It's On!

Our Trip to England, that is!  I booked my ticket today!  I didn't get quite as many days as we had hoped (evidently us freebie riders don't have quite as many options on dates as the paying customers), but we'll still have a good 10 days touring England.  With good planning, we should be able to see plenty of sites.

And with luck, I will once again find myself shoulder to shoulder outside Buckingham palace with my girl:

And THIS time, I won't freeze, but will tell Dame Helen how much I love her and invite her over to the nearest pub.

About That Haircut

Still laughing about Hadley's horrible haircut, and found some "Separated at Birth?" shots:

YOU Should Make These

Because I don't bake.  But I'm sure I'd eat one of these adorable Cinco de Mayo Pinata Cookies!

Diamond Jubilee Merch!

Harrod's has released their line of Diamond Jubilee merchandise, WANT!  Pill box? Shortbreads? Tea Towel?  Oh so many choices.  And can I wait for them to be half price when we get to London...surely these will all be marked down when we hit Harrod's for the big Boxing Day sale...

Belinda!

Hadley (age 5) can finally scrape enough hair together to create a ponytail.  It's kind of a scrapnoodle pony, but considering this child's hair history, it's a triumph.

Which led me to this post from 2009.  I am crying right now.  And I don't think Megan has ever quite forgiven her poor mother for this.

Oh Lord, I Need This

If you've ever had the pleasure of eating a meal with me, you know I am incapable of finishing said meal without spilling something on myself.  I don't know why I never learned to eat neatly, but evidently that etiquette lesson passed me by.

Well, I found an answer that is a bit more knitterly than my usual "tuck a dishtowel into my collar":  Your Grandmother's Bib.  I'm sure these are all the rage at the old folk's home.  And perhaps one should be part of my mealtime wardrobe...

Could This Be The Worst Painting Ever?

Yes.  It could very well be the worst painting ever.  This guy seems poised to take over from "The Painter of Light"...

The Way

I've wanted to see this movie since I heard Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez be interviewed about it (Emilio directed his dad, who stars).  We watched it tonight and it was excellent.  Very moving.  Plot summary: A father heads overseas to recover the body of his estranged son who died while traveling the "El camino de Santiago," and decides to take the pilgrimage himself.

Martin Sheen is such a good actor.  Loved the music in the movie too, amazing.  It's on Netflix, two thumbs up.

Now This is Insulting

This Dutch company sells a duvet that "lets you sleep under a cardboard box so a homeless person doesn't have to! This high quality duvet cover features a photographic print of a cardboard box."

God.  This is horrible.  But only $89.95!

Your Daily Chuckle

Yay! New eps of Parks & Recreation are coming!

It's Here!

My "invitation" from British Airways arrived via Fedex!  I really really really did win a round trip ticket to England!

Let the trip planning commence!  Katie, Pia and I are hard at work on our itinerary.  Cara has declared she wants nothing to do with all the emails bouncing back and forth re our trip, just tell her where we are going when it's all decided.  Pooh suggested we stay in hostels.  He is OFF the planning committee.  We will spend a few extra dollars not to have to share a toilet down the hall, or pick up bedbugs.

The burning question: is any of us brave enough to drive a car in England?  Not me.  I will be in enough trouble remembering to look to the left when I step off a sidewalk...

More Stuff For Cara

Cara, you should not have complained about my epic fail on keeping the blog updated.  I TOLD you my life is super-duper boring right now.  So you have to get these little things I have stolen from other websites.

This one may not be funny unless you are watching Game of Thrones.  Which we are, so we think it is hilarious.

"Aspiring GOP presidential candidate Khal Drogo dropped out of the primary race today in a move that could position himself as former Gov. Mitt Romney's running mate.
"Drogo brings a lot to the table," said Republican strategist Karl Rove. "He has more than 100,000 blood riders that could be used to get out the vote."


Meanwhile Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport and Warden of the West, has also left the field, but has decided to run as an independent.
"This could be a real wildcard," said Fox News commentator Bill O'Reilly. "Lannister has the funds to personally finance his campaign and the type of independent entrepreneurial spirit that will appeal to conservative voters."


Lannister immediately named Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish to be his campaign finance manager and Glen Beck to run his campaign.
"Beck and Lannister share a long and deep friendship based on their mutual love of gold," O'Reily said. "Meanwhile Baelish has years of fundraising and government experience. Together they could mount a strong campaign."

(thank you "Drunken ExPat Writer" on Gawker for your briliant mashup of GOT and the election)

More Important Titanic Stuff

This has been hotly debated between Pia, Katie and me.  WHY didn't Rose scootch over and make room for Jack on that door?

Well, it's been debated elsewhere, and here are the results:


After it was established that Jack and Rose could have easily managed to lie side by side on their makeshift raft, the question turned to one of buoyancy: Could the plank have sustained their combined weight?

If it helps, the wood was a piece of pine paneling rent from the Grand Staircase.
Give up? Someone already crunched the numbers and found that the force of buoyancy would be less than the force of gravity, meaning they would sink faster than a certain unsinkable ship.

I love the internets.

Breakup!

I read today that these two are breaking up.  Say it ain't so, Just Born Company.  Pooh will be devastated, this is his movie candy favorite.  He's such a weirdo.

Thanks For Being There for Moms!

Saw this today, and couldn't agree more.

"Hello, Mittens. Future mom here (t-minus 2 months and counting). I'm so glad to hear that you're so supportive of motherhood! So, I'm sure that when I go to your website, I will find the following as part of your platform:

--Guaranteed parental leave of 6+ months at 100% pay for all currently-working expectant mothers. After all, as you say: staying at home with kids is work!

--Heavily subsidized quality childcare so that mothers truly have a choice of whether or not to stay at home, rather than a faux-choice of what costs the family more: the loss of one income or $300/week daycare.
--The highest standards of prenatal care available to all expectant mothers, regardless of income or insurance status.
--A policy supportive of reproductive choice so that all children are wanted children.
--Excellence in public education so that moms can rest assured that when their children reach school age, they will be in good hands.
--Keeping good jobs here in the US so that families can survive on a single income if one parent wants to stay home.
Thanks, Mitt! I just know you'll be fighting for me!"

And as you can see from the family photo, The Romneys, They Live Just Like Us! 

A Fun Weekend

We are back from our whirlwind weekend in Seattle, where us 3 gals (Lulu had to stay home, poor thing) had a grand time.

The highlight really was the "Titanic" performance we attended at the 5th Avenue Theater.  This is an amazing place!  It was built as a movie palace in 1926, one of the first with an Asian theme, and has been lovingly preserved.  I remember going to movies there as a kid, it was always a special occasion to see a movie at the 5th Ave., the Coliseum, or one of the big downtown theaters.

We weren't sure whether we were going to like the show, but our fears were unfounded -- it was great.  It was a concert performance of the Broadway musical, with full orchestra, choir and individual singers.  They had a large screen behind the singers, which showed historical photos and drawings of the Titanic, the passengers and the crew, and that enhanced the show.  It was even more special to be there on the actual 100th anniversary of the ship's sinking.

Other than that, our weekend was spent putzing around.  Katie and I met her pal Bethany down at Lowell's in the Pike St. Market for breakfast (I was super good and had oatmeal --- and a mimosa.  Katie stuck to a bizarre eating plan of having some form of tacos for every meal that day).  We went shopping downtown, where I entertained (myself) with nostalgic stories about the old Frederick & Nelson, my first "real" jobs at the Bon and Frederick's, etc.  Katie forced me to buy a new pair of sneakers, as she hates my "hiking shoes" brown ones and ridicules me every time I wear them to the gym.  So now I have regulation white ones.  She finally bought herself a pair of red Toms, which she's been eyeballing for ages.   Pia & Katie went to a movie, which I bailed on to stay at the hotel and watch the Mariners (we won! yay!)  Katie and I verified that we are NOT good bed partners, esp. in a double bed (seriously, what hotel has double beds?!)  Sunday morning, we stopped in at Meg & Ry's house, and got to see all 4 babies -- Mads and Al were over for the day.  It was a whirlwind of noise, action and toys as you can imagine.

Good to be home in my own bed, but I had a lot of fun.  Let's do it again soon!

Road Trip!

Pia, Katie and I are headed to Seattle tomorrow (well, P is already there, attending a conference).  And we will be attending "Titanic" at the 5th Avenue Theater on the 100th anniversary of the sinking.

Thanks Big Tony and Patty, for including me in this Christmas Gift.  I am crazy about the Titanic, so am very excited.  Perhaps I should wear all of my various Weldon's knitting projects to the show.  Definitely period correct, and if we encounter any icebergs, I'll be warm.

After the show, Katie is getting a new tattoo from her cuzzie Pete.  It's some sort of Latin phrase, which I can't remember.  But I know it is inspirational.  And it has something to do with K-Pax, right Katie?
:-)  Because everyone should have a tat that involves Kevin Spacey in some way...

Not sure what other plans await us.  But hoping it is somewhat nice out, I'm sick of crap weather.

Hoppy Easter

It's a little hard to tell from the picture, but these are teeny tiny Easter Bunnies I knit in about 20 minutes.  Happy Easter, P & K!

If THIS Doesn't Make You Happy...

You're Dead Inside.



It's official.  I love this show SO MUCH.  I didn't want to love it.  But they won me over.

35 Years

Today is the 35th anniversary of the first Mariners game...they lost that one :-)  Hopefully, they will not repeat that tonight.

Pia & I are watching the game, it's SO weird that Ichiro is not batting in the leadoff spot. 

Here's hoping 2012 will be a season where we might actually want to watch some games

OMG This is Going to be the Worst Movie EVER

How Cute Are These?

(say that in your Best Ina Garten Voice)

I just finished my latest "Year of Weldon's" project: "Mittens for A Young Child" and I think they are adorable!  Better pictures when my photog returns from DC.

I just wish I had a little girl close by.  I think these are perfect for flouncing around in an Easter frock, collecting eggs.

Susna, these knit up fast, you have plenty of time to dress up the girls by Easter morning.

Dad's WWII Letters to Mom

I have a giant stack of letters our Dad wrote to Mom during his service in World War II, and I'm scanning them.  I'll create a book for Mom to have and I hope she enjoys it.

I've never read the letters before, and I'm really enjoying them.  Dad was an 18 year old in 1942, in basic training in San Diego in the first batch of letters.  So sweet!

Another Two Thumbs Up!

Katie and I went to see "Salmon Fishing in the Yemen".  LOVED IT.  As Katie pointed out, this is SO my kind of movie.  Quirky. British. Rom-com with a bit of a twist.  Ewan McGregor working the Scottish accent. And I do love the fly fishing (on my bucket list).