Oops, I knit it again ...

(I titled this post in honor of my dear friend Felicia who has a thing for Britney Spears and who is responsible for this hat and scarf idea. Love you, Felicia.)

We recently went to see our aunt and uncle in New Bern, NC. Aunt Sis has been crocheting for years, and she started knitting more recently. She has a favorite yarn store in downtown New Bern and took me there.

It was amazing. I really only get to shop at large craft stores like AC Moore and Michael's, and when I'm lucky, Hobby Lobby. This place in New Bern was like heaven. Take a look.

Rows and rows of the most beautiful yarns!

I won't say how much money I spent in here, but my prizes are magnificent. I would have bought more if I weren't allergic to so many types of wools. I also prefer heavier weight yarns, so I admire the fingering weight and take the chunky home. Like everything else with me, I get carried away with color and texture in all its forms.

Anyway, I just finished a hat and scarf set from a skein of the yarn I bought in NC. The yarn itself is Plymouth Yarn brand. it's a bulky weight acrylic/wool blend that was made in Turkey. This is a variegated strand of blues, greens and purples. It's more subtle than the colors I usually choose, but I felt it soothing.

I went with two very simple designs. The hat is not my own pattern, but since it had no other name, I call it the 2-hour hat for the time it's supposed to take to make it. It took me more like 3, but I get distracted easily. It's straight stockinette stitch, thus the rolled edge. For once, I managed to make it the size for a normal human's head! The scarf is a simple knit one, purl one. The first two and last two rows are 26 stitches each. All of the middle rows are 13 stitches each. It's one of those fashionable skinny ones. The resulting pattern from the variegation looks kinda scaly to me. Cool.

Wow. There's just no other word for it.

OK, coaster freaks, you are NOT going to want to miss this one. It's one of the few things in our world of over-hyped madness that lives up to its name. It's Kings Dominion's Intimidator 305, the only roller coaster of its kind on the East Coast, only the second "giga-coaster" in North America.

I've ridden my share of roller coasters, but when my friend Felicia, her daughter Bryton and Bry's friend Claire went to the park on Memorial Day, we experienced a ride like I've never taken before.

The Intimidator is named after Dale Earnhart and has a NASCAR theme. Entering the ride there is all sorts of information about Dale, NASCAR and the coaster. There are even multiple warnings that the ride can hurt or even kill you. All part of the show, right? Most of the rides in the park have some version of the warning, but they were really driving the point home with this one. I chuckled a bit at the marketing that must be behind it all. Then, I got on.

Good Lord!

The positive and negative "G" forces at play on this ride are not for the faint of heart, and I mean that literally. When I got off the coaster, the pressure in my chest wasn't unlike a panic attack. Hills, twists, turns, upside-down craziness, it's all here. The ride was physically challenging. Even bigger is the mental challenge of getting on in the first place. What a rush. The 305' drop at the beginning took my breath away. Just when your body thinks it's time to level out, you keep falling. Then, you feel the momentum and force like running into a wall.

It's a 3-minute ride that reaches speeds of around 90mph. It was the 4th coaster of the day for us, and the only one that left my mind scrambled. I wasn't sure if I liked it. It took 45 minutes for my chest to feel normal again and a few hundred yards before I was sure of my legs again.

Yeah, I liked it. Up hill, breathe in, down hill, breathe out. It was exhilarating and at the same time more relaxing than yoga. I slept like a baby last night.

My "Red" Dress

There are a couple of reasons for this post. I would have written this post anyway because it's my anniversary. Then, I read a blog post by a phenomenal woman known as "The Bloggess." She is funny, smart and irreverent. I can really relate to her to put it lightly. To fully get this post, you'll need to read hers. It would be totally worth it anyway.

Two years ago today, hubby and I tied the knot. We'd been dating for more than five years, and we'd been friends for ten. Needless to say, we got a lot of, "It's about time."

Well, when the time came, hubby and I had a few rules, the most important of which was it was going to be our time.

Before getting engaged myself, I'd been involved in more weddings than I can remember. I'd seen just about every kind of bride, wedding disaster or family issue, and I had decided a long time ago that when my time came, I wasn't going to freak out, spend a fortune or let anyone ruin the day.

Right after getting engaged, an over-zealous co-worker gave me a panic attack thinking about playing "pretty, pretty princess" in front of a bunch of people. As many weddings/events as I'd ever done, I'd never been the center of attention at one. Dear God, I lost it. That's when the "rules" started.

1. I will not wear a white dress -- or anything in the white family for that matter.
2. I will not get married in a church.
3. Jesus is not invited to the wedding (i.e. A judge will be doing the honors, not a minister, and he won't be talking about Jesus either.).
4. Any family, friend or random passerby that starts anything will immediately be forcibly removed.
5. If the rules aren't taken seriously, we'll elope to Vegas, get married by Elvis and send everyone postcards from our honeymoon.

Most people understood. Joe and I are both known for doing things our own way, and no one doubted we'd elope in two seconds. My mom asked if it was OK if God was mentioned in the ceremony, and I conceded on that and even agreed to let someone sing the Lord's Prayer at the wedding because she loves it so much. (This would be the biggest mistake of my life if it didn't end up being so fucking funny we still hyperventilate laughing at it.)

Our bridal party was relatively small, and we didn't want anything fancy. Since I'd be the one wearing the color in the wedding, I considered making the bridesmaids wear some shade of white, but hubby said wearing a khaki suit in his own wedding wasn't what he had in mind, so the boys wore traditional black tuxes and the girls wore charcoal gray with cream accents. We bought straight ties from Vineyard Vines with each groomsman having his own pattern that fit his personality. Hubby's was pale pink with green shamrocks. I picked the color, fabric and designer for the bridesmaids, but told them to pick whatever dress within those parameters they wanted. They'd be in it all day, so what did I care. I'd rather them be comfortable. My sisters wanted to go barefoot -- fine -- and the other two bridesmaids wore flip-flops -- sure.

As for me, I wore red. Well, I believe they called it "Poppy."

One of Hubby's aunts suggested at a shower that I might want to have paramedics at the wedding in case any of the older guests were so shocked at my choice they went into cardiac arrest. Ha!

We got married at my Dado's house under the big tree in the back yard. Two days before the wedding, an 8-foot long snake was hanging out, wrapped tightly around a limb right over our heads. (In case you haven't read my 10 things page, I am more afraid of snakes than anything in the world.) Thus making my Uncle Preston my hero for the rest of my life because he showed up and shot the snake. Best. Wedding. Present. Ever.

My sisters got into a wrestling match at the rehearsal. (Sorry, no picture of that.) I did ask the two groomsmen who are legally certified -- one is legally obligated -- to carry a weapon to please shoot either of my sisters if they behaved that way during the ceremony.

The morning of the wedding, I found out the people who were supposed to do my hair and makeup weren't coming. Now, I'm a pretty cool customer, and there are few things I can't figure out, but "hair" isn't something I do. Panic. I present exhibit A.

Luckily, a good friend came to my rescue! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Jen! She did a beautiful job with very few tools to work with. I don't even own a curling iron or hairspray. OK, so Jen is a miracle worker.

I could work out the makeup part. I went to art school and figured it couldn't be any harder than painting. I also had my friend Alison there to direct, thankfully, or I wouldn't have had nearly enough on. I was convinced I'd end up looking like a hooker in my wedding pictures, but Alison was right.

Just before I came out dressed and ready, my aunt brought in a pan of brownies she'd made for me. It was just what I needed!

My mom had not handled the rehearsal well. We didn't have the usual procession for the wedding. I had my parents walk down together just before me. I couldn't stand the idea of being given away. Getting married doesn't mean you lose your family. I see it more as growing. I wanted to walk down the aisle TO my family, my new family that includes my husband. When it came time for them to walk down the aisle in rehearsal, mom got to the back row of chairs and did an about-face like no other! I caught her, turned her around and sent her right back down. The day of the wedding she seemed entirely to calm. I found out later why ...

We didn't have the usual music for the wedding either. I walked down the aisle to Coldplay's Fix You. Not knowing what the song was about, the lyrics would sound a little morbid for a wedding, but I found an instrumental version (I think it was for karaoke!). It was perfect. As I've said, being the center of attention isn't comfortable for me. I have no problem speaking in front of a group, giving presentations, directing an event, but just walking along with everyone staring, standing in front hoping I get my "lines" right. I could have panicked. I looked toward the front for Hubby and couldn't see him for all the standing guests. I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, listened to my song and remembered this was OUR day.

Just as the drums started at the last segment, I stood up straight and stepped off the back patio. I walked tall and proud in my red dress and custom-made converse. The rock-n-roll bride. The song played; I breathed deeply, and the joy washed over me like waves. It was surreal. I'd never imagined myself getting married. I was convinced no one would ever love me that much. But there he was, waiting for me under the tree. I was elated (and comfortable).

I got to be me.

I was happy.

I wore red.

It was the happiest day of my life.

And they lived happily ever after.

I work too much

Hubby and I were supposed to be on our way to North Carolina for a long weekend, but I'm sitting in my living room watching NCIS. Don't get me wrong; I love NCIS, but I'm ready for a break. I didn't get one this week, especially today. I was really looking forward to heading out of town.

We'll leave first thing in the morning. I'm off Monday and Tuesday (possibly the 2 worst days in history for me to be out). I'm not working on our anniversary. I work enough.

There's no profound thought here. Just truth.

Mount St. Helens Eruption: National Geographic Marks Its 30th Anniversary

I wasn't even 5 years old when Mount St Helens blew, but I remember it so clearly. I remember watching it on TV. My most vivid memory is of an interview with an old man who'd lived on the mountain all his life, and he refused to leave his home because of the danger. He was one of the casualties. I remember thinking there had to be something wrong with him to stay there when that mountain was going to kill him. I can't believe it's been 30 years.

It amazing to see the pictures of the recovering ecosystem. Life truly does find a way.
Read the Article at HuffingtonPost

I yam what I yam

Ever feel like you just can't get it right? Yeah, me too. Even better for me ... I've had help.

I've always been a little different from the other kids; I have my own drum, thank you very much. I'm not ashamed of it, but it'll definitely mess with your head from time to time, especially when someone starts chirping in your ear that different is wrong.

Recently, I realized just how much damage I'd let someone in a position of power, someone who presented herself as a mentor, damage my sense of self.

Yes, I can be a little rough around the edges. I'm a straight shooter. I prefer to deal with things head on. I've learned a softer touch and a bit of diplomacy, but I'm still opinionated and I still tell it like it is. If I'm wrong, I take it back and do what I can to make it right.

Here's the big secret: There's nothing wrong with that -- or me.

I've learned a valuable lesson. The next time someone offers to help me "grow," I'll be much more likely to question whether their so-called improvements are to help me be a better me or just more like them.

So the next time you start to question yourself or have a little bird in your ear, remember, my fellow percussionists, what Popeye says, "I yam what I yam." And take it from me, that's all you need to be.

Something new

Saw this quote on Twitter today, and it sums up my feelings for knowledge.

Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This past weekend, I learned quite a bit at the nursery picking out plants for the front yard. Whether or not I can keep any of them alive has yet to be seen, but we'll do what we can. Sometimes I think the greatest thing I could do to protect nature is to stop buying plants!

I've bought a new paint set and some canvases and will be painting again soon. It's only through interpreting what you see into an image of your own that you learn to see what's really there. I'm going to try my hand at Japanese brush art, too. I was never very good at watercolors, so I'm hoping I've learned more patience at this point in my life.

On the technical side, I'm still working at PHP and XML, though I don't have as much time for it. I've gotten to play with JavaScript lately, and that's always fun to explore. So much versatility there! I'm learning some of the more advanced features of SaxoTech, creating widgets in Flash and organizing the site structure for another site redesign.


Right now, I'm going to go study the backs of my eyelids after a few pages of my latest read, "Lost in a Good Book." It's the second Thursday Next novel.


Old Ralph was definitely on to something. What have you learned lately?