went to see the movie with suggested having a marathon for watching all the Harry Potter movies, maybe over the summer. The next, and last, movie comes out next July....

Geeky or not?

2010-11-14T08:17:00.000-08:00

I crocheted this water bottle holder with pocket for my phone. Husband thinks it's the geekiest thing he's ever seen. I think it's a success.

Yarn: Cascade 220.

Hook: G

Needle for the pocket: US 6

Time: about a week.

In other hand crafting news, Husband and I went Savannah for 48 hours earlier this week. He had a deposition to take there, I went along for the ride.

While there, I went to Wild Fibre, the only yarn shop in Savannah and bought:
That's Silk Purse in Koi Pond on the left, 100% silk in reds, oranges, and gold. Will probably make a ruffled scarf from Scarf Style to show off the graduated color changes.

In the middle is a single ply merino by Trabajos del Peru, which I think is like a competitor to Malabrigo and Manos del Uruguay. I'm making a 40 stitch 2 x 2 rib scarf on size 9 US. So soft and lovely.

On the right is Kudo by Plymouth Yarn, which I think is a competitor to Noro. It's silk and cotton and much softer than Noro. Not sure what I'll make with that.

While Husband was doing his meeting, I went to Wild Fiber, then Twiggs Needlepoint where I bought a canvas to give to a friend, and Shaver books, a very nice independent bookstore where I bought more gifts and notecards. While there they gave me a postcard for HandmadeSavannah.com, which showed a map t0 3 handcrafting stores: Wild Fibers, French Knot (embroidery), and Fabrika (quilting). Interesting that Twiggs is not part of it.

I went to French Knot, which is only a year old and very well appointed, big and airy. I asked who shops there and they said tourists and students from Savannah College of Art and Design. I didn't buy anything there and frankly think Twiggs has a better selection of canvasses.

I didn't make it to Fabrika but will try next time.

Finished BSG, Still miss Caprica

2010-11-09T14:48:00.001-08:00

So I finished Battlestar Galactica on Sunday.

I knew there was controversy about angels, so when the revelation came, I wasn't outraged.

My favorite parts were:
1. Roslin and Adama. I got all teary-eyed at the end. Made me think of the ending of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. So close and yet one of them died. At least they had a measure of happiness at the end.
2. Athena, Helo, and Hera. Grace Park did an amazing job over the season playing at least 3 different variations on Eight: Boomer, who was actually 2 characters: the one who thought she was Sharon Valerii; and the one who knew she was a Cylon; and Athena. Tricial Helfer was good too, playing all those versions of Six.
3. Sam the Hybrid, going off into the night.
4. The Centurions being given their freedom
5. The settlement of Earth by the humans and Cylons with the human ancestors.
6. Gaius Baltar and Caprica Six settling down on a farm. Kind of hard to see it actually happening, since they're both so urbane. But sweet to see.

Question it left me: If the Hera, the mitochodrial Eve, was found 150,000 years later, what about all the technology and settlements the BSG humans left behind?

It made me really miss Caprica, though. I wanted to see how Tamara and Zoe in V-world became the Cylons. How did the V-world become Cylon projection? How did Tamara and Zoe or whoever create Ellen, Tory, Tigh, Sam, and Tyrol? How did the other Cylon models come about? Who made them? What happened to the Adamas? Amanda? Lacey? Clarice and her multi-family? The different threads in Caprica were just beginning to come together and then Syfy pulled the plug. Won't even show the last 5 episodes until sometime next year. Gah.

There's some talk in the blogosphere that Caprica should move to AMC, home of slow-building drama. That's something I've thought too. I wonder what it would take to make that happen.

So, now that my one show, Caprica, is gone I've turned the Walking Dead as my appointment TV. It helps that it's filmed around where I live. Last night, as part of our evening walk, Husband and I walked down to Fairlie Poplar (where the horse went down and the tank was located in ep 1), and the Southern Business District, where ep 2 takes place. Saw no zombies. Added bonus, it's appointment TV for both Husband and I. I think it's the first show we share since we stopped watching the Simpsons.

And for my sci-fi fix, I'm watching Season 3 of Fringe on Hulu. Not as into it as I was with Caprica and Leverage, but the 2 Earths idea is enough to keep me watching.

Walking Dead, Sherlock Holmes on PBS, and other thoughts on Caprica

2010-11-04T12:35:00.001-07:00

I watched the Walking Dead on AMC this weekend, even though I'm not into zombies. However, it's set in Atlanta so I was very interested in seeing what I would recognize. Husband watched with me too. As has been noted everywhere, it's a very good show.

We didn't realize that it was a 90 minute episode so at the 60 minute mark turned off the TV. But it had a sense of closure at that point. I went to bed thinking, "well next ep is where Rick goes to Atlanta." I'm satisfied with what I saw, esp with Morgan and Duane's story arc. Can't wait to see next week's ep."

We'll have to catch up online later. I kind of like that better, because then I can pause to scrutinize the background.

I've been listening to the podcast Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan They mention that the success of The Walking Dead may lead to a slew of zombie shows next year but not as good.

Apparently Mo Ryan and Ryan McGee both like Rubicon, another show on AMC. I've watched one or two episodes but AMC is not one of my go-to channels. They loved Rubicon and do mention that each episode is slow but it delves into the work and lives of national security analysts who have to wade through massive amounts of information and make sense of it. They like that the eps have depth and some may seem unrelated to anything but by the end of the season, it all comes together really well. However, they don't like Caprica.

As I listened to the podcast, I was thinking, all the things they like about Rubicon, are the things I like about Caprica! My previous post was about this, so I won't go over it again. However, I'm thinking "You praise Rubicon for it, but complain about Caprica for it. And you're BSG fans. I don't get this."

Anyway, I don't know that I'll join the send an apple, save Caprica movement. I haven't decided.

And in other BSG news, I have only the last 2 eps of the series at home. Will watch it on Sunday afternoon. I know it's controversial because of some characters being revealed as angels, but I don't know anything else about it. Looking forward to it.

The other night as well, Husband and I watched the PBS series Sherlock Holmes instead of the baseball world series. That's pretty meaningful considering Husband's a baseball fan and had a bet riding on the outcome.

Anyone who thinks serial scripted TV shows are worthless needs to see The Walking Dead and Sherlock Holmes. They are really good shows, so good that this long post is the result. And especially the Walking Dead. The Holmes episodes, being 90 minutes long, are like self-contained mini-movies. The Walking Dead is definitely telling one big long story.

Kind of like Caprica! Yes, I'm still a bit bitter about it. This is the first show that I really liked that got the Firefly treatment. Now I know how the first Browncoats feel, speaking as a later convert.

Caprica Cancelled.

2010-10-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

Frak.

It did a lot of world building w/ great ideas about family, technology, artificial intelligence, culture, religion, the afterlife, politics, business and all kinds of possibilities. With compelling and complex characters, many of whom were women and girls. Things that i want from good drama and sci fi.

But, Caprica had no space fights so it got cancelled. Frak SyFy. I no longer have any reason to watch that channel. At least not until next year when they air the last episodes.

And what was the point of airing 9 eps, wait 6 months, air 3 eps, then cancel and air the last 4 or so eps yet another 3 mos later? No wonder the audience was shrinking.

Damn

eta: lots of great articles out there lamenting its end. I really like this one http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/10/rip-caprica-we-hardly-frakking-knew-you#more

Back

2010-10-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

Sister's wedding was lovely. I did say a few words at the ceremony, taken mostly from "On Marriage" by Khalil Gibran.

Husband hadn't been to the Washington, DC area since a kid while I go every year for work or to see Sister, so I'm glad he was finally able to visit. We went to the Udvar-Hazy air and space exhibit which he'd wanted to for a while. It's a huge hanger full of planes, helicopters, even the space shuttle. It. was. huge.

It was great to see all the family, and my parents and Brother One came back to Atlanta with us. I took the week off from work to hang out with them and that was very nice.

Coming down with a cold, on the other hand, was not so nice. I've been at a conference in Atlanta all week this week. So I've been out of the office 2 and half weeks but been in Atlanta for most of that time. It's going to be hard to go back to the office next week.

But first, tonight, Husband and I will go out to dinner and celebrate our 11th anniversary.

Check your passports!

2010-10-05T08:21:00.001-07:00

My parents were supposed to come to the US last week, so they could hang out with us and recuperate a bit from jetlag before Sister's wedding on Oct 10, 2010.

However, my dad forgot to check the passports and it turned out they were expired. Doh!

The happy news is that they got the renewal expedited and got on a plane today. They should arrive tomorrow and everything will be fine.

The irony of it all is that my dad's the anxious one, always double checking things like this, and he was in charge of my parents' travel plans. For him to fall down on the job like this is just hilarious.

I'm sure my mom thinks otherwise.

Husband and I will be going to DC on Thursday for the wedding and I am so looking forward to seeing my family. I haven't seen my parents in a couple of years and happily they will be coming back to Atlanta with us for a week after the wedding.

Vegas, baby!

2010-09-28T10:50:00.000-07:00

back from Sister's birthday/bachelorette party in Las Vegas. Details I will reveal:

best meals:
Todai restaurant, sushi buffet. Several locations in the US, but not Atlanta, yet.
Beijing Noodle No. 9 in Caesar's Palace. Hand pulled noodles (not a euphemism).

And for the rest, like they say "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.)

All in all, a great time.

ReCaprica

2010-09-22T15:36:00.000-07:00

Caprica returns in 2 weeks. Very much looking forward to it. Here's a snarky, 2 minute recap, done by Syfy channel themselves.

Even with all the steampunk reading, I am still making it through the last season of Battlestar Galactica. Got to the point when they've just found Earth.

Steampunking on and Bachelorette Parties

2010-09-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading Throne of Jade, book 2 in the Temeraire series by Naomi Novik. Think the movie "Master and Commander" with dragons that talk and fight with aerial crews. I read book 1, In His Majesty's Service in about 3 days.

After a weekend of feeling under the weather, I've returned to staying up until 2am reading. Novik is a really good writer. Book 1 is set in the UK. In Book 2, they leave for China by sailing around Africa. She does a good job of showing different cultures and she touches on the issue of slavery in a way that's informative and pushes the story forward.

I really recommend the series. Actually, I've recommended the series to Husband's boss. The week before Dragon*Con, Husband's boss and I were talking about the Song of Ice and Fire. The rest of the dinner party had no idea what we were talking about. Previously he had lent me the Diana Gabaldon and True Blood books, which I returned without reading. I also lent him my Firefly set.

So I e-mailed him to recommend the Temeraire series. He e-mailed back to say he and his wife were really enjoying Firefly, being up to episode 8 (Out of Gas, one of my favorites) and was there a season two? Alas, I had to break the news that there was only the one season, but I could loan him the follow up movie Serenity.

I may have converted another 2 Browncoats and broken their hearts too, just like I was.

Knitting continues apace, a pic will come eventually. However the big thing coming up for me is Sister's bachelorette party coming in Las Vegas. Probably no blogging until I get back. I'm taking Boneshaker in paperback with me (again steampunk) for inflight reading.

But in the meantime, here's an really interesting link. http://kck.st/b8GOoq

Virtuoso is a comic set in steampunk Africa. And it's got a page at Kickstarter to raise funds for it. $10 gets you a copy of the 24 page prologue and supports future issues. When I have time I'll explore Kickstarter more fully. Talk about grassroots fundraising for creative works.

Steampunk + Girl Power + Genetic Engineering + WWI = Leviathan

2010-09-14T16:31:00.000-07:00

Just finished the book Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, illustrated by Keith Thompson. It's a young adult novel that I really want to see as a movie. The illustrations really bring the steampunk alive.

It makes me think of the Golden Compass, which I didn't realize until now was steampunk. I'm tempted to borrow the movie again.

So in the world of Leviathan is set at the beginning of WWI, a period of time I'm not too familiar with. Germany and its allies are Clankers, building machines that have multiple legs instead of treads like tanks. Lots of spider imagery and I love the scouts that look like big dogs that seat one person. The main boy character is the heir to the Austrian empire and a Clanker.

The main girl character is British and the UK and its allies are Darwinists, that is they use genetic engineering to develop new animals, including an airship that's based on a whale but really is an ecosystem of many different animals. Pretty cool.

I devoured the book in one day and really want to see this as a movie. And can't wait for the sequel, to be set in the Ottoman Empire.

City Quilts

2010-09-11T13:11:00.000-07:00

So I went to Dragon*Con and was very intrigued by steam punk and alternate history. Specifically the session on race and gender in steampunk. The Victorian or Edwardian age was when women in the US got the vote so it was more progressive than we generally think of it. On of the speakers was Ay-Leen the Peacemaker, an Asian American steampunker who also lives here in Georgia. She talked about how there's a really long history of Asians in the US. Afterall, the Chinese worked on the railroads.

That made me think of the miniseries "Into the West" that explored the US expansion westward, focusing on a white family and a Native American family. I've seen bits and pieces of it and I know that one character, played by Christian Kane, works on the railroad and becomes friends with a Chinese worker. So I bought on Amazon and to tie it back to steampunk, I bought "Boneshaker" a book that was widely recommended as a good steampunk book.

While on Amazon, I cruised the quilting books and came across City Quilts by Cherri House. After looking inside (love that Amazon feature), I bought it too.

Husband loved the cover quilt, City Lights, and asked me to make it. He very rarely asks me to make anything for him so I bought the yarn on line right away, worsted wool from Webs. But I wanted to start right away. So I also bought some Galway yarn from a local store and got a bit done. I'm holding the yarn doubled and using a size 10 US 6mm needle.

So I have the crochet Babette blanket going, a knit shawl project going, and now Husband's knit City Lights blanket. I'm happy.

I survived Dragon*Con 2010

2010-09-07T09:45:00.000-07:00

This year was the first time I went to Dragon*Con. Last year we went to the parade, and Husband said "We should go to the con next year." So I bought us passes for the whole weekend and Husband actually took both Saturday and Sunday off to go with me.

Both days too, we hung out with friends, watching the costumes. The Marriott Marquis hotel was the best place to do it.

Went to good sessions and bad. The line for the Firefly panel with River, Simon, Kaylee, and Inara (okay, the actors) stretched around the block, outside the hotel an hour before the session was going to start. As much as I love the show, I passed on that panel.

Not a coherent post today, but will say all in all I'm glad I went and plan to go again next year.

After it was over, Husband finally read the program and said "hey, what's this? why didn't we go to that session?" etc. My answer: because you refused to read the program beforehand and kept saying you were following my lead. I didn't know you were interested in X, so I didn't take us to that session.

On the otherhand, I think it's a good sign that he's still interested. One of these days I'll get him to watch Firefly yet.

It may be while, though, for the memory of Browncoats: Redemption to fade. It was kind of disappointing in terms of production quality, and very confusing for Husband who has never seen Firefly or Serenity.

Tai chi and Leverage, and Dragon*Con 2009

2010-08-30T11:19:00.000-07:00

Three random things:

I got my Tai Chi Video by Tiffany Chen and have done it a couple of times. I find it a lot easier than yoga. The movements aren't as extreme. Plus I've grown up seeing it around me so it was pretty easy to pick up.

Even so, there are some moves that confuse me, especially the spins. And some of the camera angles make it hard to see what she's doing.

Between yoga and tai chi, I've found that my calves and hamstrings are really, really tight. And my arms are pretty flabby too.

I've been dreaming about the TV show Leverage. It's my only appointment-TV show but this season's not as fun to me as previous seasons. The Rashomon Job was pretty fun, though.

And lastly, Dragon*Con 2010 is coming and I've got tickets! The local public television station did a show about last year's con. The link is here. I love that the Browncoats and the Hands of Blue were shown.

I don't understand Dickens

2010-08-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Based on this suggestion: https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=9380399&postID=849460249831069589 and my sister's ringing endorsement, I bought the DVD for Bleak House starring Gillian Anderson.

I like Jane Austen as much as anyone else though I've always had a hard time reading Dickens. But I thought, maybe watching it will be different, by which I mean better. After all, it's a series by Masterpiece Theater. It's got to be good, right? And I can crochet on my Babette blanket.

I watched the first half and I have to say I don't understand half of what's going on or why. Mostly the why. For example:

Why did John Jarndyce agree to take 3 complete strangers into his household at Bleak House?
Why did he make one of them his housekeeper out of the blue?
As much as I like Esther, said housekeeper, 3 different men have fallen in love with her within the first three hours.
Why are complete strangers confiding their innermost hopes and thoughts to one another soon after meeting?

What I do understand:
The case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce is dragging on forever because there are multiple wills and a large fortune (and Bleak House) at stake. Which John Jarndyce 's brother committed suicide over.
Secret love affairs, babies born out of wedlock, marriages for status, drugs. That's drama no matter what century.

I'm hoping watching the second half will make more sense. But if Masterpiece Theater can't make me like Dickens, then nothing will.

Speaking of TV drama, I've been watching the Great Food Truck Race on Food Network. So far there have been 2 episodes and both times Nom Nom truck has won. Has me totally craving banh mi sandwiches.

The Woman King and Four of the Final Five

2010-08-21T15:16:00.001-07:00

Progress shot of my Babette blanket. I'm using black as the final round of each square. I really like how the oranges really pop. Makes me think of the juicies vs blahs rule discussed in the first Mason-Dixon Knitting book, about the miter square blanket. You need blah colors like tan, taupe, moss, etc for the juicy colors like lime, fushia, orange, etc to pop against.

I've been watching Leverage for the commentary and listening to the Battlestar Galactica podcasts. I love the discussion about how they decided to tell the story they told.

I finished BSG season 3 and have seen four of the final five cylons revealed. I knew who they were already, since I read up on them on Wikipedia. Still, it was very interesting to see how it happened.

I also watched the Woman King, widely cited as one of the worst episodes. That's all I knew about it, but based on the title, I assumed it had something to do with President Laura Roslin. It was about the ethnic discrimination against the Sagitarrons and was actually Hel0-centric.

In the podcast commentary, Ron Moore mentioned that he wanted BSG to break new ground and that this episode didn't do that. On the other hand, the Leverage commentaries say "you may call it a trope, I call it a time honored storytelling device."

I liked it anyway because it showed more about the different cultures on the different colonies. I'm a sociologist working with refugees and immigrants from every continent (other Antartica), so culture is very interesting to me. That's what makes Caprica appealing to me.

Also liked the episode "Dirty Hands" which discussed class issues in the colonies and one the ships. And it was written by Jane Espenson who wrote for Buffy, Firefly and now produces Caprica and Warehouse 13.

The BSG podcast mentioned that The Woman King was supposed to be Dualla-focused but became Helo-focused. Dirty Hands was supposed to be Dualla-focused but became Tyrol-focused. I am really disappointed by the way Dualla is treated. Moore talks about her in the commentary as being a very important character but that's not what we see in the way she's actually treated and shown in the episodes.

Even so, all in all, I think BSG ended season three strongly. Just got Razor today from Netflix but will watch it tomorrow, as I work some more on Babette. If only I could do this every day...

Ends

2010-08-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

What to do with all these ends? How to turn it to this neat border?
By encasing them in a knitted hem.

Babette

2010-08-14T10:05:00.001-07:00

It is hot and humid in Atlanta. I have airconditioning and ceiling fan going. Therefore I have decided it's the perfect time to start a wool blanket.

What you see here is all the machine washable, worsted weight wool I have:

5 skeins cream

13 small balls of varying sizes in orange

8 balls red

5 balls purplish red

7 skeins green

4 skeins light blue

5 balls cornflower blue

4 balls medium blue

11 skeins dark blues

2 skeins brown

8 skeins black

Brands include Knitpicks, Phildar, Knitting Fever, Patons, Lang, Muskoka, and Lion Brand. Some I bought, others were given to me from my friends late mother's stash.

At bottom are strips of blues and greens from previous attempts to make a superwash blanket.

This time I will be making a crochet Babette blanket. I haven't finished the cotton stripy blanket yet, but the experience of dealing with all those ends to weave in drove me nuts. I'm knitting a hem to encase all those ends.

The beauty of crochet is that ends get encased in the crochet as I go along. Crochet also uses up a lot of yarn and I have a lot of yarn to use.

I've been wanting to make a Babette blanket for a long time and now that I have so much superwash wool, it's time to do it.

2010-08-09T05:01:00.000-07:00

Finished the colorful stripy part of the blanket yesterday. It took 4 tries but this is what I had in mind. Next steps: knit on an i-cord edging, then pick up and knit on the side panels. Not sure how I'm going to finish this off. It's about the right size for a baby blanket, but the backside is so full of knots and stuff that I wouldn't want to give it away. I may have to back it with some fabric.

I got in all this knitting because I spent the weekend watching Battlestar Galactica and Leverage.

Regarding BSG, I got to the point where they found the Eye of Jupiter and Kara and Lee discuss the possibility of divorcing their spouses to marry each other.

In thinking about the romantic relationships on the show, they are all famously messed up. The healthiest relationships are Laura Roslin and Bill Adama (not married), and Athena and Helo Agathon (married). The Cylon-human marriage is healthier than any of the human-human marriages.

Regarding Leverage, I watched episodes here and there from seasons 1 and 2 on DVD. There were episodes like the Fairy-Godparents Job that I hadn't seen, and others, from Season 1 I had kind of forgotten about. And some I watched the episode and others I watched for the commentary.

And now, on Monday, I am sore all over. My elbows are sore from knitting with cotton yarn for hours. My back and other parts are sore from doing yoga and belly dancing.

Yoga and Belly-Dancing, Buffy and Serenity.

2010-08-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

As part of my staycation weekend, I discovered FitTV on cable. I followed along on a yoga show imported from Canada. I realized that my legs are strong, the rest of me is not, and I am very not flexible. Ouch.

Then I followed along on a belly-dancing show called "Shimmy" imported from the UK I think, based on the narrator's accent. Unbeknownst to me, I've been belly dancing all this time. The moves very easy for me.

I liked how the belly-dancers had little pooches of a belly and the clothes they wore, even the low-rise bell-bottom pants, celebrated a curvy body. :) The yoga women on the other hand were not curvy at all.
~~~
I have a friend who's trying to sell a TV series to either Syfy or Lifetime channels. She went out to LA for a few weeks and shopped around her show and got some feedback from someone who works on Eureka (not a show I've watched, tho I've tried). His advice was for my friend to watch Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

She came back to the East Coast and mainlined Buffy Season 1. She's seen Angel but not Buffy. At my urging, she watched Firefly but decided she doesn't like it since it's a Western in space and she doesn't like Westerns. Even though Firefly has Zoe and Wash! I also caught Serenity on Syfy. Almost had to look away when the moment came...

Anyway, she called to say that Buffy was amazing. The other feedback she got was to give her characters more shades of grey, to have some mythology to the series, and to make one of the male characters more heroic, like Angel. And to make the best friend more of an audience-surrogate. I just hope there's someone in her Scooby Gang who does with the wisecrackings.

But then, my type is the "large, semi-muscular" guy who relies more on his wits and (cute and goofy) charm, rather than guns and intimidation. Ah, Wash, and Xander, and Topher, but not as much. And I hope she puts in someone like Willow and Zoe.

But most of all, I hope she gets her show made! I told her I know how to make a good cup of coffee if she ever needed an assistant. Though I think I'd like to help with the casting. Wouldn't that be fun! Seriously, though, I'd love to help with the writing but I don't think I have the skills.

Staycation weekend

2010-08-02T07:14:00.000-07:00

been a week since i posted. what a week.

got a mongo proposal done and sent in. Grants.gov is a pain, but buys me time for when I don't have things ready the day before for Fed Ex. also squeezed out a grant report that someone else was supposed to do. not gonna even start with the work drama.

worked a zillion hours last 2 weeks to get it done. taking Monday off to recuperate, even tho I didn't work over this weekend.

Husband and i were supposed to go to Buffalo for his annual family reunion but I just couldn't do it, so I bailed. Husband didn't want to go without me so he didn't go either. awww how sweet.

We had a little staycation weekend instead. It's restaurant week in downtown Atlanta, where participating restaurants offer a prix fix menu. I made reservations for us at Thrive, a place we hadn't been to before. It was okay. the shrimp salad was the best thing there.

In the mail we got our Dragon*Con progress report. So we headed up to the pool with adult beverages to plan our Labor Day weekend plans. Well I did. Husband played Angry Birds on his iPhone. that is an addictive, and deceptively difficult, little game.

Saturday we went to the Ga Aquarium to see the shark exhibit. Husband's been wanting to see it so I got us tickets. For dinner we had trout :)

Yesterday Husband went to work and I finally finished the BSG Season 3 disc I had. The last ep on the disc was the boxing one which showed life of New Caprica and the Sam-Kara-Lee-Dee situation. As much as I like Dee, my favorite part was seeing Laura and Bill hangout under the stars.

I also watched some fitness shows on FitTV station on cable. Caught the end of a yoga show and followed along with the belly-dancing show. My verdict: yoga is harder.

Black Eyed Peas and Comic Con

2010-07-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

I live in a condo next to the World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium, over looking Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta.

Thursday there was a notice in the elevator that on Friday the street in front of World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium would be blocked off for a private event, and that there would be a big-name band playing that private event from 8pm to 9:30pm.

Husband did some sleuthing, like calling the Atlanta Police Dept to see who had the permit to block off the street, and found out that the private event was Microsoft's global sales conference. He called the World of Coke to ask about the band and whoever he talked to thought Husband worked for Coke headquarters and was testing him. So Husband got no info out of them.

Friday night, Husband and I went out into the Park and saw a huge stage set up in the park between World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium. There were privacy fences set up around the street so we couldn't get too close, but we saw lights and heard the music.

Turns out the band was the Black Eyed Peas. Right at 8pm they started and they ended at 9:30pm. We found a place in the park to hang out and listen. We could see the big screens with our binoculars. In the picture above, you can seea cluster on tiny people in red shirts. Those are World of Coke employees standing on the roof of the WoC. I think they had the best seats for the concert.

So we enjoyed a free concert of a band we have actually paid money for to see earlier this year.

And, while the concert was going on in Atlanta, I was following Whedonesque and others on my iPhone Tweeting about San Diego Comic Con.

The Runaways

2010-07-20T16:00:00.000-07:00

The comic book series, not the band or the movie about the band.

Got it from the library, read Volumes 1, 2 and 3 in one sitting.

Essentially, the Runaways are children who find out their parents are evil supervillians.

No time to say more, other than I've put the other volumes on request at the library, including the one written by Joss Whedon.

In other news, work is overwhelming with deadlines, budget crunches and personnel dramas. The less said, the saner I'll be.

Advice for those about to go to college

2010-07-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

A friend sent out a request for tips to give to a young relative about to enter college. That was 22 years ago for me. Answering her e-mail sent me down memory lane. Somehow my advice kept circling back to student activism -- helped my eventual career and social life, if not my GPA :)

And here's a section from Crazy Aunt Purl see sidebar for link, that I love:
~~~
My parents drove their house-on-wheels from Idyllwild to Orange County to be closer to Grandma. I went down last week to visit and on Saturday we were at the nursing home chatting with Grandma, she seemed really good. We got on the topic of traveling -- she and Grandpa traveled all over the world before he passed away -- and I asked her what her favorite travel destination was in all that time.

"Well, I found something to enjoy about every place we visited," she said. And she went on to tell me about some of her favorite places, like seeing the Crazy Horse monument in South Dakota.

"You know, Grandma, I've never been there. Or to Mount Rushmore. Or most of the middle," I said. "Sometimes I feel embarrassed that I've seen so many far-off places and I've only seen part of the United States."

"Oh, I think you're doing it just right," said Grandma. "Travel now and see the world while you're young and can stand those long plane rides. Later when you're older you can stay here and see the whole country."

All this time I felt a little guilty for always wanting to go off somewhere else and see the world and in just a five-minute conversation she changed my whole outlook. That's one of the things I've always liked about Grandma. She never really makes excuses or has regrets.

30 Days of Buffy

2010-07-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Apparently there's a meme going around asking questions about Buffy the Vampire Slayer, such as favorite season, 2 characters you'd like to see together who never did, etc.

I'm following along at Let's Fold Scarves at http://www.moley75.co.uk/2010/07/05/30-days-of-buffy-buffy-meme/ and on Tumblr at http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/30+days+of+Buffy

On the Tumblr site, different people are posting different days. Day 23 is Two Characters You Wanted To Get Together That Never Did. Let the slash shipping begin!

I've only watched the series once so don't know it well enough to play along. However, I'm looking forward to seeing what other people post.

Fourth of July 2010

2010-07-06T06:26:00.000-07:00

July 4 is many things. In the United States of America, it's Independence Day. There are fireworks and parades and we have a party at our flat because it overlooks Centennial Olympic Park. We get to be in the thick of the fireworks.

We actually got to see fireworks twice: on Friday at the Braves game, which the Braves won, and on Sunday, the Fourth of July.

In my family, it's my parents' wedding anniversary. #41 this year.

It's also the annual Peachtree Road Race, a very popular 10K race. Brother-in-law came to run it and he placed 332 out of 55,000+ racers, so he ranked in the top 1% of racers. He's really into running, having done a few marathons now too. That's our attempt at taking his picture up above.

And I gave up on the crochet stripy blanket. For some reason, the sides bow out and are uneven. I could block it out, but I've ripped out and redone rows and still not working. Plus, I have to look at my work when doing single crochet rows. Which means I can't read or watch TV or people watch at the same time.

So I'm going back to the Chocolate Box pattern, which I first did here for a friend.

Last time, I made one large block. This time I'm going to try making these colorful blocks, alternating with black blocks. We'll see how it goes.

Also, I don't have to look at my hands while I do the Chocolate Box pattern, so have been able to read Storm of Swords, the third book in the Song of Fire and Ice fantasy series, and watch my Leverage DVDs. Really enjoying the commentary track.

Roslin and Baltar, The Farm and the

2010-06-30T05:27:00.001-07:00

Watching Battlestar Galactica season 2.5. Some random thoughts:

1. Did not know that Dana Delany was in this series.

2. The Billy-Dualla-Lee-Starbuck situation isn't working. And Shavon? What was that about? As good looking and high ranking as Lee is, he can't find either a quick hook up or a relationship easily?

Frankly, the only romantic relationships I think makes sense are Baltar and Six and Sharon and Helo. We actually saw Sharon and Helo's relationship progress. Sharon and Tyrol's was a given then got all frakked up. Starbuck and Lee sometimes has sexual tension, sometimes not, so it's all over the place. Billy and Dualla's the first budding relationship we saw in the miniseries but it seemed forced and frankly, I never believed them as a couple.

I want Dualla and Lee to work, but not enough has been shown of their courtship for me to believe them as couple. I know in the podcasts Ron Moore talked about how that relationship could have been done better so I've been looking for signs of growing affection between Lee and Dee, even in the deleted scenes, but just not enough has been shown.

And Starbuck's still hung up on Anders but we only hear her talk about it in "Scar. " In Scar she wants Lee as a quick lay and he's willing and 2 episodes later Lee's with Dualla and Starbuck's okay with it? Ah, Starbuck and Apollo are a messed up pair.

Okay, now for the big issue.

It galled me that Roslin banned abortion. To her credit, BSG showed that it galled her too but a hard decision to make she felt she had to make. I know that there's less than 50K humans left but banning abortion without making provisions for how to care for unwanted children is a disaster. Look at Romania in the 1990s that banned abortion to build the native population. It resulted in a lot of unwanted children abandoned in institutional orphanages who grew up to have emotional problems.

Plus in the episode "The Farm" which was about the Cylons using women as baby making machines against their will. And now in "The Captain's Hand" Roslin's done the same!

Roslin and Baltar are an interesting match. They're both ambitious but not overtly so. Madame Airlock has shown that she's willing to kill and trample over rights to do what she thinks she has to and to stay president. As Adama said, she's made of sterner stuff than people give her credit for.

And Gaius didn't want to be president until Roslin wanted him to step down and now he's come out to the press and to Roslin's face that he's going to run against her. For everyone else, it seems like a bolt from the blue but we know that Six has been goading him along.

The Two Sides of the Atlantic: Florida and Europe

2010-06-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been busy. Last week Husband and I went down to Ft. Lauderdale in Florida. He had a deposition to do, I went along for the ride. We spent a lot of time looking at the beach and Atlantic Ocean but not getting into it. The sand was too soft. We also spent a lot of time at the hotel pool, but didn't get into it either. There were too many kids.

However, we did avail ourselves to the bars and watched the USA-Ghana soccer game. Gotta say, still not a fan of the game.

We got back Saturday night, then on Sunday we hosted dinner for the European Marshall Memorial Fellows who came through Atlanta.

Each year, the US and Europe select 60 emerging leaders in the fields of business, philanthropy, politics, etc. under the age of 40 and send them on trips across the Atlantic to continue the bond the grew out of the Marshall Plan after World War II. I did my trip in 2007. In fact, I started in blog as a place to record my experience.

When I knew that the European fellows were coming through Atlanta this year, I immediately offered to host Sunday dinner. From my experience, I knew that there'd be little planned for them on Sunday, since most people aren't doing meetings on Sunday.

I also planned a home cooked meal, since the fellows are traveling for 3 weeks, eating out all the time. A home cooked meal's a nice change. The menu was:

chips and salsa
carrots, Wheat Thins, and onion soup dip w/sour cream
tossed salad with mandarin orange and boiled eggs
brown rice
baked chicken with potatoes, onions, and rutabagas, seasoned with Zatarain's cajun seasoning
for dessert: mini-pineapple cakes imported from Taiwan. They're like little fig newtons, but with pineapple centers.

Here they are, all busily eating. Interestingly, front and center in this pic are 2 lawyers: Husband in Atlanta, and Emrush from Kosovo. The other fellows are a Spanish economics professor, a Portugese media guy, and a German working for the Church on refugee issues. Two other European fellows didn't make it, including a Greek woman named Afroditi (isn't that cool?) who's early in her pregnancy, and another guy who was working.

The American fellows who came were my local city councilman who apparently has a day job, but I never hear him talking about it; and an IT venture capitalist (I think) but all I know is he volunteers to be the local host for the European fellows every year.

It was a busy but fulfilling long weekend. Tonight is the farewell dinner for the EMMFs as they move on to Cleveland.

Big Sister

2010-06-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Just signed up to be a Big Sister in the Big Brother Big Sister program. I have my interview on July 1.

My biological younger siblings are laughing their asses off. Not really.

Wish me luck.

I guess if this works out, I'll be writing about Sister, my biological sister, and Little Sister, the girl I get matched with.

Happy Birthday / Father's Day / World Refugee Day!

2010-06-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

Today is June 20.

In my family, it's Brother Two's birthday. He turns 33 today. Just found out it's also my friend D's birthday. She and Brother Two were born on the exact same day.

In the US, it's Father's Day. In Taiwan, Father's Day not until August 8. But I'll probably try calling my dad anyway.

And it's also World Refugee Day to bring attention to an incredibly vulnerable population of people. The United Nations defines refugees as people who are fleeing their home country due to being persecuted due to their race, religion, political beliefs, and membership in a social group.

From the United Nations High Commission on Refugees website:

UNHCR was set up in 1951 to help the estimated 1 million people still uprooted after World War II to return home. Since then, we have helped find durable solutions for tens of millions of refugees and they remain our core constituency.

The latest figures available show that the number of refugees of concern to UNHCR stood at 10.5 million refugees at the beginning of 2009, down 8 percent from a year earlier.

A further 4.7 million registered refugees are looked after in some 60 camps in the Middle East by United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which was set up in 1949 to care for displaced Palestinians.

The refugees of concern to UNHCR are spread around the world, with more than half in Asia and 22 percent in Africa. They live in widely varying conditions, from well-established camps and collective centres to makeshift shelters or living in the open.

More than half of all refugees of concern to UNHCR live in urban areas. They all face three possible solutions: repatriation; local integration or resettlement

There's a website with streaming video at to commemorate World Refugee Day at http://www.refugeedaylive.org/

The Kiss -- Adama and Roslin

2010-06-16T07:22:00.000-07:00

Watched BSG season 2.5 disc 1. Don't remember what the episode's called, but it ends with the tiniest of kisses between Roslin and Adama. I'm really looking forward to seeing how that relationship develops.

Also, I plan on watching the disc again with the commentary. I love the look on Lee Adama's face when he realizes how ruthless President Roslin can be.

Work is full of emotional highs and lows. We have a national training we're conducting where I'm supposed to be modeling women's leadership. Simultaneously I find out the day the training begins that my own leadership is being called into question.

The training has been wonderful and it's been 12 hour days since Saturday. So I'm taking tomorrow off to rewatch this BSG disc for the commentary. I also bought Leverage seasons 1 and 2, so will be watching those commentary too. Plus there are eps I haven't seen yet. I will be drooling over Eliot's hair.

Dreaming of a Russian River Cruise

2010-06-11T05:31:00.000-07:00

Recently I went to DC for a conference, again, and stayed with Sister, again. On Wed, we both took a vacation day and hung out.

The plan was to go to the botanical garden where she's getting married this fall, but it started raining, so we went to Fiber Space yarn shop, where I got the above:

Circular knitting needle case by Della Q

Sock Yarn by Miss Babs in the colorway Raven

I also got a itty bitty circular needle, just 9 inches long, size 2.5 mm. I could use them for socks, but probably will use them to knit stuffed snakes in the round.

Still working on the green shawl, on 2.5mm needles, so that's slow going, but portable and mindless. Perfect for watching the view go by as we go cruising down the Volga River for a month.

That's what Husband and I have been dreaming of for vacation. A river boat cruise, from Moscow to St. Petersburg for a month. Or from Singapore, through the islands of Malaysia and Indonesia, with stops in Australia and New Zealand.

That's not going to happen this year, nor next, but it's fun to dream about. More realistically we are looking at a 3 or 4 day cruise down the Hudson River from NYC to Montreal. Just sit, knit, and watch the world go by.

ETA: Work is incredibly stressful this week. There was a board meeting on Saturday where I was to be evaluated by the board of directors. That's always fun. Then they dropped the news that an anonymous complaint was lodged against me so they want 5 years worth of financials, reports, etc. Plus I feel like all they did was tell me what I did wrong, nothing about what I did right. Then after the meeting, we started a national training and I'm supposed to be all happy, encouraging and upbeat, after all that? I started e-mail all the requested stuff to the board chair and of course a lot is getting bounced back because her mailbox is full.

Good bye Cold Mountain

2010-06-02T07:02:00.000-07:00

The Cold Mountain Stole is kicking my butt. I've started it twice and keep miscounting.

It's really a very simple and logical pattern of zig zags. If you know how to read your knitting, it's easy to memorize and pick where ever you stop.

However, I have cast on, messed up, cast on again, messed up again.

I give up. I will use green Creatively Dyed yarn (very forgiving for all the knitting, ripping out, reknitting) to make a shawl inspired by The Fine Line by Grace Anna Farrow.

Specifically, I will use the construction of Dawn as the template:

Basically, I will cast on at the center top and knit a top down triangle until the tip and the hypoteneuse are as long as I like. Then knit out the wings on the bias until the wingspan is what I like.

The green yarn is varigated so I think it would work with this simple construction.

And there's no lace.

Video "Holding Out for a Browncoat Hero"

2010-05-28T12:01:00.000-07:00

Just found this video of our Big Damn Heroes, set to "Holding Out for a Hero" by Bonnie Tyler. I didn't realize Inara had so many action sequences.

Video found via this article at Wired which referenced a Romance Writers of America conference workshop that offered Whedon's work as template for romances.

The Value of a Hand Knit Baby Blanket

2010-05-26T07:42:00.000-07:00

Last year, at Husband's request, I knit a baby blanket for a client of his. She was expecting her first grandson or something like that. Anyway, he was trying to curry favor so she'd keep sending business his way.

Apparently her daughter loved is so much, she's asked if I would make another one. She said she would pay for supplies and my time and of course if I couldn't she'd understand too.

This is my reply to my husband:
These are the specs on the blanket I made for Client's grandson last year. I record all the details of my knitting projects at Ravelry.com, which is how I am able to calculate the following.

Yarn:
(8 skeins Bernat Cotton Tots yarn x $4) + (1 ball Knitpicks Cotton Solid x $3.50) + (3 skeins Omega Sinfonia cotton yarn x $5.50) + (1 skein Tahki Stacy Charles Cotton Classic x $6) = $54.
Shipping and handling for mail ordered yarn and mileage for store-bought yarn not included.
All machine washable and machine dryable yarn for easy care by busy parents.

Other supplies:
Knitting needle: Clover Bamboo Circular needles, US size 11, 36" = $12
Crochet hook: Boye Aluminum crochet hook size N = $2.25

Time:
Design time: Time spent looking over patterns, selecting yarn, deciding on what to make: 2 hrs

Preparation time: actually going to the stores to buy the yarns or order on-line. The yarns came from Michael's Arts and Crafts, Hobby Lobby and Needlenook in Atlanta and Knitpicks: 4 hrs.

Began actual knitting: January 27 2009
Completed February 26 2009
Estimate that I knit on it 1.5 hours a day (I knit at least an hour each night and I'd say 4 hours each weekend day, so we'll average it to 1.5 hours a day.)
Time: 6 hrs + (31 days x 1.5hrs) = 52.5 hours

Labor and value-added: 52.5 hours x $10 = $525
mileage not included

Total value of the blanket: $593.25

Look this over. If you think Client would be willing to pay me $593.25 for a baby blanket, I would be more than happy to take her commission. It would most like take more time to make this blanket because I imagine there would be a lot more back and forth as I look over possible patterns and yarns, send her the pictures for her approval or not, and so on until she and I agree on a pattern and colors.

If not, she can browse through Etsy.com for handmade items. This is the link for handknit baby blankets specifically: http://www.etsy.com/category/knitting/blanket/baby. Not all of the sellers will note what the material is made of, so it may be easy care cotton, cheapo acrylic (read: plastic), or hand wash wool.

Another option for handmade goods: Beehive Cooperative http://www.beehiveco-op.com/groupings/atlanta.asp

I am going to guess you will tell her that I am busy working on other projects right now and won't be able to do it. But please do tell her I'm glad her daughter enjoys the blanket I did make for her first child.

We'll see what he does.

ETA: Husband will tell Client I'm too busy now.

Cold Mountain Update

2010-05-25T06:39:00.000-07:00

Somewhere along the way I put in an extra yarn over in my second repeat. Of course I didn't put in any lifelines. I'm also concerned that it's not going to stretch enough to be wide enough.

I'm contemplating starting over with a needle one size up. Or starting over on the Cheshire Cat stole from Purlescense UK.

And despite all that I wrote a month ago about Doctor Who, I haven't watched it since. It's got just a bit more cheese factor than I can take. The Doctor's just a bit too manic for me.

Cold Mountain shawl

2010-05-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Progress picture of my Cold Mountain Shawl from Knitty Summer 2009. I've done just one repeat of the first part of the chart on Chart A.

Close up of the yarn,Waterfalls laceweight in the colorway River, by Creatively Dyed Yarns.

I got it at Stitches South. It was between this green colorway or another one with yellows, white, and blues, a color combo I love. However, I thought the green would be more versatile.

I love how this ball, half the skein, looks like a planet in space. So round, so green, against the black of the sofa, like space. I've been watching Battlestar Galactica DVDs and watched an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation right before bed, so I may have space on the mind.

The lace pattern is very easy and geometric. I'm planning on giving it to either my mother-in-law. She's not a frilly lace person so I thought a simpler, more geometric pattern would fit. Plus her favorite colors are taupe and cornflower blue, so this green should complement that well.

I know lace stretches a lot after blocking, but so far it seems really small and my m-i-l is rather large, so she may end up using it more as a scarf than a shawl.

I made my mother a shawl last year and coincidentally, it was also green. It was the Wool Peddler Shawl, posted here.

Craft, Inc.

2010-05-16T10:32:00.000-07:00

I am reading Craft, Inc.: Turn Your Creative Hobby into a Business by Meg Mateo Ilasco. Title is pretty self explanatory.

It's always been that I earned a living doing social activism, social change work and did art and craft on the side as a hobby. However, I always struggled with trying to find a way to make both work. 10 years ago when I was in graduate school, I remember talking about that in an anthropology class.

Now with the rise of Etsy.com and a resurgence in handcraft marketplace, there are lots of people making money from what used to be a hobby. It's something that I want to look into. However I have my reservations. If this is really going to be a business, how much time will I be able to spend on each piece, how much can I price that for in order for it to sell, and how long before I could make a profit and not just cover costs?

At work, one of our programs is helping refugee women start their own businesses. We have workshops on cash flow, marketing, pricing, writing business plans, etc. Many want to sell their handcrafts but it's a struggle. If you're making handwoven totebags, how do you compete with $5 totebags sold in Walmart, made from sweatshop labor in China?

Granted, part of the marketing in knowing who to market to: people who understand or value hand-made items, and not just having the item. Hence the rise of Etsy and resurgence of handcraft fairs.

So what would my business be? I'm thinking handmade prints. They're easy to produce, unlike knitted goods which take forever. They're easy to mail, unlike pottery, which is heavy and take a long time to produce. And they're easy to reproduce. Once I have the linoleum cut, it's a matter of inking up and printing on paper.

Currently, I thinking about a name and website domain name. The one I'm thinking of is not taken and I'm considering registering for them now, just to make sure I have them before someone else takes them. However, I don't know that I really want to use my name (initials, really) for my business.

Plus there's the fact that I have not really done the research to see if this is a viable business idea or just idle dabbling because I want to leave my day job. Not that I would leave my day job until this printmaking business started turning a profit.

So I will finish reading this book, continue with my printmaking class, develop a print-style and a portfolio of linocuts. Afterall, I should probably see if I can do the production part of the business. Then develop a budget and business plan. Preliminarily I think I would sell through Etsy and do the production work on the weekends and maybe a Wed night.

All this while working a day job in a down market, trying to sell a house in a down market and then trying to adopt a kid after the house is sold. And still have time for a husband, who's the most wonderful guy in the world.

Also, just found this page on how to calculate profits on Etsy.

Museums of DC

2010-05-14T06:21:00.000-07:00

This week I've been away at a conference about small businesses and as conferences go, it was fine. It was held in DC and so I stayed with Sister which was great, and I saw a good friend from college. I'll be back in a few weeks for another conference and will stay with her again.

Smithsonian Museums visited:
American Art Museum and the Renwick Gallery -- I've been there before but saw only half. Loved the Luce Foundation Center for American Art there. It's like sampling almost every kind of American art throughout time, from folk art to Art, from all regions and times and many kinds of mediums.
National Museum of the American Indian -- the cafeteria's really unique in that you can sample Native American food from the different regions of the country. The only exhibit I saw was "IndiVisible: African-Native American Lives in the Americas" about the interrelations between people of African descent and Native Americans in North and South America. I loved the pictures of the multiracial families, all captioned "These people belong to each other." And the exhibit included discussion about Loving v. Virginia, which allowed people of different races to marry each other. That ruling is so very important to me, because with out it, Husband and I wouldn't be able to marry.

Other museums:
National Gallery of Art, East Wing: I go there everytime. Mainly because it's the wing with the contemporary art, and it's the wing closest to Sister's work place when we go into the city together.
US Botanic Garden: No, I did not misspell that. Check the link. Went there for the first time this trip.

I was going to walk from Sister's office to Stitch DC but as I passed the US Botanic Garden, I thought a)I've never been here and I like gardening, so I should stop in; b)it's free and it's right here; and c)I really, really don't need to buy any more yarn.

Inspired by the color combos I saw in at the Botanic, I'm going to try making something with silver-grey and tangerine orange.

Friday's Rose

2010-05-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

I love how the edges of the rose are turning purple, echoing the purple petunias.

The rose is called Chrysler Imperial. Yes, corporate sponsorship extends to plants.

Dr. Who getting more interesting

2010-04-30T08:18:00.000-07:00

I have not been a Dr Who fan. It's just been a bit too campy for me. Torchwood, I liked better. However, being a sci fi fan, I am aware of the show, the various Doctors and companions, and have seen some episodes with Rose, Martha, and Donna.

In my search for more sci fi to watch -- I have blankets to crochet! TV is best companion for that -- I've been watching the new Dr. Who season. And have to say I may actually make this appointment TV.

I liked Amy right away but need more time for Matt Smith as the Doctor to warm up to. Liked ep 2 "The Beast Below" and Liz 10 and the whole idea of having the countries fly in space and the social control aspect of protesting and controlling. The ending was a bit twee but overall, it may be the episode that turns me into a DW fan.

Then on io9.com today I read this:

Amy's Choice, ep 7: It's been five years since Amy Pond last travelled with the Doctor, and when he lands in her garden again, on the eve of the birth of her first child, she finds herself facing a heartbreaking choice – one that will change her life for ever.

I love this concept. I imagine this is what happens: Amy goes traveling with the Doctor and has great adventures. Then she comes back to Leadworth, marries Rory as planned, lives her life with Rory and then periodically goes of with the Doctor, but comes back to resume her life with Rory.

It's like she gets to hit the pause button on her real life, goes off to have this exciting parallel life with the Doctor, comes back to Leadworth, un-pauses and resumes her real life. Don't we all wish we could do that? But we can't so escape into hobbies and entertainment. I love the meta-ness of it, if that's what's going on.

However apparently in ep 7 Amy's 2 lives collide. It'll be really interesting to see what happens.

Again, not a Whovian, but this is a new tack for the Companions, right? Rose Tyler separates from the Doctor because something happened that they have to live in separate alternate universes. Kind of like Lyra and Will at the end of the Golden Compass trilogy. Broke my heart. Hope I didn't spoil that for anyone. However I saw an ep where she came back and warned Donna Noble... Still, Rose: one linear life. As linear as things go in Whoverse.

Martha Jones goes to work for UNIT and continues this world-saving work. Goes to Torchwood occasionally. Martha: one linear life

Captain Jack goes to Torchwood and continues this world-saving work. Okay, man who can never die, old as dirt, and Timelord who can never die. Why are they not a couple? Capt Jack and Capt John were for years. I want to see the eps that have Jack and the Doctor and see that arc play out. Netflix here I come. Jack: one linear life

Donna Noble levels up to awesome and part Timelord, then has her memory of it all wiped. Talk about a reset button. Donna: one linear life

So as far as I know, this is the first time with the modern era of Dr Who that the companion gets parallel lives. Looking forward to seeing how it plays out.

And given that Amy's Choice apparently involves children, I'll probably watch Amy's choice thinking of Torchwood: Children of Earth.

Crochet lace

2010-04-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

I have it in my head to make a crochet lace something from the green laceweight yarn, colorway River, I got from Creativelydyed.net. It's 1300 yards of fine yarn.

I tried knitting shawls like Clapotis but the yarns kind of splitty. And I'm just in a crocheting mood. Still working on the crochet stripey blanket, but have new yarn, must play with it now!

I've started a Swiss cheese scarf from the red/orange/yellow, colorway Earthbirth, Lisa Souza sock yarn.