There have been phone calls but not the right one! Alas, and it turns out Naughty Needles is on the way! Yeah! It's been posted so hopefully won't be far off arriving now.
I can't wait!

There's a special something I have in mind to make and I have been poking about the net for yarn sources and substitutions. Starting something else? But of course!
It's needling away at my brain and needs to be created. I can't rest until it is done! That and the other 50 things going on in there.

Anyway it's back to James Bond, tonight is You Only Live Twice, last night I had From Russia With Love. I like the old Bonds, as much as I enjoyed the latest Casino Royale, as an action movie you couldn't fault it, it was brilliant! But as a Bond film, I wanted gadgets, girls, those predictable but cheesy one liners!
Granted there have been lasers and sharks, but alas no sharks with lasers attached to their heads....A lot of white cats. Look! I say to the Daft White Cat! I could rent you out to movie makers, earn your keep boy! He doesn't seem keen, unless chasing his tail is a sign of enthusiasm.

Whoo Hooo!!

I have been doing some minor celebrating, only minor there was no booze so not a major celebration yet. Everything is still under my hat, I am waiting for final phone calls before I dance naked down the street in the rain.

I have been working on a special something for Miss Stash, I have knitted it up, taken it back, knitted it up, taken it back, knitted it up, taken it back, etc etc....
Now I am about to take it back again because there is not enough stitches again, there is either two many or not enough. Getting the right number and adjusting the design slightly to fit occupied me for hours yesterday.

Speaking of Miss Stash, we have done some book shopping, I have ordered Pretty in Punk and Charmed Knits from Amazon, while Miss Stash ordered far more sensible books.

Cruising around the net in my pirate ship, I stumbled upon this picture! How awe inspiring is that?? I so have to make one myself.

What else? I'm still organising for Alice, what will I wear? Choosing the optimum shoes is going to be essential, after last year, I may avoid heels. I was discussing the concert with Miss Stash who told me rock concerts where the sort of thing you should go in a group too. Very wise, alas I have no Alice friends! Not yet, anyway, I may have to organise to sit with the other odd bods this year, I'm sure they would have appreciated the Devil Hat last time.

I'm working my way through James Bond series, I've had Dr No, Goldfinger and Thunderball. I've also jumped a head slightly and had a couple of Roger Moore's - Octopussy and Live and Let Die. And that bloke who only did one, he was a model or something? On Her Majesty's Service? I've also seen the original Casino Royale which was a spoof. Absolutely mad cap, I recognized a few faces (mostly from the Pink Panther series).

Now I need to go back to in between Dr No and Goldfinger, there was From Russia With Love and after Thunderball was ??? I might need to check on that.
But it has proved an invaluable time for knitting, I may have to take this opportunity to finish my cloud hat in progress for Mongolia.

OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it possible lightening can strike in the same spot more than once??? Well there was a poor guy in the USA who was a park ranger, he was also a bit of a human lightening conductor. The guy got zapped a dozen times in his life, granted not always in the same place. But the poor soul commited suicide in the end.

The knitting powers that be, have streamlined something into my brain, but for the time being I am keeping it under my hat. And it's not just for Alice, it's for Awesome! But it shall remain under my hat until a future date, to make sure everything goes as planned - who knows I could end up with a three armed sweater a la Morticia Adams yet.

Oooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You would not believe blah de blah, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah - to cut a long story short is anyone free for dinner next week????

If so drop me a line to my inbox, you should all have my e-mail address. I can't believe it! Anyway I have to get back to the knitting, I've finished a Hurry Up Spring Armwarmer to the start of the thumb. It's almost done, I hope to get it done tonight.

Then look out for - the second mitten to match the first I made in Hobart, it is started and I knitted the first in a night.
- The second gauntlet from the very first Vogue Knit 1.
- Finally finishing the Glove of Doom and making him a sidekick.
- The second Bowhunter! (Still have to block the first but still.....)
- And of course a second HUSA!

The socks sit sneering at me, but I am ignoring them. Rude childish things they are. They just have to wait for me, I am very into hands at the moment, kind of like that weird cowboy guy was into sisters in Practical Magic - while as enthusiastic not as kinky!
I hope.

Is that a sock I see before me????

I have gone so off knitted socks I never want to see one again, which is why I am glad upon seeing Magknits latest issue there are no socks, but also not a lot else. However I am pleased to see another bag form bags pattern. I accumulate plastic bags somehow. I refuse them, take my own but still.....

My lack of ambition for socks left me a little disappointed there was still some Knittery colours I wanted to try out.
I have a few colours in mind and am seriously thinking of building a bridge to Sock Land and making the new ones in Yarn. Make them less cutesy with an appropriate colour choice. And maybe then we can continue peace negations.

Now something else that tickled my fancy in Yarn was the wimple! What is with that? I am deeply in love with the Cathedral Window Shawl, now if only I wasn't so fickle in love, but I highly doubt I have the commitment at this point in time to settle down for life.

I was thinking about a devil hat and I remembered I had some beads left from when I did the Rowan beaded bag, and wondered if perhaps a beaded wristwarmer might have been quicker???
And I had a thought about bowling bags, which it I admit took me a back a bit when I saw it in the Anticraft - I mean a bowling bag in Anticraft????
I remembered late last night Mystery Men starring Janeanne Garofalo (one of my fave actresses) who played the Bowlers daughter, she had his head put into a bowling ball - well he was the Bowler I suppose.

Anyway I'm off m\for my veg time, I am going to put some CSI on and sit and think about nothing. I think I might actually have tomorrow all to myself! I'm looking forward to that.

It's Alive! It's Alive!

A new AntiCraft! Excuse me while I touch the sky!

While I was impressed to no end, there was pause for concern. One of their projects had me alarmed - a bowling bag????????????
Oh dear........

But being a bit of a bag whore myself I was otherwise well pleased with the offerings. And as for the Blood Orange Cake, it makes me think of something Nigella would almost make. No, I take that back, proably would. After all this woman brought us Slut Red Raspberries!

And do you what else is wonderful? Alice Cooper is coming to my home town again! He'll be here in July. Oh I can't wait, I've been meaning to knit a devil hat from Domiknitrix, maybe I can get one done in time? Hmmmm...

Speaking of Domiknitrix, she got reviewed in the latest Yarn magazine. Wasn't particulary flattering, let the record show I thought it was a most excellent book! Not only that I know at least one other knitter upon seeing it was inspired to go out and get it.
They also reviewed Naughty Needles! I'm keen to get my cold large claws on a copy of this. I ordered one and now am waiting impatiently for it to arrive.

Yee ha!

I don't normally do CSI New York, but when I heard the legendary Suicide Girls were in this episode I had to watch!
Not as much as I would have hoped for. But still it was nice to see them out somewhere else. But CSI New York was fitting I suppose since New York is home to Coney Island!

I've been meaning to check out Knitty for the last couple of days, the e-mail landed in my Inbox and the promise of a knitted parasol had me sorely tempted. It's the kind of quirky thing I'd like to knit.

Speking of quirky I do believe the new Anticraft should be up this week! I am so looking forward to that, it is what the world of knitting has badly needed - a total VAMP!!!!!

Hubble Bubble!

I had planned to have the day to myself, but the best laid plans never seem to pan out how I expect. However I got to make a batch of Potato and Leek Soup in the Slow Cooker today so not a total loss.

Tomorrow is Pumpkin Soup, a new recipe as well! And a Tuna Slice I have had the recipe knocking about for absolutely ages.

I stumbled upon a recipe for Pumpkin Scones I have also been saving for ages and one I forgot I had, Raspberry Scones. Which prompted a discussion with Sandra D about what I consider to be a old wives tale, scone makers are born not made.
Now I think this a load of old carpet! Scones like anything else you cook, provided you make the time and effort to do it right, you should get at least edible results every time if not always picture perfect. There's a lot of bad cooking going on out there, so is it good cooks are born not made? Or is it simply everybody has the potential to be a good cook should they make an effort?????

Sideshow again tonight, I can't last week's totally inspired me. But it was the first I suppose. New Tricks I also see is being repeated, I am a little disappointed it's not a new season.
Tomorrow is another day so we shall see what it brings. I've already got my jobs mentally lined up for tomorrow. Chiefly washing should the weather be nice, and plenty of other things if I put my mind to it, and there should be time while the soups practically cooking itself!

Wednesday was Anzac Day. Yesterday I went to a funeral, realised I had no idea what the Lord's Prayer was (Note to self - no Lord Prayer at own funeral.).
And today I had a doctor's appointment but on the upside it seems I am in fact still alive and haven't unknowingly slipped into the land of the undead. Very satisfying I think. This afternoon I finally got to see the Queen with Helen Mirren. It was a good movie, Helen Mirren was excellent. But it seemed to focus on the Royal Fmaily through the whole Diana period. It was a very serious watch.

I watched Hoodwinked yesterday, I loved it. It was very very funny! Tonight I find out how good The Stepford Wives (remake with Nicole Kidman) is. And just in case I am soooooooooo inspired to be all I can be and so very very much more, I may have to take up some of this advice!

Yesterday I made Curried Meatballs for dinner, and today I made Chicken and Corn Soup in the slow cooker. It was really good! I'm looking forward to making that again sometime soon.

My next goal is to start organising my photos, I need to get an album for them. I don't really do photos. I'm not one of these have them put on display all the time. I just don't see the point, all they do is gather dust and make more housework then! But I have them floating loose in boxes and drawers, so it's about time I did something with them.

In answer to Amanda's question I'm going to give a shameless plug to My Pumpkin Soup recipe, not only is it easy it's tasty and even Miss Stash who doesn't like soup will eat it!

Made the Slow Cooked Chicken again today from Punk Rock Domestics, that I can see will become a firm fave. I also whipped up a batch of scones, the recipe was called the Best Ever Cafe Scones and my word they were good! So light, and not at all floury. They were really good with some homemade raspberry jam and topped off with some whipped cream.

Haven't got Nigella's Chocolate Fruit cake made yet, I had hoped to try it today but I just couldn't fit it in time. So that is waiting for another day along with a Thai curry, marinara sauce from the Oxygen mag, Tofu and Veg Satay and self saucing choc pudding in my slow cooker. And some Chicken and Corn Soup also in the slow cooker, must look the recipe out before the end of the week, because I am hoping to make it by then.

What I need to post the recipes for is the Boiled Fruit Cake I made the other week, Beefburger Risotto! How long have I been meaning to post that?? I still have to try the Bolagnaise sauce, but I will put the scone recipe up for anyone who is interested. I am very into food at the moment I find I am a little more in the right mood to actually enjoy cooking, I love cooking. It is one of my fave things to do, but some times your so frazzled or so annoyed you end up eating toast or possibly just bread depending on what kind of day it was.

I love cooking! I've been doing it since I was very young, and I suppose it then could have gone one of two ways, I would hate it and never do it again. Or I would develop a unyielding passion for it! Fortunately it's been the last. I owe a lot of that inspiration to my grandparents and the many school holidays spent with them, usually a certain portion would be spent in the kitchen which was always exciting. Things like Tea Cake and Choc Chip Biscuits were pretty standered, occasionally Rock Cakes, probably the chocolate slice we always had and the good old slab cake!
What fascinated me most was watching my grandfather making bread, he usually did a loaf but occasionally he would make it into a plait.

We hit the video store yesterday to look for something to watch this afternoon after lunch, tried to convince Sandra D and Miss Stash that Hoodwinked should be funny - they weren't convinced. I think I might rent it when I return Ultraviolet (with Milla J!) for myself.
If you look at the spectrum as Do you want to do the job properly or just look nice? I'd put Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Garner closer towards the "looking nice" side of the spectrum. Milla is very ordinary looking in comparsion to these absolutely stunning women but when it comes to pulling off an action flick. It reminds me more of those guns blazing-buildings exploding-macho men action flicks I grew up with. I know where Bruce Willis is, and Arnold. And Sly pops up in the most unexpected places. But what ever happened to Dolph Ludgren? Jean-Claude Van Damme (who admittedly seemed to get a better run than Dolph)? Don "The Dragon" Wilson?
Eddie Murphy went from Beverly Hills Cop to Dr Doolittle! Mel Gibson went form Mad Max to ?????? Am I the only one who thinks since he decided to make the Passion of Christ he's been sightly odd???? The Rock! Who I adore, the man is gorgeous! But up until Doom he seemed to do well, but everybody I suppose makes a dog of a movie somewhere along the line. Then they tried to flog it in two pack with Serenity! Which while not as good as the TV show, further disappointed me when we finally saw the Reavers (big bad madmen of space), how unscary where they???

I am disappointed, very very disappointed! Action heroes have all gotten old and retired, and the villains are getting lame! An unwashed horde that looks like it could be easily conquered provided you stood upwind of them and blasted them with a fire hose just doesn't cut it. However I do like suits working for sinister corporations especially when they secretly cook up some bio weapon that gets loose and everything goes very very very wrong!

Anyway enough of my disappointment, while in the video store there was a sale on, so I ended up getting a couple of new DVDs. Shirley Valentine (I love this movie! Sometimes do what you want as opposed to what you should can be the right thing.) and that classic Dirty Dancing - oh how this takes me back! I got to rent it for my birthday when I was about 10, I think it was.
I've also got on loan from Miss Stash CSI Season 4! Which is very exciting. Hopefully I can watch some more tonight.

Cup of tea time I think. And the Daft White Cat apparently wants something??? What do you want??? The silence is deafening!

Best Laid Plans!

My Saturday did bot go at all how I planned, it became rather stressful and I had to come home and lie down for an hour in a quiet dark room to get over it.

I cooked something and was about to tell you about it, but it's gone! I'm making the Slow Cooked Chicken again on Wednesday, or the Drunken Chook as Sandra D likes to call it. I leave her unsupervised....Miss Stash was supposed to be watching her, a dash of Marsala says the recipe. And how much did she put in???? Drunken Chook?
Beef Stroganoff! That's what I made Friday in the slow cooker, Sandra D made corned beef in it Thursday and Miss Stash has not stopped eating the corned beef since, it turns out Mr Naughty also likes corned beef...

Anyway the stroganoff turned out well, dished up and then remembered I had forgot to put the sour cream in before serving, just dolloped it on to people's plates and they had to mix it in themselves. It worked, it tasted fabulous!

It turned out Sandra D did have a copy of the Margaret Fulton Crock Pot recipe book as I said, then she discovered she had two copies! So one has actually made it home with me, how exciting is this I can ring her up and we can both look at our books together and have consultations. Thanks to Sharon I will be looking out the French Onion Stew recipe. I was thinking about the French Onion Soup, theres a blast form Sandra D's past she used to make it on the stove top about 30 years ago? Maybe a fraction more.I have my book out now, does everybody else have theirs out???

Due to all the excitement, what is that Chinese curse? May you live in interesting times? I have got no knitting done what so ever, I am just too fed up to even look at it. Kind of like I am with the Daft White Cat he is a bit of a nuisance, oh just go away and play! When he does go off and play he is a bit of a clown, and I must admit it does amuse me

Speaking of clowns tonight is Alan and Denny night, followed by Scrubs! I feel a late night TV watching must coming on Toasted TV Tortilla! Yum!
And has anybody else tried that new carton of soup pumpkin with sour cream and sweet chili? I bought it the other week and had it, I remembered it last night after seeing an ad for it. While like most of these carton things it didn't really taste that much of pumpkin. It has inspired me for my next batch of soup.

Enough waffle! I should at least think about being productive. And watch some CSI, love CSI! I'm not sure if I will do New York tonight, I've never really taken to it.

Avast Me Heartys!

I am huge follower of too much of a good thing is wonderful, but too much of a good thing gone bad....Pirates I love them dearly, but there comes a time when most things hit an all time high and suddenly it's everywhere!

Now it's Pirates...which isn't so bad we could do with some more skulls and things in our lives I think. But sometimes it's a little too much, and not always particularly brilliant. But this could top it all, or surprise me in a good way.
We are talking about reality television here, the Pirate Master. I'll have to wait and see to judge.

On the knitting front, I temporarily put aside Miss Stash's HUS Armwarmer from SNB Nation. To start something else, took me two hours the other evening and I almost got it finished. My only regret was not starting earlier in the evening because I could have got it all done! Back to the Armwarmer today....

At home, I have started to have the big purge I promised myself I will always do. So far I have started on one of the biggies (and easiest!) the Recycling!
I read magazines, lots of magazines, I acquire them myself, from other people or sometimes in a second hand store.
Finally got around to sifting through them, I tossed a whole heap into the Recycling, which was very satisfying. Mostly I was keeping them because they had recipes I wanted. So I pulled out what I wanted, then I got to sort my recipe collection. Put all the things I want to make in the near future in a special folder and stacked the others into another folder ready to sort for future reference.

Now, I am going to invest in a large plastic crate to store all my food magazines in! As I am not going to part with any of them in the near future, they all live in a giant stack at the moment, apart from my Delicious which live on the cook book shelf because I really love them.
Speaking of Delicious, I discovered I could download the recipe index's for each year 2002 to 2006 as PDF's. And learned how to search them! How excellent!

I Touch Myself by the Divinyls is playing on the radio, there is a great Buffy reference to this, form the episode Lie To Me in the first season.
Tonight is the first episode of The sideshow with Paul McDermott and the final of West Wing....Although Miss Stash says she thinks they did make a single season of the new president????

Today is all my own, I have had a flat out week this last week, actually the week before it was quite busy as well. However today I am going to sit around in my dressing gown, drinking tea and eating toast and jam. Possibly planning the next adventure of Captain Denny and Matt Caveman. We haven't had one for a while. I have no idea where they may go this time.
And also because they are so much fun, the Armwarmers, the colour changes and how nice the Noro feels may outweigh the fact that it breaks and I may invest in some for myself to knit a pair next. Actually there is a scarf I want to make in it as well, I may get all the same colour # and see if I can create a coordinating set.

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! Off to work we go!

I was going round to Miss Stash's to sit with Mr Naughty after work and had organised to leave my knitting bag there, forgot i had lent Miss Stash my spare key to her house and of course couldn't get in. Mr Naughty did not get sat with and I can not do any knitting.

My rice cooker hunt is over, I am after the Breville Avance Rice Duo! Now I just have to shop around stores and find the best price for it. I know 16 cups sounds a lot but I am getting into the one off cooking sessions to freeze so I can have ready made diners the days I don't have time to cook.

And as for the slow cooker, I thought I might be a weird obscure item that I would have trouble finding anything for. A quick Google reveals masses of information on them! Not only that but there are modern cook books for them as well! And yes Sharon I have tracked down Margaret Fulton's book, Sandra D had it in her cupboard! Now we will all have to pop over to Sharon's blog and ask her what colour hers is!!!!!
She's even kindly offered to share her recipes with me, and from past experience Sharon makes some fab stuff, I am highly addicted to her Date Scones!

I had a nap earlier this afternoon, so am having a supper rather than dinner tonight. I'm polishing off some leftover slow cooked chicken. Yummy!

Naughty Noro!

I have to ask has anyone who has knitted with Noro found it to break a lot???? I ma currently knitting up a Hurry Up Soring Armwarmer for Miss Stash out of some Noro, it runs thick and thin which I don't mind. What I do mind is the fact that it's taken to breaking at the most inconvenient points!

The Slow Cooked Chicken was a rousing success! I will be making it again, but purely for myself, I am not sharing it with anyone else. No one else!

And inspired by my recent success and some inspiring reads while seeking out recipes for the new slow cooker, I have decided to start shopping around for a rice cooker.
I'm keen to track down on of the ones that also has a steamer insert in it, kind of dual cooking. Very helpful.

Today was knitting coven day, we all got little cards with every ones birthday and colour preferences on it made by one of our members. Apparently one of my fave colours is turquoise!!!!!!!!!!

Something that is my fave, is CSI and the cat and I are going to make ourselves at home on the couch and watch it. Should be good, although I think tonight is meant to be a repeat. Never the less, I am enjoying my evening's on the couch, watching something on TV, reading or knitting. Really makes a nice change at the end of the day. My days seem so long at the moment, and there always seems so much to put into them.

Yesterday I had a blissful domestic day, I made a batch of Chili Con Carne in my new slow cooker. Which is neither orange or olive green "with a little kind of geometric greek key pattern around the top in a darker colour" alas, pity because that last one sounds very kewl!

The Chilli Con Carne was a success! I have some American recpies for Chilli, which involves neither mince or amazingly more so not one kidney bean! No! I kid you not! Not one single kidney bean!
I'm not a huge fan of Chilli Con Carne or kidney beans, having eaten a lot that wern't all that nice. But I have found the Annalisa brand do kidney beans (one side of the lable says kidney beans the other has fagoli rossi (fagoli meaning bean in Italian, and rossi meaning red), it all depends which sides facing out). I'm very keen on their chopped tomatoes so decided to try their kdineys as well.

I have learned a lot from cooking shows, magazines, books, websites and studying to be a food wench, however I cannot correctly pronounce coq au vin. Never mind I don't particulary fancy making it anyway.
However if I can get my tongue round the French translation of Beef in Burgandy I will be a slightly happier woman.

Powered through a pile of ironing yesterday, how exciting was that? Not really, I find it quite peaceful. I think it's all that repetitive motion - which is what Nigella says about risotto or any other dish that needs constant stirring, the repetitive motion is very soothing.

Then I topped the day off with eating of the Chilli Con Carne, and some knitting! Yes it's that project I haven't named yet, hopefully I will get a bit more done tonight so it looks more ipressive when I show Miss Stash tomorrow.

So far the Daft White Cat and I have had a hot shower, I got into my flanlette nighty, dressing gown with penguins on and slipped my ugg boots on, there will be some warm blackcurrant for me and the DWC???? He mght be under the blanket, he likes to hide under it and purr. I don't ask.

There's a bit of time to fill before Boston Legal tonight, I may work my way through Agatha Christie's Murder in Mesopatamia, it's a Poirot one but I do not remember it at all!!!!!!!!!!

While I remember the Slow Cooker Chcken! Testing it tomorrow so will let you all know how it turns out.

Hats are like sugardaddys, you can never have too many of them!

Well? Did you all survive Friday the 13th? If you've lived to tell a tale you should check out this awesome hat by Obsidian Kitten, so going to whip one up for myself.

I had a surprising find, I discovered I had hidden some of my Christmas cheque bounty away. Now last week when one of the department stores catalogues came out, they had a slow cooker for $50 and it was 6 litres in total, but divided into two sections - 4 and 2 litres each. Allowing you to cook two different things at once, ie dinner and dessert, main meat dish and vegetarian version main.
Now I had been planning on making a trip in and perhaps lay-bying it since there was no rain check and didn't want to miss out on an offer this good. But what do you do on a Saturday morning when you need a cheque cashed so you can hot foot into a department store and buy a split-level slow cooker?????

You ring your mum of course! No answer, after waiting all morning and not hearing form her I rang again. She hadn't checked her phone so had no clue I had rung her. We agreed to cool foot it in now, all that excitement wore the heat off.
None, zero, zilch, zip! We found a boy, looked all of about 12, he had to find someone else, the someone else looked about 16 and tried to at first sell us a rice cooker by the same brand name. No a slow cooker. "Is that different?" Yeeeeeeeeeesssssssss...............
We wait while he goes to check the catalogue and see if there is any left in the system. No, none left, last one sold this morning.
"Curse you for being not home!" I say to my mother. We go to look in another store and see what they have, we detour via the boogelly store who shall get no advertising what so ever from me. I spy the slow cooker like a I wanted, no not quite it's straight 6-litre. But still. Wait there's no price! My mother and I searched fruitlessly on the shelves for a price (a lot of things didn't have prices on the shelf!), then she espied on a tiny ticket at the bottom of one side of the box a price - $90.
No! Far too much. Besides by the time I got it to the counter and had it scanned it could have been $1 million! That would not do at all, besides I've yet to have been served in a timely fashion by any staff member, I could overlook that there always crabby if they'd serve me sooner. The sooner you sell me the stuff the sooner I will go away, it's very simple.

Made my way into the next department store after navigating my way around prams and marauding children, why are all prams suddenly 10-feet wide?????
The exciting thing was it turned out there was a 10% off sale on small electrical appliances, unfortunately no pram disintegrating ray guns or small child stun guns. But I managed to got a slow cooker, 5.5 litre with the 10% discount and my now found Christmas bounty I got my slow cooker for the bargain price of $12!
Tomorrow, tomorrow I make Chilli Con Carne in it! Then later in the week I am hoping to make this slow cooked chicken recipe from Punk Rock Domestics forum, and now I can't find it.....I'll find it later.
I've also come across a Tofu and Vegetable Satay which sounds yummo!

I don't mind vegetarian dishes at all, vegan I think may be a little extreme for me. I'm not sure I'm ready to commit that much! But I discovered this site while searching for recipes - Fat Free Vegan. And it had a crock pot section! Hurrah!!

On that note it is hot chocolate time, possibly white I think, I am very partial to it. And some toast and jam to go with.

Horror Movie Survival Guide

1. When it appears that you have killed the monster, NEVER check to see if it's really dead.

2. If someone passes you a videotape and tells you everyone who watched it died seven days after, for heaven’s sake, go rent something else.

3. If you're searching for something which caused a noise, and find out that it's just the cat, IT’S NOT. Leave the room immediately if you value your life.

4. If you find that your house is built upon or near a cemetery, was once a church used for black masses, had previous inhabitants who went mad or died in some horrible fashion, or had inhabitants who performed satanic practices in your house, or if household objects start moving by themselves, move out immediately.

5. If your children speak to you in Latin or any other language which they should not know, or using a voice which is other than their own, shoot them immediately. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run. NOTE: It will probably take several rounds to kill them, so be prepared.

6. If you find a town which looks deserted, it's probably for a reason. Just avoid it.

7. If your companions suddenly begin to exhibit uncharacteristic behavior such as hissing, fascination for blood, glowing eyes, fangs, increasing hairiness, scurrying about on all fours, etc, get away from them as fast as possible.

8. If you're running from the monster, expect to trip or fall down at least twice, more if you are a scantily-clad female. Also note that, despite the fact that you are running and the monster is merely shambling along, it's still moving fast enough to catch up with you.

9. If your car runs out of petrol at night, DO NOT go to the nearby deserted-looking house to phone for help.

10. And if for some stupid reason, you enter the deserted-looking house as a group, DON’T split up to go looking around.

11. If you have a friend who says he can see dead people, see other friends.

12. It’s not a good idea to do a school project on a local witch/series of murders/place where people disappeared mysteriously, etc.

13. As a general rule, don't solve puzzles that open portals to Hell.

Happy Friday the 13th!!!!! Remember I can see you at your computer reading this....

So much reading, so little time!

And too little funds, I need to give up all but one of my many and varied interests.

I was out at the local K-Mart today , they had 25% off Bratz, and I had seen those wonderful Wicked Twiins there and thought I would take advantage of the savings.
Unfortunately the shelves of Bratz no longer consisted of the Twiins. The search resumes...

However I did see the third book by Leigh Redhead - Cherry Pie. No matter I still haven't read the first two, despite reading an interview with her when the first was released. I have been waiting for them to come on sale. So far no luck!
Also on the wish list is the third and fourth installments from Kirsty Brooks - The Millionaire Float and The Lady Splash. And I am hanging out for Janet Evanovich's latest Stephanie Plum when it's released, Lean Mean Thirteen (unless it's out, haven't sped it yet??). I had the joy of discovering a Between the Novel's Novella a couple of weeks ago. I read it in an hour and half. It was pretty good.
And what do they all have in common? They fulfill my crime novel passion! Of course there are my old Agatha Christie paperbacks with the weird covers of the time....

On the knitting front, I am starting something new tonight, so will see how it goes before I reveal more, and possibly include a photo of said object if it turns out well!!!!! On with I must go!

Hello!

This first one is Lela! Only this I think is the US version because the Aussie version dosen't have as cool as lipstick, bah!


This is what I am next hoping to add to my collection, the Wicked Twiins!

It was an exciting long weekend, I've been away to Hobart to catch up with the family. Miss Stash gave me huge Milky Bar Easter Egg! The Daft White Cat clearly twigged something was on and bought me an Eggasaurus Egg. At times he's quite cluey.

Then I discovered the upcoming Sideshow with Paul McDermott, I am so looking forward to that.

Then I finished the first Bowhunter Wrsitwarmer, not as brilliant as I hoped, but towards the end I got my groove on and it really picked up. So now I know what I am doing the second one will be perfect!
I also knitted up Saturday evening the first half of a pair of mittens for me! Two in one finished!

Then today I got my very first Bratz doll! I was quite keen on a lot of the styles, but I noticed in a catalogue while in Hobart one of the ones I was looking for and it was on sale for $10! (Well $9.70 to be exact, reduced form it's normal price of $20.70).
I have perched on my desk so I can admire it, Lela from the Costume Party series in a Witch outfit. I nearly thought I had missed out as all the shelf appeared to be full of was Yasmine in her Angel costume. But tucked away right at the back was one Lela.
I ummmed and ahhed over Yasmine, but her outfit didn't inspire me. And there seemed to be no others on the shelf so I decided to wait and see if I came to a more definite answer before I bought her.

While in Hobart, around my knitting success, I whipped up a batch of Nigella's Gingerbread Muffins, a Boiled Fruit Cake (recpie I found on the back of a packet, turned out brilliant!) and Nigella's Meatballs (tomato sauce). Also Sandra D and I cooked up a roast for Sunday lunch. A very enjoyable weekend, with lots of cooking and knitting!

Life is like a ???????

I saw this over at Skulls n Bats just waiting to be snagged by someone, and thought why not me???

Directions: If your life was a movie, what would the soundtrack be?

1. Open your mp3 library
2. Put it on shuffle.
3. Press Play.
4. For every question, type the song that’s playing.
5. When you go to a new question, press the Next button.
6. Don’t lie and try to pretend you’re cool.
7. Don’t skip songs.

My Movie:

1. Opening credits: Gone - The Butterfly Effect
2. Waking up: Creep - Radiohead
3. First day of school: Lightening Crashes - Live
4. Fight song: Black Fingernails, Red Wine - Eskimo Joe
5. Breaking up: Walk on the Wild Side - Lou Reed
6. Happiness: Post Modern Sleeze - Sneaker Pimps
7. Life’s okay: Caught Out There - Kelis
8. Mental breakdown: Never Tear Us Apart - Inxs
9. Driving: I Want You Bad - Offspring
10. Flashback: Call Me When Your Sober - Evanescene
11. Getting back together: Again - Lenny Kravitz (now this fits, will I ever see you again? Will that day come?)
12. Wedding song: Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol
13. Birth of first child: I'm Not An Addict - Janes Addiction
14. Final battle scene: Venus in Furs - Velvet Underground (Shiny, shiny boots of leather!)
15. Death scene: Ballad of Lucy Jordan - Marianne Faithfull (No I didn't rig it! But it is apt I suppose.)
16. Funeral song: Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
17. End credits: Black Leather - Guns n Roses

Alright I should have lied! And cheated! Ah well at least Shaggy featuring Rik Rok - It Wasn't Me didn't come up for the funeral song or death scene, although it could be interesting, what kind of movie would that be?
Probably one directed by Denny Crane! Yes it's that time of week again, my fave day of the week is Monday's, it's Denny Crane Day. Which is a wee bit sad, but life is short you need to take your thrills where you find them. Like in the early episodes of the X-Files. David Duchovny with his shirt off!

However I am now quite fond of West Wing, but am not looking forward to next week's episode, it's going to be a box of tissue's episode I suspect!
However on the bright side there are five whole series before this waiting for me to see, plenty of time for old man perving. It all started with ageing rock stars....

By the pricking of my black thumbs! Something green this way grows!

I bought a basil plant on Tuesday and so far my notorious black thumbs have not managed to kill it! If it does survive a bit longer, at least another week, possibly two to be sure, I am going to have a go at Italian parsley. From there, possibly some oregano.

Tonight I make for the first time ever, an Easiyo yogurt in my Easiyo yogurt maker. Up until now I have been making my own yogurt up from a mix of skim milk powder, water and some natural yogurt to start it off.
Fingers crossed it all goes well.

I was working away on the Bowhunter wirstwarmer this afternoon, and suffered momentary panic when I thought I had made a mistake and would need to take it back. My panic was unnecessary, I had merely miscounted!
It's really beginning to take shape and I am pleased with it, can't wait to start the 'back'!

Tonight is Miss Marple night, I have no idea what the story is as I can't quite put the description of it to a book, Sandra D thought perhpas they were doing the Pale Horse. Will wait and see.

The Top 13 Most Wanted!

1. Sparkly Queen from AntiCraft (kint beaded pasties! They'd be great for pole dancing!).
2. Emerald Beaded Bracelet from MagKnits - this is too beautiful for words!
3. Bauble form Knitty - another shiny must have for me!
4. Petticoat from Anticraft (I can sew!)
5. Fowers on a Grave from AntiCraft
6. Nuclear Family from AntiCraft - the must have for any discerning housewife on the Darkside!
7. Bad Juju from the AntiCraft
8. Yorick from Knitty
9. Snowballs Chance in Hell from AntiCraft
10. Knucks form Knitty
11. Lilies from Knitty
12. Crime of Fashion
13. Lace-Up Opera Gloves (these may even beat Knucks onto the needles, I don't know I can wait till I'm done with the Bowhunters either, well maybe one Bowhunter....)

Narrowing it down to 13 was hard, but I have felting, beading and intarsia. Not to mention I can test my sewing skills with a couple of projects.
I can sew, knit, cross stitch and bake almost anything! Once I can crochet something other than a boogelly chain...but never will I take up scrapbooking! Never! And I will say it in regards this. Never will I say anything but never to scrapbooking!

Food Update!

I have typed up the recipe for my veg soup I made this afternoon, I've also done the Honey Crunch Cookies at long last!
Haven't typed up the Beefburger Risotto yet, but it was a success. It was pretty basic but very very tasty!

Look out tomorrow for the Spag Bol recipe, I'm making that then. My mother's recipe from before she bought jars of sauce. Could be interesting. Also hopefully a scone recipe and at long last some pictures of my apricot jam I made earlier this year, hopefully on the scones provided they come out well.

And if you haven't had a good look at the Inn recently I suggest a good poke about. I'm trying to update it more regularly and try and create a better order for my recipes.

There'll mostly be new baking coming soon, probably a run on friands. You can buy the tins for these now in the supermarket so not a real specialty item any more, unlike if I were to make Madeline's. Which I am hoping to, but then I'm a weird food person so I'm going to enjoy that.

Food again!

I had trouble downloading my e-mail last night, things just wouldn't go. So here I am first thing this morning attempting to do it again, well perhaps not first thing any longer. But I slept well last night and late this morning, fortunately I have m day to myself so far, I have to fit in Ms Stash after lunch. But she may be coming to me, so all is well.

I was hunting through a suitcase last night and discovered some new recipes I had horded away. A very easy vegetable soup, some gingerbread pikelets and my mum's beefburger risotto (yes it is very old it dates back to before I was born, back in my parents salad days!). I also have my mum's spag bol recipe but I shall have to do some converting, pounds and ounces I'm not bad on but pints are a mystery to me!

Also discovered in with the recipes I actually had a full printout of the skull illusion scarf! I also found a pattern for a knitted possum, I never knew I had that either.

I have made myself a compromise, upon finishing both my Bowhunters, I can then and only then start a pair of Knucks for myself. But until then I can wear my Whitewater Wristwarmers (they were from MagKnits for all those people who keep asking! They were also very easy.). Then after the Knucks depending on how I feel I am making the Mermaid Wristwarmers based on the Pomoto sock design.

But on the flesh front, I was highly excited because I've lost inches somehow, so I tried my beloved faded jeans on, I can actually do the button up. So I decided now was the time to make a sugar sacrifice, I've also been floundering at aerobics, I blame lack of fitness and coordination for my difficulty.
I was visiting a friend yesterday and was having a go on the new scales, I was pretty chuffed with myself so was eager to hop on and see how I was doing. I came away not chuffed with myself.
But this morning, I decided to look on the bright side, my clothes are still slightly too big for me, my thighs are now speaking to me again (the day after the last workout they decided it was too much) and my ultimate pleasing thing - I have buns of steel at the moment!!!!

It was a perfect knitting day today! Very nice and cool, so I sat around in my Aran earwarmer so my ears won't ache too much (it has been invaluable of an evening as the the nights have started to cool down.) and worked on my bowhunter restarted. It's progressing much more nicely now, and I have high hopes this time.

I did some shopping yesterday, bought myself some new cake tins to bake in! On sale I picked up a 20cm (8-inch) deep loose bottomed round. Exactly what I have been looking for. I also got a 26cm(10-inch) round springform marked down, slightly larger than what I normally use but I have some cakes I want to try that require a larger tin and I love the ease of a springform for getting cakes out.

I also bought a 20cm (8-inch) square on sale the other day, not a deep one unfortunately which I wanted for fruit cakes, but it is just the right size for plenty of slices that don't need as much height.

Had lunch out at my fave haunt, Cafe 11, they do great food and good coffee. I decided to try their Fruit Salad Frappe (Low GI option to boot!) while in yesterday. Beautiful!!!! I have started exploring other drink ideas on menus lately so as to avoid coffee (which I add sugar too) and things loaded with sugar already (i.e my weakness for cola, that was harder to give up than I anticipated!).
Also tried with Sandra D the new coffee place not long opened up, iced coffee wasn't bad. But having paid $8 for a Chicken Ceaser Wrap, I wasn't too impressed with something that had, I kid you not, a whole two pieces of lettuce, some sliced hardboiled egg, that wafer thin chicken slicey stuff you buy form the deli and two tiny snippets of bacon. And something that I think may have been shredded ham(????????), I don't know what there dressing was but talk about vinegary.
If in the vicinity I may do coffee from them, but that's few and far between now, I don't just pop into town and buy a coffee anymore, if I'm in town I'm usually in to do everything and I want to be able to do coffee and something edible for lunch, no I didn't eat the wrap. I left it and walked out I was too tired to argue with somebody over it, besides with how loud the music nobody else would be able to hear my outrage at their daylight robbery. Bah!

Anyway it's time for my dinner, and I am feeling a little lazy today, rather sleepless night last night. I am going to go with my normally reserved for late night TV watching on Monday nights. My Boston Legal must have, my Tortilla Toasty! Actually I have found something I think will go well with it for a main with the colder weather coming up, I was flicking through some old Delicious magazines and espied something yummy (alright there was a lot of yummy) Chili Bean Soup. Now that is going on to the make list, along with some more pumpkin soup and some potato and leek soup! Yum! And double yum!

How To Be A Domestic Goddess

Well Nigella may have written the book with that title, but I have been living it today. I have made 8 Date and Walnut Rolls, a One Cup Cake and a half batch of chocolate crackles. And I almost forgot the batch of Gingerbread Muffins I made!

There is a fair tomorrow and my CWA branch is having a stall so I have been busy baking for it. My contribution is at least done ready.

I decided to put the recipes up over at the Inn, and also add in one of fave classics Curried Meatballs which has a real retro vibe to it. And an even more retro I found while looking for the meatballs was a Crockpot Curry! Now that is going back, however I am to purchase a 'crockpot' of my very own yet, you can still buy them all marketed as slow-cookers now of course. And I have had my eye on a particular model for some time.

So I am feeling a little retro as baking as such is usually seen as a bit of a forgotten art. Most magazines if they feature it, make it look like if you've made a muffin from scratch you must be superwoman or they have fancy fiddly bits. But when they unearth classics such as a scone or a basic sponge it's like they've found the ark and resurrected these pieces of ancient history. They were always there! It just became unfashionable to bake, kind of like knitting, however I notice crochet is starting to get a bit more air time now as well.

I shall have to become a neo-50's housewife with my slow cooker, retro recipes and knitting! I've decided the time has come when I shall reclaim the proud mantle of 'housewife', I mean after all bitch has been reclaimed and is worn like a badge of honour by many. Why can't I wear housewife with the same pride???

I think I will start a new branch of feminisim after that, I shall cook, clean, pole dance and knit to my heart's content all why earning my own keep! Bah to all the others, although according to Miss Stash, there are a number of schools of thought on feminisim, maybe I won't need to start my own after all, there's probably one out there fo rme! However, none of them actually agree with what the other one is saying! Hardly surprising.

That infamous line "If women ran the world...." If women really ran the world we'd be no better off, there'd be equally as many factions vying for power. Instead of warfare, we'd be relying on rumour mills and two facedness with the other factions who we are 'friends' with. There'd still be starving children in Africa, religious differences, crime and pollution.

As Debbie Stoller wrote, why is it women doing well at women's work is not applauded? For a woman to go out an do well in carpentry and plumbing, then she's a hero because she has done well in men's work. Why is our work lesser?

Knit Noir

It was a slow day at the office, my associate D.White decided to use this time to catch up on some valuable work....



I made a phone call to check on the Grand Dame who was an invalid yesterday, apparently she'd vanished! No one had seen her go and no one knew where she had gone. First mystery of the day disappearing dame. Second mystery was there actually anything else to drink left on my desk or would I have to seek further a field.


While pondering this and admiring my aran earwarmer on top of the speakers, very handy for chilly evenings, the Grand Dame appeared in my office. There was another dame in trouble, but when are dames not in trouble?
She'd been out to doing the rescue thing, I had been requested by the pale and interesting dame who needed rescuing.
Before I could leave the office I needed to pack the essentials. Sharp pointy sticks, lengths of yarn, camera, and most importantly of all, “Quick! Pants! I need pants! Pants!” I shouted to my associate D. White. The Grand Dame sat at my desk looking disappointed there were no papers to riffle through while we were all distracted. However she got the pleasure of looking disapprovingly at my desk status, D. White and I need a housekeeper. What we don't need is endless chatter and someone “putting things away”, we'll never see them or possibly each other again.


My final instruction to White before I left? Man the fort, get cash up front and don't turn the stereo up!

I arrived at the pale and interesting dame's home, I was greeted by her attack feline. Who was all friends till the Grand Dame tried to leave, then I mostly tried not to touch things so I wouldn't bleed on them. “I have band aids” whispers the P&ID. Surely a cat muzzle would be cheaper I muse? Still beggars can't be choosers, chicken ceaser salad does not buy itself. I investigated the bottom shelf at the back of the fridge, turfed some tenants who had outstayed their lease. Watched the unexplained be explained, fetched drinks for the P&ID.

And now at the end of the day? A summary of other cases waiting to be closed.

This is the horrible baby jacket! I hate it so!

These are the long awaited and completed Whitewater Wristwarmers! Yeah!

Alas poor photos you would have known them well.

Went to Miss Stash's to upload the photos to the doohickey so I could upload the photos to my computer off the doohickey to my blog. Got to Miss Stash's and realised I had forgotton the camera. Hopefully tommorrow, and I have got one of the daft white cat as well!

And now for something completly different!

Dear Monty Python! One of my other faves, is "Run away! Run away!".

Anyway the problem with blogger turned out to be me. So I am back not only able to blog but able also to leave comments! Ah ha ha ha! I'm back, baby!

I have been sifting through my e-mail catching up on what's in it as Katt can attest to, as so much of it has now gone to her Inbox. My Inbox was about to explode with how much of Katt's coffee man was in there. Matt Hardy is hardly ever in my Inbox, this is most disappointing.

What was in there is one of my new found heroes!

This is Ariel, who doesn't look much like the little mermaid I will admit...But she is a very freaky girl, and I adore her. I have to thank Katt for putting me onto her, clearly sending her all her Coffee Man has paid off!
Anyway Ariel does this most excellent bat thing on the ring ropes, and it seemed rather familiar, and I wondered....


And then there is this rubbishy gossip column thingo the WWE produce, I struck gold when I was reading one of the last ones, the name inspired me to check it out rather than simply delete it.

Pole position
Are you as impressed as we are with Ariel’s upside-down, batlike moves on the ECW ring ropes? Diva Dish just had to ask Ariel to reveal the secret to her limber body. Here’s a hint: it’s all thanks to something tall, hard and shiny…

“Well, I purchased a stripper pole. Because you know, the best work out is a full body work out with a stripper pole. I have a couple tricks with it,” Ariel said slyly. “The little tricks, I bring them to the ring. That’s why I hang upside down.”

It seems ECW’s resident Tarot card reader has been practicing her sexy stripper pole moves for quite some time.

“Oh yeah, I have experience with it,” she mysteriously laughed.

A full body workout as I keep trying to tell people (ie my mother) and no one believes me. I think the proof is in the picture!

Speaking of pictures, I have some of my knitting but since I have evidently turned into some sort of technological dunce, I am having trouble uploading form the camera, what am I doing wrong??? Miss Stash's help is going to be needed, so hopefully later today I will have some pictures of my knitting at long last for you! Now won't that be exciting??? And no before anyone asks (and I know who will ask) there are no pictures of socks!!!!!

Hasta la vista babies!

I'm so tired of being lonely!

"I'm so tired of being alone
I'm so tired of on-my-own
Won't you help me girl
Just as soon as you can"

The legendary words of Al Green, I am going to buy one of his albums preferably this one with Tired of Being Lonely on it, I shall paly it to the socks, those single ones waiting for their second one to be complete.

I have ordered a copy of that unimitable (we should be thankful for small mercies) cult classic Showgirls on DVD, not just any DVD. This is the special edition box set complete with shot glasses and Pin The Pasties On The Showgirl game. Now how is that for a crazy whirly gig of fun???? THAT WOMAN! (aka Ms Stash) has declared this is an illness and there is nothing left for it but to get me thearpy.

I have started a new project with my Sea Urchin yarn from the Black Stitch using the Bowhunter Wristwarmer pattern, also from the Black Stitch.

At least four of my co-workers have defected to Ms Stash's new workplace. Although one of the other girls I trained with, there was 4 of us. One quit before we'd even finished training, another seems to have gone, but I don't know if she's found more permanent or full-time work somewhere or if she's just had jack (I know I have, but alas there are still another 2 seasons of Matt Hardy's public displays of tom foolery which could still come out on DVD, he's showing currently Season4 on his website and we're only up to Season 2 on DVD.)

Did anybody else see Love Tunnel on Wednesday night??? I did love it, so much for Goodbye Cruel World ( I'm Off To Join The Circus), it will be Thank God I Am Outta Here Boogelly Job (I Am Going To Join The Funfair!).
Lucy Jordan may never have got to Paris because of husband and kids, but I will not let my boogelly job stand between me and my Paris!

Numfar do the dance of joy!

It's done, it's done! It's finally done! Aha ha ha ha ha aha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ah my precious beautys all that's left is to give you a life of your own. Places to go, people for you to be seen by!

Oh it's you. Sorry didn't realise you were there my dear readers. All this excitement is over the fact that today I finsihed the second Whitewater Wristwarmer! Excuse me while I have a Harry met Sally moment.

Alright, now I'll hold them up to the screen for oyu all to see and oh and ah at, if oyu don't the wirstwarmers will be sad because no one likes them. Bringing them up now!






Aren't they lovely???? I need to acquire the piece of tech equipment that will allow actual photos of my wonderous creations!

In order to celebrate I ordered myself Season 2 of the Hardy Show - Matt Hardy's personal platform to prove that he is........Well I don't know exactly, I'm still recovering from when he announced in Season 1 that he thought Lord of the Rings was a sci-fi. Perhaps that he is a walking side of beef ???? Maybe that he is the male equivlent of Bridget Jones?????? Could this be the equivlent of being at a party with famous authors and asking "Do you know where the toilet is?"

Also snagged the latest issue of Oxygen magazine today, I am about to go and actually read it now. I am still planning on trying these Chicken Ceaser Wraps

Men in Trees is on tonight, I saw the first episode then promptly got Wednesday nights and haven't seen any since, the idea intrigues me, being in a town with that many men? The choice and lack of competition! Also My Family, I've also missed that a few times now. And of course that special tonight with Dylan Moran (Bernard from Black Books). A very productive evening, I may actually look at a sock during this time and think about working on it. But I don't want to go too crazy!

Oh! another exciting thing, Nigella uses blood orange juice, and I despaired at actually locating a blood orange here let alone cartons of blood orange juice. But i have noticed you can get pretty much anything now in the juices, like carrot or guave or carrot and guava if you really wanted. And I disovered a brand of bottled Blood Orange Juice! Two reasons this is exciitng, firstly I can finally try some more of Nigellas cocktails (almost like finding the Limoncello again!) and secondly it's BLOOD orange juice! I might have to stock up for Halloween.

There's no smoke without fire!

And fire there was! Went out to dinner on Wenesday night with some of my friends, or should I say, ahem, internet friends!

Started off with Chilli Cheese Fries, these are very very wonderful. I just wish they came in a bigger serve. Followed up by Chimichanga (Mexican according to the menu) - now this was shredded beef grilled with spices and onions and put into a tortilla with cheese, rolled up and deep fried. Fabulous! Only downside, there was most likely half a cow in it, talk about huge!

And of course it was all topped off with a Muddy Creme Brulee and a very divine cappacino, which traditonally you wouldn't see in Italy after mid-morning as it's considered a breakfast drink. Also a word to the wise whan ordering coffee in Italy, if you ask for a latte, you will most likely get milk, you need to make clear you want a cafe latte, ie coffee with milk!

Ended the evening with a bit of tasseled bag twirling, and, ahem, panhandling....

It's been way too hot, no knitting, except Wednesday I did work on the Whitewater Wristwarmer, the thumb is now progressing nicely. If only it were less hot!

Not much else has happened, my expression of interest form has gone in for the upcoming courses. I saw the dates advertised in the paper for the classes themselves but none for the info session dates as yet.

What else? Nothing else I don't think for the moment. Oh excpet a little something for the not feint of heart....fire tassel twirling???

Helooooo!!

Well my fellow knitters you sholud ny now have heard from me. Is it hot enough or what??? I have to work today, not looking forward to it, but on the upside I will a) be paid for doing it, and b) it is a short shift so can't really complain too much.

And what will I do with all this lovely money I am earning? New yarn??? Possibly. Pole dancing??? Hopefully, there are classes in Launceston now! Applause, applause! Anyone care to join me for that??? I'd feel a bit of a boob going by myself to these things, but then if i go by myself no one can see me being a boob. Ah ha!

Dinner tomorrow night! I'm so excited! And I just can't hide it!

No knitting, I've thought about it, poked it, shouted at it, but it's not knitting it self unlike Mrs Weasleys knitting. Shame.

Until next time my fellow cyber citzens!

Dinner???

I'm heading out for dinner Wednesday night. If any of my fellow knitters would like to join me, drop me a line, you should all know where I am now. Let me know by about, 12ish? No maybe about 2pm, get lunch over with first tomorrow, ie Tuesday the 16th January 2007.

It doesn't rain it pours.

The bank or more to the point it's reps have not done what they told me they would do! I still have not been sent anything online.

But how is this for exciting? The job I applied for last month that they wrote me a rejection on nice paper, clearly I wasn't to be forgotten after that. they rang me today to ask me to come in and interview for another position! The only down side it is more specialized than what I originally applied for. Hmmmmm. But on the upside I may get a position somewhere else in the company. I may not be right for right now, but later who knows???

I odn't know if I wan tot eat ro lie down, or possibly both. I was looking forward to a nanna nap. But i bought nonsense food at the supermarket, marinated fetta, vintage cheddar, quince paste and Dalfour's raspberry jam! Also I succombed to temptation whit chocolate is becoming very mod and fashionable. So I bought that Chocacino Italian style drinking chocolate in white to try. What else??? More of that chilli and tomaro pickle and some tortillas!

I did buy some sensible stuff like chocolate, oh and some pumpkin (which I am planning to make into soup, I've had a real craving for it.).

Nearly forgot bought some new knit mags today, the new Filati Winter, Interweave, Simply Knitting (complete with knitted nativity set, oh well plenty of time this year now) and soemthing simply titled Knitters.

Houston we have a problem!

Today was knitting coven, it was very exciting, it was truly wonderful to catch up with everyone again. I've missed them!
Work has continued on the Whitewater Wristwamer, I have started the thumb. Then I was just sooooo tired of it. I'm tired of everything really.

I have to go back to my truly depressing job tomorrow, ah it was good while it lasted. I am so over it, the novelty of a new job and earning money has waned. There has to be better ways to earn a living! Most people are either new like me, been there 2 years or fall into the 5 - 8 years catergory (or longer!). I'm trying not to imagine 2 years in that place, it's far too depressing thought. I'm surprised there isn't a high rate of people hanging themselves from the nearest light fittings.

So far nothing on the job hunt front, they rang me and left me a message to let me know I had to complete an online assessment before my interview on Monday. By Monday morning I had had nothing from them! Nada, nought, zero, zilch! Apparently I discovered at the interview I wasn't the only one....However they assured me they would send me another one out, and if I've made it to the next level they will actually be sending me a second one to do before the next round of interviews. Oh well, we'll see what tomorrow brings.

In light of recent undevelpments, I am still considering my study options. Actually I have two study choices in mind, one's about 12 weeks but I have about a quarter of the units already done from it and the other is just a one day affair. But still a valuable asset.

I'm going to finish now because I'm Tired, so tired! As the Teutonic Titwillow sang in Blazing Saddles, who was she Lilly von somebody? Not quite my problem, but still there's been a lot of going and coming! And coming and going! And misinterptations about what exactly Matt Hardy was saying, but still. A girl sometimes just needs a break from it all!!

It's so over!

Well today was the day, yes the day when I went for my interview to the bank.

And you know what? I was so over it by this morning, I was certainly over it after 3 1/2 hours waiting for my interview. So I said what I honestly thought, not whatever I thought however.
That I saved for when I had 40 mins to sit around and do nothing, so I started to have a mental debate, if I was making dinner for Matt Hardy what would I make?
I suppose he is a man, an easier question to answer would be what not to make?? Certainly create a shorter list.

There is something immensely satisfying about the possibility of making something, planning, buying and cooking, unfortunately after all this I'm usually over it and don't really want to eat it. Unless it's chocolate cake!!!

I have a hankering for scones. With jam. Perhaps apricot jam???? Made two batchs snow. Beautiful stuff. Now were all waiting on Ms Stash's apricots to come good so we can start boiling up again.

I was catching up on my beloved Matt Hardy, see multitasking! Using more than one computer program at a time, should have told them that, see I can type a blog post and perve at the same time as well as hopping between umpteen dozen knit links. Am I talented or what??? Anyway back to Matt, he was talking about a fan signing thingo, and how he didn't get to interact with his fans as much. And what I thought said making out and got slightly hot flustered and need to shout to the Daft White Cat to bring me some booze. Clearly what was I missing out on??? Closer inspection revealed it actually said make it out, in reference to people who hadn't been able to get there. Ohhhhhhhhh!

It's knitting coven tomorrow, I might take the whitewater wristwarmer, get it finished. Just in time for the hot weather!! I know I know I need to get my organizer hat on and make some calls. But I have to have a cup of tea and sit down before I even think about that. My brain is overloaded with insane questions, we had to fill out these questionnaires things, it was the same set of questions over and over again. I'm sure of it. 20 questions would in reality be about 5!
Bah!

Happy New Year?????

I stayed in alone, and ate sharp vintage cheese and drank cider. Watched the old rockers on the tele, my long time readers will be familiar with my afficiondo for aging rockers.
And that was as exciting as it got. I saw the New Year in and it the world didn't end, alas now I will have to make decisions.

There was a phone call Friday, I have made it past the initial stage. However while I am passionate about customer service and have excelent customer service history, and while I am keen on permanent full-time as job security i.e I want a regular pay check that I know what it will be every week, not 20 hours one week and 16 the next! I still need to display a passion for banking, a passion for banking????? And I actually got asked for the first time ever, what do you about our company? To which my reply was, aside from your a bank absolutely nothing.

I need to be able to display I am passionate about banking, have some knowledge about the company and come up with another reference from an employer.
And I'm still in two minds about my current employers, do I come clean and ask nicely if they would be a referee? Or do I persist in sneaking about and waiting to see what happens. I can't afford too many 16 hour weeks, or worse. Probably be better back on the dole queue.
I'm begining to regret applying for this job now, I was excited about the possibility of full-time permanent. As for banking, give me the job and I can be passionate about whatever they want.

And if all else fails, the Players Club in Hobart (you know the one that had the feud with the church), is advertising for dancers - make $2,000+ a week. Clearly there still in business, good business by the sounds of things. Nothing like a bit of contoversy to bring in the punters is there? I could be there now with my sequins and feathers, up on stage doing my dance to "I Did It My Way!" sung by Frank Sinatra (as written by Paul Anka, I bet he's glad of that now).

"And now, the end is here (technically the end was yesterday, but why mess with a classic?)
And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's fullI traveled each and ev'ry highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way"

Yes, it is all becoming clear to me now, I was destined to be on the stage. Perhaps as the cleaner who comes after the show and sweeps it.

Nothing to report on the knitting front, after everything going so well with my Whitewater Wristwarmers I suddenly lost the will to knit. Must be the heat. But I am going to perserver on with the hat, and hopefully get it onto the double points today. It's just a matter of getting back on the horse so to speak.

Until next time,
Suzi
A bona fide red head who's damn cranky (must be the heat).