tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11040808893121955242024-03-05T20:30:07.772-05:00Thoughts on ThingsAdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.comBlogger178125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-86742774501414030882015-06-11T18:28:00.001-04:002015-06-11T19:10:46.492-04:00High Bridge<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShKi8zTtjfsm4lLsc0UkzW3Vg3TsXrC-gZIwlWxS4sUm2_RTzyce7FFnJDXrVYB64zG9g375UG0rEf4yxNqO0gqLmqM0lnbZO2guZ_AdeApM8QQCeSaqRTFuwULsj2FpefwW3DY8NRxQ/s640/blogger-image--979261808.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShKi8zTtjfsm4lLsc0UkzW3Vg3TsXrC-gZIwlWxS4sUm2_RTzyce7FFnJDXrVYB64zG9g375UG0rEf4yxNqO0gqLmqM0lnbZO2guZ_AdeApM8QQCeSaqRTFuwULsj2FpefwW3DY8NRxQ/s640/blogger-image--979261808.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Back in the 1800's the city of NY had to transport water from upstate to meet the needs of a growing metropolis. Bringing the water over the Harlem River required an aqueduct similar to those built by the Romans. A reservoir was built in Washington Heights and the High Bridge Aqueduct transported the water over the river. By 1870 the High Bridge had become a popular destination for day trips.</span></div></div><div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMAcGQfbWsGY9bBiUv9mm-AlqFp_9LwH6Ar-s01UiTjeHKv-dMa5jgkblcNR7SoQ2WqZ7p-LWUIN-LobxmugM7eirkLptGfjkgqnh1AihgitLidBai2K67FGf1JxqFyqDbSbEU8FAoT4/s640/blogger-image-589112301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgMAcGQfbWsGY9bBiUv9mm-AlqFp_9LwH6Ar-s01UiTjeHKv-dMa5jgkblcNR7SoQ2WqZ7p-LWUIN-LobxmugM7eirkLptGfjkgqnh1AihgitLidBai2K67FGf1JxqFyqDbSbEU8FAoT4/s640/blogger-image-589112301.jpg"></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">The High Bridge fell into disuse and had been closed for more than four decades. It reopened on Tuesday after a $61.8 million renovation. Dick and I headed there today. We took the A train to 168th Street and walked a few blocks to Highbridge Park in Washington Heights. We walked past the city swimming pool (formerly the site of the reservoir) which was swarming with workers preparing it for the season's opening. We could see the High Bridge Water Tower uphill and knew the entrance to the bridge was nearby. What we didn't know was we would have to descend a very long, steep stairway to access the bridge. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpQ6kfh_-OTx8e0NWeimRv9fcf2oUCiv81xqK03Q-AVhDGqEL8yxE2k97iCD3xmsJidLsso2WwXz27XkcV1BChMiFFNlPRQfdzskhPqyJQskMdIblOONAXorqDP9DPcOVdksLxV5OULw/s640/blogger-image--952784562.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQpQ6kfh_-OTx8e0NWeimRv9fcf2oUCiv81xqK03Q-AVhDGqEL8yxE2k97iCD3xmsJidLsso2WwXz27XkcV1BChMiFFNlPRQfdzskhPqyJQskMdIblOONAXorqDP9DPcOVdksLxV5OULw/s640/blogger-image--952784562.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">I'm at the bottom and Dick is negotiating his way down. We wondered how this newly renovated park was not handicapped accessible. It wasn't until we both reached the foot of the stairs that we saw the sign for the bicycle and wheel chair access from 167th Street. We used the bike path to make our way back to the Subway as the stairs would have been a formidable challenge in today's heat and humidity. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We walked across to the Bronx, observing the incredible traffic trying to access the George Washington Bridge and the Harlem River below. At one point, two personal water craft went zooming by. When we turned around to walk back, we had this amazing view of the High Bridge Water Tower. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQu3SNAkpdueq9Y5w7ElFmtdTk6M9vPN6IyiTxEKuuTtRHOSPnfuBLGYktaj7l_HM-uHs4jW_pAcW2Lp_pv6QvEz5DvTfRYc43u_Y8CFww4DyGurloafKyzLqK5atcTtD860bzyNmCUc/s640/blogger-image-467619563.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlQu3SNAkpdueq9Y5w7ElFmtdTk6M9vPN6IyiTxEKuuTtRHOSPnfuBLGYktaj7l_HM-uHs4jW_pAcW2Lp_pv6QvEz5DvTfRYc43u_Y8CFww4DyGurloafKyzLqK5atcTtD860bzyNmCUc/s640/blogger-image-467619563.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">We made our way back to St. Nicholas Ave, got lunch and drinks at a Starbucks and headed back downtown on the Subway. We made it to Penn Station in time to catch the Raritan Valley Line's last one seat ride of the day. It's always a nicer trip when you don't have to change trains in Newark. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-91183965247901324182014-09-27T11:14:00.001-04:002014-09-27T11:14:22.955-04:00Cruising Alaska<div><br></div><div>We had a day at sea and then stops in Juneau on Monday and Skagway on Tuesday. Juneau was rainy and foggy. We decided not to bother with the tram ride since there would be no views at the top. We made a stop at the public library located on the top level of the municipal parking garage. The views of the bay with frequent sea plane landings was quite lovely. We got caught up with email and other internet stuff and headed back to the ship. Photo below is downtown Juneau. Click to view the larger version. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsmHM8yt5DBjUi8cS40q9esUumjrHJix-ekytHcEnDSAX5pQvhluhVozKw9_l7JeHkZmLsQpLh9CS462Z-tV6pJJd-aLN96Dx7MLoJJ5-59idguj7cnjBlxtdUn4-_akmEF7efraiuMA/s640/blogger-image--13795499.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsmHM8yt5DBjUi8cS40q9esUumjrHJix-ekytHcEnDSAX5pQvhluhVozKw9_l7JeHkZmLsQpLh9CS462Z-tV6pJJd-aLN96Dx7MLoJJ5-59idguj7cnjBlxtdUn4-_akmEF7efraiuMA/s640/blogger-image--13795499.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>In Skagway the weather was good and I took a long walk around town. I stopped at the post office, the library (more wi-fi), the yarn store and the super market. Tuesday evening we dined in the Pinnacle Grille courtesy of our travel agent, Paula. Dick had filet mignon and I had lamb chops. Service was excellent and I had creme brûlée for dessert. Couldn't get any better than that. For lunch and dinner in the main dining room we've asked to be seated at tables for six and have had interesting conversations with people from all over. The largest group on the ship is from Australia followed by Canada and then the U.S. </div><div><br></div>As I type, the ship is stopped near the Marjerie Glacier. I'm thinking the Captain is waiting for it to calve. It would be amazing to see a piece fall off. We're told this glacier extends five miles back. The time in Glacier Bay was the most scenic. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkhff38bfNGTDjpqHKpDsI3S0tm0ncVOZmpc3XfBhJ_pVQyFEmHKT2zPUWRpKctLFuVvzyuLxSyneLXz3gn5SC6-nw6GRJfQJ2O0a6NGFRILlWpQy3_E-XwIZqwtTxhUd_euORP5_S-0/s640/blogger-image-1545996291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkhff38bfNGTDjpqHKpDsI3S0tm0ncVOZmpc3XfBhJ_pVQyFEmHKT2zPUWRpKctLFuVvzyuLxSyneLXz3gn5SC6-nw6GRJfQJ2O0a6NGFRILlWpQy3_E-XwIZqwtTxhUd_euORP5_S-0/s640/blogger-image-1545996291.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Thursday was Ketchikan. All three towns seemed to be oriented to the cruise trip tourists with many souvenir shops. Since it is the end of the season there seemed to be an air of desperation to unload as much ticky tacky merchandise as possible. </div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-36285295981998398962014-09-22T19:26:00.001-04:002014-09-22T20:01:17.522-04:00Onward to VancouverWe said farewell to Chris and the twins early in the morning as they headed off to work and school. I spent some time in the morning playing card games with Orion. Before long it was time for us to head off. <div><br></div><div>Becky graciously offered to drive us to Union Station. We arrived shortly after noon and checked our bags. Next door in the 19th century station was a restaurant, Wilf's with a lovely patio so we settled in for lunch in the Portland sunshine. You can see the restaurant's umbrella in the foreground. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2czVkG6iRoa28_1CDtQ7v2U41kTGVJSFHLKkZXOLlDT-BJhqK7t9NbiC8sLs3fdg4wtxgh-oNQtc6SvsID6iQq2nzi4jrN4HIHNxglU0b59ogIU8toUTkyzHeVY3Fc-r_ujlUyryhT4Y/s640/blogger-image--251201169.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2czVkG6iRoa28_1CDtQ7v2U41kTGVJSFHLKkZXOLlDT-BJhqK7t9NbiC8sLs3fdg4wtxgh-oNQtc6SvsID6iQq2nzi4jrN4HIHNxglU0b59ogIU8toUTkyzHeVY3Fc-r_ujlUyryhT4Y/s640/blogger-image--251201169.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>We boarded the Amtrak Cascades at 2:30 for a 2:45 departure. We followed Chris's advice and obtained seats on the west side of the train. We had lovely views as we headed toward Seattle. Not too far past Seattle, the sun set. Although the train was modern and spacious with comfortable seating and wi-fi, after dark the ride grew tedious. We were happy to hear the announcement that we were arriving in Vancouver, BC. Unfortunately there was only one Customs and Immigration official so the process was slow. Once we were cleared we caught a cab to our downtown hotel. It was after midnight so we fell right into bed.</div><div><br></div><div>The next morning after breakfast in the hotel dining room we packed up and headed to the pier. Since it was only two and a half blocks, we walked over. It was a glorious day. Boarding was quick and efficient. Our stateroom was ready. It was inside, as expected, but was considerably larger than the last time we sailed. We headed to the main dining room for the Mariners Lunch. It was hard to choose because everything on the menu sounded so good. I ended up with shrimp cocktail and grilled salmon. By the time we got back to our room, our luggage had arrived and we spent some time unpacking. Then we headed to the Lido Deck for sail away. With the sun shining it was quite festive. </div><div><br></div><div>Here are some photos taken during sail away:</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvbqTy7bj5ZKidGnMaQvFM9NhsSlV3veHlX6gJMgsqt7nGWWQPDRdWI-QWJWIRneaa4xfsLvjFrtdaRF90JD_gGjgyPQnl31Jb8dxG_fnL9YVkIC_wqT4-Qjmizwfsm50aCRiKIaIy8U/s640/blogger-image--1202832628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvbqTy7bj5ZKidGnMaQvFM9NhsSlV3veHlX6gJMgsqt7nGWWQPDRdWI-QWJWIRneaa4xfsLvjFrtdaRF90JD_gGjgyPQnl31Jb8dxG_fnL9YVkIC_wqT4-Qjmizwfsm50aCRiKIaIy8U/s640/blogger-image--1202832628.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Dick enjoying the NY Times on the Lido Deck. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLETEPC4-tRkuSy1e82QYUci1hz4pwUQJJ85oyJWqa9ypGM4yxeI4PSHbaf55SUp3t1ug_CcHOAMA3VluzvLTN9r8uMtXXUIt9yEi2ErYpkqMcOqPWjdnA_6sv3Vq7yvF4wVKQlC8plKQ/s640/blogger-image--794177800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLETEPC4-tRkuSy1e82QYUci1hz4pwUQJJ85oyJWqa9ypGM4yxeI4PSHbaf55SUp3t1ug_CcHOAMA3VluzvLTN9r8uMtXXUIt9yEi2ErYpkqMcOqPWjdnA_6sv3Vq7yvF4wVKQlC8plKQ/s640/blogger-image--794177800.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Passengers enjoying the sunshine in Vancouver. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIXS8aCnOobeSl4lHXjFGHxYQxpzqWY5VRzrh8hYPib4GE_YSFOt4RfsZqvdb0CXsnaglfl2j6he48-lEzmOC_tm_WwE5lz9BSZRvPDm_n27bZZHuXbqUb0L7ShUmhtZCNNFq98LhLqs/s640/blogger-image--1987491150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXIXS8aCnOobeSl4lHXjFGHxYQxpzqWY5VRzrh8hYPib4GE_YSFOt4RfsZqvdb0CXsnaglfl2j6he48-lEzmOC_tm_WwE5lz9BSZRvPDm_n27bZZHuXbqUb0L7ShUmhtZCNNFq98LhLqs/s640/blogger-image--1987491150.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The Vancouver skyline. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLdAh-tODDCrKofXPaiHI9i_pmviFqn4FzxjzTaeFVm_h_sJMMmZuBOMAvNtK2q6-ErGtbvECPdfOfpWVmo_YGeIlqIcHTKt3twmyCTTTejgDXzA-4UNtxZMs27qN_OYmd391st5BD0s/s640/blogger-image--1521588647.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLdAh-tODDCrKofXPaiHI9i_pmviFqn4FzxjzTaeFVm_h_sJMMmZuBOMAvNtK2q6-ErGtbvECPdfOfpWVmo_YGeIlqIcHTKt3twmyCTTTejgDXzA-4UNtxZMs27qN_OYmd391st5BD0s/s640/blogger-image--1521588647.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The harbor as we prepare to sail out to sea. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I'm hoping this weather holds for the duration of the trip. </span></div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-16354327532978928282014-09-18T22:46:00.001-04:002014-09-18T23:13:07.207-04:00PDX Time is Winding Down.We've had three full days with our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. We've walked, gone to Foster Burger for lunch, played games, travelled around on the bus and the trolley. We've spent lots of time playing Candy Crush, Angry Birds and Toca Cars. Linnea mastered purling and started a new knitting project. Here's a photo from Foster Burger. Once again, click on the picture to see the whole thing. <div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjVvS0y-S2-g0L1E3BkymKU5Q7LMKWlHgiTJaUIcvuB_mmZq6QQlGAcT0uTgLyg5coF54yMtZTMEAsvfyFtxh5kgHxAcmuTxcNA1QoRAtIfBlZEC8xYnySm9QNjk213-pJRx2uGLSXy4/s640/blogger-image--2085280532.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcjVvS0y-S2-g0L1E3BkymKU5Q7LMKWlHgiTJaUIcvuB_mmZq6QQlGAcT0uTgLyg5coF54yMtZTMEAsvfyFtxh5kgHxAcmuTxcNA1QoRAtIfBlZEC8xYnySm9QNjk213-pJRx2uGLSXy4/s640/blogger-image--2085280532.jpg"></a></div><br><div>We had some minor complications while we were here. I developed an allergic reaction on the plane which morphed into a full blown dry eye issue. I was able to get my internist to fax a prescription to a chain pharmacy here in Portland. It took a day and a half of telephone tag, but I got the drops and my eyes are now fully healed. </div><div><br></div><div>The other argle-bargle involved our Master Card. I got an email from Chase concerning the Home Depot breach. Our card was to be replaced. The bank was sending new ones. Since we planned to be away for a considerable time longer we would not have access to the cards. After talking to Chase, they offered to send the new cards here in Portland via UPS overnight. Then while we were at the pharmacy, where we inefficiently made three separate purchases still using the old cards, Chase called to verify our cards were not stolen. Apparently numerous small purchases in the same store triggers this. Actually, that's good, stopping fraud before it mounts up to a large amount. Now the big chore will be notifying all of the vendors we pay automatically on the card. That we be a job when we get home since I don't have account numbers and passwords with me. </div><div><br></div><div>Tomorrow we're heading to Vancouver, BC, via Amtrak. We're told it's a beautiful ride up the coast. We'll have one night in a hotel and then board the Zuiderdam on Saturday. </div><div><br></div></div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-79618358933631244512014-09-16T17:21:00.001-04:002014-09-16T17:31:08.119-04:00And we made itWe arrived in Portland right on time. We debated about taking a taxi but in keeping with the rest of the day, we opted for public transit. The trip from the airport to Chris and Becky's house is $1 each for "Honored Citizens." It involves the light rail, a bus and a two block walk. Both Dick and I were wrangling two suitcases and a backpack. (I probably have mentioned this in a previous post. It's a consequence of booking a trip that combines Alaska and glaciers with the Panama Canal and sunshine) My biggest concern was the elevator at the transfer point. If it's not working, it's one big flight of stairs. I've managed it in the past, but not with two suitcases. <div><br></div><div>Fortunately for us, the elevator was working and when the bus pulled up, the driver put out the handicapped ramp. We were able to roll our suitcases right on. She did the same thing when we reached our stop. Tri-Met at its best. <br><div><br></div><div>The kids were waiting up for us and were so excited when we finally arrived. I'm always so delighted at the way they respond to us. So, we now have a little more than three days before it's time for the next phase of our journey. </div></div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-47773055616961992872014-09-15T17:46:00.001-04:002014-09-16T17:25:16.707-04:00Travel DayI'm sitting on the plane enroute to San Francisco. It's full, not a single seat open. So far, no angry confrontations about reclining seats have occurred. There have been three separate incidents in the past few weeks so I wondered if we would experience it. The gentleman in front of me is quite tall and has reclined his seat, probably because the person in front of him did so. My left knee is jammed a bit but it's manageable. When Dick and I travel together, we usually take an aisle and a window seat. The hope, of course, is that the middle seat will remain empty. No such luck this time. <div><br></div><div>We took a taxi to the Westfield Transit Station and caught the train to the airport. We considered walking to the station, we have done this in the past. But, each of us had two suitcases and a backpack. The train to Newark was an express which was fortunate. We found elevators every place we needed them. The biggest challenge was navigating what NJ Transit refers to as "the gap" between the train and the platform. In Newark it seemed enormous. Good citizens and a train employee helped us at each point. Once we got to the airport we were able to shed the large bags. The journey from home to EWR involved four legs but was totally seamless. <br><div><br></div><div>We have a long layover in SFO. We used our guest passes to the United Club which is quite comfortable. There are snacks, drinks and wi-fi. It's given me a chance do do some blogging. We're told the terminal has a number of good restaurants. With the time change, it will soon be dinner time for us. We plan to give one a try. </div><div><br></div><div>Click on the photos to see them full size. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnorLcL1YkBVPJhwW4Oo45FGEDhx_ksLB9ND4rBrGJ4pdxWs2Heg2o9tfy1ibpvmx_kDkHtzGM-R8__hFSZs6xqiGC2gmrAuVNxcEpvjPieZskkzLxnxgnjICInzZFRL4bgL5W1UUchU/s640/blogger-image--1772909969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNnorLcL1YkBVPJhwW4Oo45FGEDhx_ksLB9ND4rBrGJ4pdxWs2Heg2o9tfy1ibpvmx_kDkHtzGM-R8__hFSZs6xqiGC2gmrAuVNxcEpvjPieZskkzLxnxgnjICInzZFRL4bgL5W1UUchU/s640/blogger-image--1772909969.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Here is Dick doing what he does best, reading the NY Times. The United Club was a nice place to do that. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqijNm5FpL2g9AQiO_KJUt_ZPPxDXBgUShSTGkpC13K6YjjsyHh8ayXGea1QjjzwQ0BJeKaqT5ql2rW4rgQyFkRADUzbEq-86dymcvhqgmZrmeGBFEes76vr1crkXVLBbmuULTsMfDDgg/s640/blogger-image--722744339.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqijNm5FpL2g9AQiO_KJUt_ZPPxDXBgUShSTGkpC13K6YjjsyHh8ayXGea1QjjzwQ0BJeKaqT5ql2rW4rgQyFkRADUzbEq-86dymcvhqgmZrmeGBFEes76vr1crkXVLBbmuULTsMfDDgg/s640/blogger-image--722744339.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>It was a six hour very full flight from Newark to San Francisco. As luck would have it, I was seated next to a knitter. We had a lot to talk about during the flight as we both worked on projects. I made a lot of progress on my sock. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgKrEvZxNv1PB0kHYpgdCjD6sgF1Iw7eAiGU3bWnjlQcvCKwOCqP1uiyC-3i6K97AN54PehC3YKT4Pe1h2eKm2MoxROm3jwEaGvd2yykj0weHC7U8ZOrGhjF9vsxOuRrBrj-EcxsO6y8/s640/blogger-image-826707914.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgKrEvZxNv1PB0kHYpgdCjD6sgF1Iw7eAiGU3bWnjlQcvCKwOCqP1uiyC-3i6K97AN54PehC3YKT4Pe1h2eKm2MoxROm3jwEaGvd2yykj0weHC7U8ZOrGhjF9vsxOuRrBrj-EcxsO6y8/s640/blogger-image-826707914.jpg"></a></div><br><div><br></div><div><br></div></div></div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-84176256387256402772014-09-14T21:11:00.001-04:002014-09-14T21:11:34.550-04:00Packed and ReadyWell, we did it, packed all the things. There were frantic moments, mislaid sunglasses, a quick run to Target for another suitcase, lots of pill counting and packaging. It's amazing how much work it is to go on vacation. We each have a carry on bag and one to check. It's going to be an arduous day because I was unable to book a direct flight. We're flying to San Francisco and after a long layover, on to PDX. I'm told there is free wi-fi at the SF airport and many good restaurants. And we have passes to the United Club. I'm sure we'll find ways to pass the time. <div><br></div><div>I feel as if we are going off on a great adventure. </div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-14231267035615202012014-09-13T19:57:00.001-04:002014-09-13T20:18:39.121-04:00Bucket List CruiseOn Monday we set off for Portland, OR, on the first leg of a great adventure. We'll spend a few days with our west coast family before boarding Amtrak to Vancouver, BC. There we will board the Holland America ms Zuiderdam and set sail for Alaska. Seven days later we will return to Vancouver but rather than disembark, we will continue on as passengers as the ship relocates for its winter season in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. It's a total of 27 days. You can see the map below. Click on the photo to enlarge it and you will see the entire itinerary. <div><br></div><div>I haven't used Blogger in over a year and my skills are rusty. I'd like to continue the text after the graphic, but it's resisting my efforts right now. I'm planning to report regularly from the ship with photos and remarks. I hope you will follow along. <br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnBfiEFawdVPVB7mIZtC7Qz_uC0ba4Oop5TDkl0OgT65bqv6YyRVAbNbmBHzt7-rv_45bBVBzs2_fqNhWNkYPWzkbGkOKBgcuA0uqOXlx_NKNXnBwnUcU-Ww78iFTVwgG1hf6KJBS0RY/s640/blogger-image-1928811569.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnBfiEFawdVPVB7mIZtC7Qz_uC0ba4Oop5TDkl0OgT65bqv6YyRVAbNbmBHzt7-rv_45bBVBzs2_fqNhWNkYPWzkbGkOKBgcuA0uqOXlx_NKNXnBwnUcU-Ww78iFTVwgG1hf6KJBS0RY/s640/blogger-image-1928811569.jpg"></a></div></div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-32023147263373437482013-04-05T21:20:00.000-04:002013-04-05T21:33:14.140-04:00Week One in the Great Smoky MountainsI'm participating in back to back Road Scholar hiking programs in Smoky Mountain National Park. At least I thought I was. Come to find out the first program at the Hinton Rural Life Center in Hayesville, NC, actually consisted of hikes on the AT in Nantahala National Forest.<br />
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There were 17 participants and two leaders. Each morning after breakfast we made a bag lunch and set off in two vans to hike a section. The hikes were planned to be in and out which was a bit of a disappointment. Since there were two vans it was possible to hike the same distance and cover more trail mileage but unfortunately this is not how the trip operated. Monday we hiked from Deep Gap to Standing Indian Mountain where there were fabulous views. We ate our lunch on the summit and returned to the vans. We stopped at Standing Indian Shelter. <br />
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On Tuesday we hiked about 2.6 miles from Rock Gap to a side trail that led down to Standing Indian Campground. We found a spot for lunch and then walked back out. On this hike we stopped at Rock Gap Shelter. It was empty on the way in but on the way out we were joined by a number of thru hikers who were planning to spend the night. A shuttle service operates from Rock Gap to the town of Franklin, NC, where many go to shower and re-supply before entering the Smoky Mountains. The hikers we met were planning to visit Franklin the next day. The shelter is quite close to the road. <br />
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You can see our fearless leader, Jack, in red, standing in the shelter.<br />
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On Wednesday, in order to give group members alternatives, The vans traveled to both ends of the section. From the north, it was a two mile hike to Siler Bald, from the south, four miles. This gave hikers the choice of a four mile round trip, an eight mile round trip or a six mile point to point hike. I was delighted and chose the six miler. As we took the two mile steeper walk in, we arrived on Siler Bald much earlier than the other group. The views were magnificent and we enjoyed our lunch up there. <br />
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On the way out I took the opportunity to visit Siler Bald Shelter, located quite a way downhill on a loop parallel to the AT. I joined the group taking the four miles back down at the trail junction. AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-77999934425766060522013-02-08T22:49:00.000-05:002014-09-15T17:42:21.468-04:00Adventures on Tri-MetI've been to Portland, OR, numerous times. My son, daughter-in-law and three adorable grandchildren live here and I try to see them for six or seven days four times a year. And I've been a big fan of the transit system. I always take public transit from the airport when I arrive and frequently take it back to the airport when I'm ready to depart. I use it to visit yarn stores and to get downtown for Sunday UU services and children's theater. It's cheap (Honored, Portland's euphemism for senior, Citizens travel for $1.00) and the service is frequent. I have an app for my iPhone that plans out my trips and tells me how soon the bus will arrive at my stop. What more could one ask for?<br>
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This trip <a href="http://www.trimet.org/" target="_blank">Tri-Met</a> has not quite lived up to my effusive praise. Coming in from the airport I must change from the light rail to the #71 bus to end up within two blocks of my destination. It's never been an issue in the past. This time I stood at the transfer point with more than 20 other people for over 30 minutes. While the sun was out when my plane landed, by the time I reached the NE 60th Ave. overpass it was drizzling. Finally a bus pulled up. It was not full but it had a sign in front saying, "Drop Off Only." Some people did get off and the bus pulled away leaving all of us standing in the rain. I called Tri-Met from my cell phone only to be told that the bus was running late. This, of course, was not news. We'd all been standing there for more than half an hour by this time. Apparently when Tri-Met busses run late the dispatcher orders the driver to leave prospective passengers standing at the stop so the bus can make up for lost time. In other words, the bus will be on time but the passengers won't. I don't understand this but it appears to be standard practice. Ultimately another bus came along although by then we were all pretty wet.<br>
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Thursday after walking the twins to school, I took transit to Twisted, a yarn shop in NE Portland. My PDX Bus app got me there with no difficulty. As I was meeting a friend she dropped me off relatively close to home and I enjoyed the rare sunny February weather and walked home. Today I headed back to the same yarn shop. After dropping the twins off, I headed to the bus stop. As I approached the intersection I could see the bus at the stop on the other side of the street. The light was against me but I scurried across to catch it before it pulled away. Traffic kindly stopped for me. The bus driver chastised me for rushing across telling me it wasn't a safe thing to do. I told him it was because I was from the east coast where we have s faster pace. He was not convinced. I got to the yarn store in good time and enjoyed the morning having coffee and working on my current project. It's a very pleasant space as you can see.<br>
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At 11:30 I realized I should start back if I was to be home before pick-up time at school. I checked the PDX Bus app and it didn't seem to want me to go home the way I came. I was puzzled by this and reluctant to follow the app's directions because it wanted me to take the #77 along NE Broadway and then change to the dreaded #71 which had given me so much trouble on Wednesday. No matter how I tried I could not get the app to allow me to retrace the morning route. Ultimately I acquiesced and took the #77. I confirmed with the driver that I could transfer to the #71 at NE 58th and Halsey. I got off the bus and the app reported that the #71 was due in one minute. And it did turn up quite promptly. As I boarded I asked the driver if I was headed in the right direction for SE52nd and Division and he said no, it was in the other direction. My heart sank. That's not what the app showed but I was not certain myself. Then he corrected himself and said it was the right bus. As soon as we arrived at the NE 60th Ave overpass I was on familiar territory. I made it home just in time to watch the napping baby while my daughter-in-law went to fetch the twins. As I exited the bus (the driver announced the Division stop for my benefit) I told him he had me frightened for a minute there. He told me he had frightened himself when he realized he had the route reversed in his mind. So, all's well that ends well but I now now that the Portland bus service is not quite as wonderful as I have touted it to be.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-16044842001622013-01-28T19:04:00.001-05:002013-01-28T19:10:48.817-05:00Women's Wilderness WeekendThis weekend my friend Maryann and I went to Rhode Island for the winter version of <a href="http://www.womenswildernessri.com/" target="_blank">Women's Wilderness Weekend</a>. The event is held three times per year. I had attended once before in October of 2011 and loved it. In the intervening time I have had a conflict each time it was held. It was great to finally participate again.<br />
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The event is held at the <a href="http://www.uri.edu/ajc/eec/index.html" target="_blank">W. Alton Jones Campus</a> of The University of Rhode Island. It's situated on 2,300 acres of forest, lakes and fields. The accommodations are in heated cabins with bunk beds and hot showers. Each cabin sleeps about 24 persons but usually only the bottom bunks are used. There is a large center for meetings with a dining room, sitting areas, fireplace and classrooms. Meals, served buffet style are healthy and delicious.<br />
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Here I am standing in front of the meeting center, posing with the moose.<br />
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There were lots of organized activities including ecology hikes, dream workshops, tai chi, massages, yoga, tarot card reading. A knitting workshop was listed but ended up cancelled. I chose to spend that scheduled time knitting by the fire which blazed all weekend.</div>
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It was very cold, never going above freezing but the cabins were cozy and the main building very comfortable, even hot with the fire going. I haven't experienced real winter in five years. I'm pleased to report that my clothing and gear which had not been used for years was more than adequate to the occasion.<br />
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I participated in two hikes on the property. We looked for animal prints, checked out the lake and the bubbling spring. In the lake was a large beaver lodge.<br />
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Shortly after the hike leader told us beavers rarely come out during the winter, not actually hibernating, but slowing their heart rates down we came across this:<br />
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Since it had snowed over night, a beaver had clearly come out of the lodge to have a bit of breakfast. The chips were fresh and on top of the snow. This tree will soon be dead if the beavers continue snacking.<br />
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Bubbling Spring Pond was mostly frozen although we were able to spot some bubbles off to one side. Everything was just slightly snow covered which made for beautiful scenery.</div>
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Animal tracking was really interesting. We saw signs of foxes, coyotes, squirrels and mice. Here is an example of fox prints on a snow covered log:</div>
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Saturday evening I had a tarot card reading. It's not something that I have a lot of faith in but this was really interesting and the reader answered some questions and validated some thinking I've been having.</div>
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I can't say enough about this group of women, the weekend program and the setting. The price is very reasonable and there is so much fun to be had. The next weekend is May 3rd through 5th. I can't wait to go back. I'm planning to encourage friends to join me. Hope to see you there too.</div>
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<br />AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-61478631977603532392013-01-20T16:02:00.003-05:002013-01-20T16:02:48.811-05:00Skipping Sunny FLAs our time in sunny FL was coming to a close last April, DH and I decided we were not going to spend a fifth winter as snow birds. The weather in Crystal River is pleasant and the company, at The Islands and at Nature Coast UU, is good. We enjoyed being outdoors, biking and walking. We liked the townhouse we rented as it is larger and better equipped than our place in NJ. The washer and dryer in the unit were particularly appreciated. I will never like walking my laundry two buildings over even though there is rarely a wait for a machine and the laundry room is kept spotless by our super, Romeo.<br />
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What we missed in Florida was culture, particularly our easy access to Manhattan. Since coming north, we've visited numerous museums, seen countless independent films, enjoyed first class chamber music. We also missed our families. Being in NJ all year allows us to have the company of our NY/NJ children and grandchildren. For the first time in many years we celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas at our house. It was wonderful. It's also a treat to meet Jackie in Manhattan for a meal and a visit from time to time.<br />
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So far the winter has been extremely mild. I heard on the radio the other day that December and January have averaged 5 degrees above normal. We're expecting a cold snap in the next few days and the temperature is forecast to stay below freezing for an extended time. We'll have to see how we fare. Inside we are warmer than we ever were in Florida. Our apartment is kept at a steady 72 to 74 degrees. At night I have to open the window to bring the temperature down to one suitable for sleeping. In Florida the unit was difficult to heat with uninsulated windows. DH was almost always cold until April. If we turned the heat up to the comfort range, the electric bill took our breath away.<br />
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I'm really appreciating my knitting friends as well. There are scheduled knit group meetings three times a week at various venues and ad hoc get together opportunities at Lisa's yarn shop, <a href="http://www.allabouteweshop.com/" target="_blank">All about Ewe</a>. I missed her grand opening last February and I've been busy making up for lost time. Her shop has a comfortable seating area, a welcoming atmosphere and absolutely lovely yarn. <br />
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I'm currently working on two knitting projects. One is a cable sweater for DH. It's a challenging pattern and I've suffered a few set backs but I'm soldiering on. I've finished the front and am most of the way through the sleeves. It would be nice to finish it before the winter is over. My other project is very long term, a shawl I started November 29, 2011. It's the kind of project that requires intense concentration, precludes conversation and is knit in fingering weight yarn. I enjoy it when I'm working on it, but don't often find the solitary time. In the meantime, I've completed lots of small projects: fingerless mitts, cowls, sweaters for the OR grands, hats (one for Molly and one for me), a washcloth for Orion and four baby bears (three pictured below, fourth given to charity). Photos of the other finished items are available on my <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/projects/adoptionmsw" target="_blank">ravelry page</a>. <br />
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<br />AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-28333418175418233422013-01-19T19:26:00.000-05:002013-01-19T19:30:15.506-05:00It's Been a Long TimeWhen last we heard from the intrepid travelers, they were heading home from sunny FL.<br />
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It was an uneventful trip until we arrived in Columbia, MD, for a long anticipated visit with our friends, John and Kathy. We were enjoying a lovely dinner and the chance to catch up with each other when my phone rang. It was Chuck calling to tell me he had just learned that Josh had been found dead in his apartment in Colorado. It was a shock. If we had to be away from home when learning such awful news, we couldn't have been in a better place than with John and Kathy. We have been friends for more than 25 years and are familiar with each others children and their histories. It was so helpful to be with supportive, understanding people as we started to process the information.<br />
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It's been difficult for me to blog since that time. There were memorial service details to work out, an autopsy report to digest and lots of thoughts and feelings to process. Fortunately our children and my DIL, Sara, swung into action and did the hard work of planning a lovely service that was attended by more than 200 people. We're progressing through a year without him, marking how we miss him at various holidays and his birthday. He and I had been somewhat estranged and I didn't hear from him often. I do find myself thinking about him now and wishing he were still here, out there in the west, far away but with the possibility of contact.<br />
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Shelter on the AT in Vermont</div>
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Aside from lots of knitting, the one accomplishment I'm very proud of is my backpacking adventure on the Appalachian Trail in Vermont. There is a 21 mile section between Bennington, VT and Arlington/Wardsboro Road that has no road crossings. It must be hiked as a backpack. I've been thinking and scheming about it for years now. Since I'm now approaching 70, I figured it's now or never. I knew I could never do it with my old backpacking gear so I did some research and purchased new, ultralight equipment. I did a trial run overnight in NJ and when that was a success I watched the weather report for a four day stretch of good weather in Vermont. I drove up on my own, left the car at the trailhead near Bennington and set off into the woods. I was out for four days and three nights. There were times that I felt physically challenged but I soldiered on. I never felt alone. There were many southbound hikers to meet during the day and there were plenty of people at the various shelters each night. At the end of the hike my sister picked me up at the northern trailhead and we spent the afternoon, evening and next morning in Manchester, VT. I hope to make more trips like this in the spring.<br />
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I'm hoping to blog regularly again. I have lots of knitting projects to show you and lots of things going on in my life. Let's see how it goes.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-29666986645518037002012-04-23T19:03:00.000-04:002012-04-23T20:40:13.518-04:00Heading HomeThe Road Scholar program was over around lunch time today. DH and I got in our cars and began to head north. Not too far from Sarasota we stopped at the Ellenton Outlets. Ellenton is a really big center with lots of good stores. I did a lot of browsing but just a little buying. I was delighted to get a new battery for my watch. The battery died on Saturday and we were just too booked up with the film festival to get to a jeweler. I had no idea how many times per day I look at my watch until it stopped working. Of course, I can check my iPhone but it's so much more obvious than glancing at one's wrist. What a pleasure to have a working watch again.<br />
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We're currently in Silver Springs, FL. We had intended to get into Georgia today but time just got away from us. Hopefully tomorrow we'll be able to drive the entire day. I am hoping we will be home by Wednesday evening or Thursday at the latest.<br />
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I'm listening to <b>Cutting</b> <b>for</b> <b>Stone</b> by Abraham Verghese. It's a wonderful book and really helps to pass the time on these long drives.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-65999555902889437002012-04-18T15:05:00.000-04:002012-04-18T15:05:49.823-04:00Sarasota Film Festival, Part IWow! It's been over a month since I last posted. We've left Crystal River and are at the Sarasota Film Festival. We're doing the Road Scholar part of the festival, but this year we decided to come early to catch some extra films and enjoy Sarasota. It's so different from Crystal River and so much fun to be here.<br />
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I've seen six films so far. Opening night we saw <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1990314/" target="_blank"><b>Robot</b> <b>and</b> <b>Frank</b></a> starring Frank Langella, Susan Sarandon and a robot. It's a comedy about a second story man in the early stages of dementia. We really enjoyed it. Watch for it soon in theaters near you.<br />
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On Saturday we saw <b><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1661420/" target="_blank">Polisse</a></b>, a French film about the child protective unit of the Paris Police. It was fast moving, poignant and funny. I love films with subtitles. I don't miss any of the dialogue. DH was pleased about how much of the French he understood. This one may not make it to the burbs of NJ but I'm sure it will be available at some point in Manhattan.<br />
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Sunday DH and I chose separate films. I went to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1860152/" target="_blank"><b>17</b> <b>Girls</b></a>, another French language film about a rash of pregnancies among high school students in a small town. Purportedly the plot was based on an incident that took place in the US. I think it lost something in the translation. It wasn't fully believable. I wasn't happy with the director's filming style, too many long pauses. DH saw <a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/teddy-bear-sundance-film-review-285456" target="_blank"><b>Teddy</b> <b>Bear</b></a> which he thoroughly enjoyed. <br />
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DH joined me and we went to <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1675434/" target="_blank"><b>The Intouchables</b></a>, another French language film (are you sensing a pattern here?). After a sky diving accident renders him a quadriplegic, a wealthy widower hires an assistant from an impoverished, dysfunctional family. The relationship that develops between the two and the changes that friendship makes in both their lives is touching. DH and I loved this film.<br />
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Tuesday I went to a documentary, <b>Book</b> <b>Club</b>, about some women in the DC area who have been members of a book club since the 1940's. It was a great film with wonderful interviews with women who have lived through so many phases of the women's movement. DH then joined me for mussels at brasserie belge before we saw our Second English language film, <a href="http://www.theperfectweddingmovie.com/" target="_blank"><b>The</b> <b>Perfect</b> <b>Wedding</b></a>, a film that manages to cover adoption, alcoholism, dementia and homosexuality all in one family. Oh, and there were two weddings. It was like able, but a bit too contrived for my taste. <br />
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We've changed hotels now and are ready to join the Road Scholar portion of the film festival. I'll report again when we've seen a few more films.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-73991561442999259222012-03-16T10:06:00.000-04:002012-03-16T10:06:39.724-04:00Finished Projects<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlCTpl4OTIHvlY4cZjmn9-vWY4w2ok_tw7EdBDVThkJOpeAy9l-rTKVksHOFguaH8Il_aP53JF1En3zkmRXqH-_kAvSNW5jAU8LjIKaQqjT-MrJIJR9OYnWGxldcg8Or3AFDaXm4Giyo/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">t<img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJlCTpl4OTIHvlY4cZjmn9-vWY4w2ok_tw7EdBDVThkJOpeAy9l-rTKVksHOFguaH8Il_aP53JF1En3zkmRXqH-_kAvSNW5jAU8LjIKaQqjT-MrJIJR9OYnWGxldcg8Or3AFDaXm4Giyo/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I've been working to finish projects using stash. This sweater, <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/rambling-rows-jacket" target="_blank">Rambling Rows</a> by Cottage Creations is one of my favorites. I love mitered squares and combining color combinations. This project incorporates four colors of Cascade 220 Superwash. I'm really happy with the way it turned out. <br />
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This baby sweater in Berocco Love It purchased two years ago at Yarnworks in Gainesville, FL, is another of my favorite patterns,<a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/-982-babies-neck-down-cardigan"> # 982 Babies Neck Down Cardigan</a> by Diane Soucy. I enjoy making top down sweaters; there's very little sewing and I think they are more comfortable to wear when they don't have seams attaching the arms to the body. This is lovely yarn, mostly cotton with some stretch.<br />
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Here's another Rambling Rows sweater, my fifth. It's knit in Berocco Geode, Cascade 220 and Germantown Worsted. I think it's perfect for my granddaughter, Linny, who loves purple. I'm a tight knitter so I used the stitch counts for the 7 to 9 size which came out to the measurements of a slightly large 4 to 6 size. It should be perfect for her to wear at the end of the summer. Now I have to come up with complementary sweaters for her brothers. Fortunately my stash continues to overflow and I just need to rummage around a bit to find something suitable.<br />
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I'm working on another baby sweater project right now but it's not something that will lend itself to a work in progress photo. Once it's done, I'll post it.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-283485502068282012-03-11T14:25:00.003-04:002012-03-11T15:22:42.721-04:00Great Balls of Yarn #1It seemed like a great idea. DH was longing to cruise; I was less enthusiastic. He suggested I search out a knitting cruise. I googled and stumbled upon Great <a href="http://www.greatballsofyarn.com/knittingcruise.htm">Balls</a> of Yarn, a week long cruise out of Ft. Lauderdale on the Westerdam. We like Holland America Lines, in fact, sailed on the Westerdam once before. The featured instructor was Barry Klein. I wasn't familiar with him but what could go wrong? It was knitting. We booked.<br />
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I mentioned the cruise at my Monday night knitting group. A friend looked dubious. She mentioned that Barry Klein was associated with Trendsetter Yarns and specialized in novelty yarns. This caused me some concern but I thought being with a bunch of knitters sailing the Caribbean can't go wrong.<br />
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On January 13 the Costa Concordia tragedy hit the news. A large cruise ship hit a reef off the coast of Italy. The evacuation of the ship was poorly handled. Many people were injured and around 30 were dead or missing. There were numerous photos of the ship lying in its side in shallow water. At first I wondered if we should cancel our trip. DH convinced me that cruise ships are statistically much safer than automobiles and I travel in one of those just about every day. So, we went ahead as planned.<br />
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Shortly before the cruise was scheduled to begin I received an email from the cruise organizers detailing the schedule. We were to have classes on the three sea days. In addition, there would be two cocktail parties. DH and I were assigned to a dinner table for eight members of the knitting group. It sounded like great fun. There was a note from Barry as well stating we should just bring our needles; he would bring the yarn. Naively I thought, how nice, he's bringing yarn samples for us to play with.<br />
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2012 is my year of the yarn diet. A casual inventory of my stash revealed that I have over$1,000 of yarn waiting to be used. I have lots of plans for projects and plenty of stock on hand to complete them. Therefore, I pledged to myself that I would "knit from stash." I brought four projects with me on the ship. Three of them are works in progress: a rambling rows child's jacket i'm making for Linny, my Catkin shawl still in the very beginning stages, Pastafarian, aka Sandrilene, a sweater for me, and enough yarn to start and finish another child size sweater, this one for Orion.<br />
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The first full day of cruising was scheduled for Half Moon Cay, HAL's private island. DH and I have been there more than once. It's lovely if you are a beach person. I'm not. I planned to have a peaceful day on the ship while everyone else went ashore for the sun and sand. As I took my early morning walk around the promenade deck I noticed it was extremely windy. As we arrived at Half Moon Cay the captain announced that the wind was so strong it would not be safe to use the tenders. We would be skipping our stop there.<br />
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Soon I received a phone call and an invitation to a special bonus knitting session scheduled for later in the day. After lunch I headed to the meeting room. We were introduced to Barry who had displayed many samples around the room. Most of them were made with novelty yarns. They were beautifully made, but for the most part, not garments I would wear. Barry showed us a lovely <a href="http://www.trendsetteryarns.com/pattern-44/large/4403Igre.jpg">vest</a> made in a complex miter pattern using many different yarns. It looked like something I would enjoy making and wearing. Great Balls of Yarn had set up a market in the back of the room where many unusual and attractive yarns were on display. There were also pre made kits for the vest project. I handled one that was a mix of blue yarns and one that was pink. Both were lovely. I decided on the blue one and went to pay for it. At that moment the class convened and I was encouraged to complete the sale during the first break. As Barry explained the construction I realized it was the same technique I had learned from Barbara Kerr at Stitches East in Hartford. I really wanted to make this vest. I turned to the woman on my left and noticed her sales slip resting on top of her kit. The total was $239.00. It took my breath away. There is no way that I would invest that much money in a project even if I weren't on a yarn diet. When the break came, I put the kit back in the market.<br />
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Barry took some time to describe the other projects he planned for the cruise. One was a scarf, attractive in its way, but not something I would wear. The other was a handbag done with fabric and Tunisian crochet. This one involved buying fabric, yarn and the special, handmade crochet hook. I don't think so. After some additional discussion, we played a really fun game called R L C that involves dice and passing dollar bills (or chips) back and forth among the players. I won!<br />
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Our dinner companions are delightful, two couples from Toms River. I prefer assigned seating when we cruise and really look forward to catching up with our dinner companions each evening.<br />
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Tuesday morning we had our first regularly scheduled class. It became apparent the day would be devoted to making the vest. Most, but not all, of the participants had purchased the kit. Those of us who did not were given printed instructions for the basic miter design. If I had been aware this was the plan, I would have brought a selection from stash since doing the design requires mixing up lots of yarn in small amounts. Since Barry said he was bringing the yarn, I didn't do so. I worked on the miter pattern using yarn from the rambling rows jacket. It's an interesting construction involving not just mitered squares but part squares that link together in intriguing ways. Here's what I have so far. <br />
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Can't seem to upload photo from iPad. Will do so when I can use laptop.<br />
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The pattern calls for about ten different yarns with different textures and colors. I only had three with me. Unfortunately both the basic miter instructions and the vest pattern itself are riddled with errors. Once I ran out of appropriate yarn (about the same time I became annoyed at the inaccurate stitch counts in the pattern) I resumed working on the Rambling Rows jacket. It's really coming along.<br />
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So, I'm feeling a bit misled, chagrined that I did not investigate the details thoroughly and at the same time, enjoying the companionship of the other women. As I said in my intro, it's a knitting cruise. It has to be fun and so far it is.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-47712422078790049262012-01-23T19:41:00.000-05:002012-01-23T19:41:04.589-05:00Mondays are for BikingMost Mondays, weather permitting, Becky and I go biking on the <a href="http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/regions/crossflorida/trails/with_state.htm" target="_blank">Withlacoochee Trail</a>. Although the trail is over 40 miles long, we favor a section stretching from Inverness to Floral City. It's nearly 14 miles round trip and the <a href="http://shamrockinn-floralcity.com/" target="_blank">Shamrock Inn</a> in Floral City offers a $.99 breakfast if you get there before 11 AM. For this low, low price, you get an egg, any style, hash browns and toast. Coffee is extra. The inn is right on the trail and many bicyclists take advantage of the bargain meal. So, on Mondays, we load the bikes on the car, drive to Inverness where there is convenient parking at Wallace Brooks Park. It's a nearly seven mile ride to Floral City. We eat our breakfast and ride back to Inverness. <br />
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Today was beautiful weatherwise. Sunny with temps in the mid 70's, perfect for biking.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MzD6xPuQ__76JLJNczNZvKzQi361CyIfcsYcu8ukYfP0AoL-Y7nQpE_6mrkVXTgkg-2pn5DzMyNsTv2yYrL_c1ajpLt-0D2VGoJF9Jt6g4kQJlEzHBdO-RfRbaC6p4HzdPOZqeQfFgc/s1600/Shamrock+Inn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3MzD6xPuQ__76JLJNczNZvKzQi361CyIfcsYcu8ukYfP0AoL-Y7nQpE_6mrkVXTgkg-2pn5DzMyNsTv2yYrL_c1ajpLt-0D2VGoJF9Jt6g4kQJlEzHBdO-RfRbaC6p4HzdPOZqeQfFgc/s320/Shamrock+Inn.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> The sign in front of the Shamrock Inn</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9nOCCZpHin27lpeuvPcdLL_4RGj3bXJZiRm4pUUqpS4eED7d4HpPY1WJEfUWr7mlHuPDNSNPZKfvVz0sF1e-gKwXFz_Am9pfUY8i8XCVMRL3v6eQazAZQBf94YgVucj6oK5a432whys/s1600/6751846135_5333c3007f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9nOCCZpHin27lpeuvPcdLL_4RGj3bXJZiRm4pUUqpS4eED7d4HpPY1WJEfUWr7mlHuPDNSNPZKfvVz0sF1e-gKwXFz_Am9pfUY8i8XCVMRL3v6eQazAZQBf94YgVucj6oK5a432whys/s320/6751846135_5333c3007f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Becky on the Withlacoochee</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-19635058605477560062012-01-19T21:24:00.000-05:002012-01-19T21:24:24.162-05:00Transitions are HardThe last time I posted here, back in November of 2011, I mentioned my ambivalence about being a snow bird. I was looking forward to the warm, sunny weather that Florida offers, but I was not eager to leave all the things in NJ that I really enjoy.<br />
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We've been in Florida for six weeks now. The weather has been quite mild, much warmer than the previous two winters. We've had some chilly mornings, but by midday, it's sunny and pleasant. It seems, though, that it's been pretty mild in NJ too. There haven't been any major snow storms to date and temps appear to be moderate for this time of year.<br />
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In the past, I've enjoyed the Florida weather to do outdoor activities. I do try to bicycle with a friend on the Withlacoochee Trail every Monday. Most other days I go to the gym, a gym that is no where near as nice as <a href="http://www.nobodydenied.com/trainerfinder/websites/60221/main/index.html" target="_blank">NBD</a>, the gym I belong to at home. Going to the gym every day negates the allure of mild temperatures and outdoor activities. I find myself pining for the NJ gym and my trainer, Toni.<br />
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The things I miss the most though are people; my yarny friends and my NJ grands. As I follow their activity reports on ravelry, facebook, twitter and my daughter-in-law's blog, I struggle over and over with all the things I am missing. Christmas, a wedding, a <a href="http://allabouteweshop.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">yarn store opening</a>, just to name a few. There are activities here including two knitting groups, the UU congregation, socializing at the club house, but they just don't seem to measure up this year. And, there is so little access to culture here. We see reviews of films that are not playing nearby. We miss concerts, plays. Hell, I even miss Starbucks!!<br />
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Early in December we looked into spending next winter in a more cosmopolitan area like Sarasota. It looks very appealing but prices are simply out of reach. We're toying with the idea of spending next winter at home and using NYC as our playground. Since the heat in our apartment is always on high (with no way to control it but opening the window), we won't be cold and we don't have to go out if the weather is bad.<br />
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In the meantime, there are some nice things to look forward to. I've got a frequent flyer ticket and will be heading to Portland in early February. Shortly after I return, the NJ grands and their parents will be visiting us. And, in early March DH and I are taking a <a href="http://www.greatballsofyarn.com/knittingcruise.htm#caribbean" target="_blank">knitting cruise</a> with Barry Klein. Of course, in mid-April we'll be attending the Sarasota Film Festival again. <br />
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I'm knitting, of course. I've got three baby sweaters and an adult sweater "in process." One baby sweater is a store sample for <a href="http://allabouteweshop.com/Home_Page.php" target="_blank">All About Ewe</a>, the about to open yarn store mentioned above. The adult sweater, for me, is <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sandrilene" target="_blank">Sandrilene</a>, designed by <a href="http://www.ravelry.com/stores/patterns-by-jesh" target="_blank">Jesh</a>, a NJ yarn friend. And, I was recently approached by the owner of a children's store in Philadelphia about providing some baby sweaters for sale in her shop. Negotiations are ongoing and it may not come to fruition, but we'll see.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1Crystal River, FL, USA28.893161230666841 -82.63585986699212128.699585230666841 -82.930563366992118 29.086737230666841 -82.341156366992124tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-81253351028755781792011-11-12T20:18:00.000-05:002011-11-12T20:18:51.549-05:00Saturday, Falling BehindI joined other knitters at Panera this morning and worked on my Deco for NaKniSweMo. It needs to be 12.5 inches before I split for the sleeves. When I arrived it measured 12 inches. When I was ready to leave (more than three hours later) it still measured 12 inches. I don't know what to make of it.<br />
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It's starting to get cold and windy. The leaves are falling. I'm so ambivalent about going off to sunny FL. It's a lot of work to pack up, a long drive taking several days with two cars and then the adjustment of different house, friends, UU congregation, knit group, gym (and hopefully trainer), etc. I really don't want to be in New Jersey for the winter but I sure would like to pick up everything that is familiar and comfortable here and bring it with me to Crystal River. I know that can't happen and I always have a good time once I'm there. It's just that transitions are tough.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-9493093315762830172011-11-11T20:45:00.000-05:002011-11-11T20:45:43.191-05:00Didn't Knit TodayI didn't knit a stitch today. I'm not sure why; it may be related to the number of appointments and obligations I've had this week. Things are winding down for us in NJ and loose ends need to be tied up before we head to sunny FL. So this week, I saw the dentist, had lunch with a friend, conducted a workshop way down in Atlantic County (that had only five attendees, sigh), had two separate visits with the NJ grands (today was Becca B's eighth birthday and I wanted to spend some time with her), went to Manhattan for a film and dinner with DD. There wasn't a day that didn't have at least two commitments outside the house. I don't know how I used to work full-time. Now that I'm mostly retired, having an obligation or two every day seems to really wear me out.<br />
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Tomorrow I have knitting at Panera and I'll have to play catch up. AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-26178174681175456002011-11-09T20:05:00.001-05:002011-11-11T20:46:12.578-05:00Playing Catch UpI had intended to post every day this month. Then I came up against two days where I didn't get home until after 10 and I was just too exhausted to post. So, I'll try to catch you up on what's been happening.<br />
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Monday DH and I went into Manhattan to see a film and meet DD and her BF for dinner in Chinatown. We chose <i><b>In</b> <b>the</b> <b>Family</b></i>, a film about two gay men raising their son. When one of the men is killed in an auto accident, his family claims custody of the child. The film focuses on what the other man goes through in his efforts to reclaim the boy. We didn't research this properly and realized two thirds of the way through that it is a three hour film. We had to leave at that point to be on time for dinner. Don't know what happened in the end, may have to see it again or rent it when it comes out on DVD.<br />
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We had a nice dinner with DD, boyfriend wasn't feeling well so she came alone. It's so nice to have uninterrupted time to talk. Trains only run every hour at night, so there is almost always a wait at NY or Newark Penn Station. That night was no exception.<br />
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Tuesday it was off to the gym and the dentist. I'm seeing the trainer twice a week. She makes a real effort to make each session fresh and new. I don't know what I will do about personal training in sunny FL. I've done some preliminary research and there seems to be a dearth of personal trainers in the Crystal River area. I don't want to lose my momentum. I've made such great progress since June...<br />
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Tuesday night is knit night. It was scheduled for Coffee Beanery in Garwood but we learned mid-afternoon that they had no water. We went to Starbucks instead. Unfortunately there were only dining chairs available and my back did not appreciate it, even with my pillow. I did get quite a bit of knitting done. I'm still on track for NaKniSweMo. As of this evening, I'm just about finished with the third skein of yarn and I have 11 inches finished on the body.<br />
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I had emailed Rowan Yarns about the defective skein. The reply advised returning it to the seller for exchange or refund. I replied that the seller is no longer in business. I'm told I will be contacted by the North American office to sort things out. I'm sure that dye lot is no longer available, not sure how another will match up.<br />
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I'm posting tonight on the iPad which does not have the capabilities of the laptop. I'll post updated photos tomorrow.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-2297328188493421752011-11-06T21:14:00.002-05:002011-11-06T21:17:13.426-05:006/30DH and I went to see <i><b>Tower Heist</b></i> this afternoon. <a href="http://movies.nytimes.com/2011/11/04/movies/ben-stiller-and-eddie-murphy-in-tower-heist-review.html" target="_blank">A. O. Scott of the NY Times</a> was not enthralled, but I thought it was really funny. Ben Stiller and Eddie Murphy had me laughing over and over. It's always fun to see a film set in New York because the locations are identifiable and I can say to myself, "I've been there." The Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade was icing on the cake.<br />
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I'm moving along on the sweater. The goal is to finish at least an inch a day and a skein of yarn every three days. There are nine skeins and if I keep I schedule, I'll be finished by November 27th. It would be really nice to wear it to Thanksgiving dinner, but I don't know if that is possible. I've written to Rowan yarns about the defective skein and I've tracked down on line sources of additional yarn. I don't know if the dye lots will match, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.<br />
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Here's a photo of eight plus inches of sweater with six repeats of the deco pattern. It will look a lot better when it's blocked:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaXPQnw2RKQSuRcln_oG1hTzd_-3NT9QhINKfqqlq1oVEv1Zar161WQYOfCiZ7U7SEMbIWr0jyzklRlYfC-ZdFLAlYETKdFmRJXn_T5owyKaqUj51BcVl8ul0Dy7T-Ks31uBe9DO9GvM/s1600/001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyaXPQnw2RKQSuRcln_oG1hTzd_-3NT9QhINKfqqlq1oVEv1Zar161WQYOfCiZ7U7SEMbIWr0jyzklRlYfC-ZdFLAlYETKdFmRJXn_T5owyKaqUj51BcVl8ul0Dy7T-Ks31uBe9DO9GvM/s320/001.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The "check engine" light is on again in my Honda Civic Hybrid so tomorrow, first thing, I'm off to Carmen the Mechanic. I had the 100,000 mile check up just over a week ago and he told me I was good to go. I'm hoping Carmen just forgot to reset the computer.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0Westfield, NJ 07090, USA40.649448 -74.3476289999999848.0025839999999988 -134.11325399999998 73.296312 -14.582003999999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-20255000524663076952011-11-05T20:21:00.000-04:002011-11-05T20:21:47.510-04:005/30Another day, another post. This time I have a progress photo for you:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGdYUrM9lRpAE1B_Fc1-JBxN-Li_N3ZTCYnLbkK_vbsaKlH2HOC0zDbexJXEiJWgaYSSCKYukW5zdfwM8dSGGD6gjgaczmffTqZQnbWm495TuXRfd-2vYnmaJO83N76GFxWFhbifTbAk/s1600/Deco+WIP+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWGdYUrM9lRpAE1B_Fc1-JBxN-Li_N3ZTCYnLbkK_vbsaKlH2HOC0zDbexJXEiJWgaYSSCKYukW5zdfwM8dSGGD6gjgaczmffTqZQnbWm495TuXRfd-2vYnmaJO83N76GFxWFhbifTbAk/s320/Deco+WIP+2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I currently have about six inches completed. I've finished the waist decreases, started the bust increases and have begun the deco pattern on the front of the garment. I've emailed Rowan about the defective skein of yarn, probably won't have a reply before Monday. In the meantime, I discovered the yarn is still available so I can buy more if I need it. The issue there will be matching dye lots. The other alternative is to make the sleeves 3/4 length, if necessary.<br />
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Today's activities included knitting at Panera, the gym and ShopRite. Really exciting, right?AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0Westfield, NJ 07090, USA40.649448 -74.3476289999999848.0025839999999988 -134.11325399999998 73.296312 -14.582003999999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1104080889312195524.post-53682723429506717082011-11-04T23:11:00.000-04:002011-11-04T23:11:41.610-04:004/30Wow! Posting every day is hard. It's late, been a long day, just got home from a community theater performance, a series of monologues by different women. It was really hard for me to hear so I don't really know what to make of the play, <i><b>Talking With...</b></i> by Jane Martin.<br />
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I'm making progress on Deco, my November sweater. I've had one set back, don't know if it's going to be a major one. I have nine skeins of Rowan Pure Wool DK, just about the right amount of yardage for this pattern. I finished the first skein, started a second and thought the yarn seemed very thin. I disregarded the feeling; after all, it's the same yarn, from the same dye lot, how could it be thinner? After about 10 rows, I held the fabric to the light and saw that it was much thinner in the new section. I don't know what to make of it. The yarn is long discontinued. I bought it at a yarn shop that was sadly going out of business. I've set that skein aside for the time being. I think I will be needing it to complete the sweater. I'm hoping I can use it for the button bands and the neck band where it will be less obvious that the yarn is a different weight. The sweater is coming along beautifully, the pattern is extremely well written and the yarn (that is, all except the one thin skein) is lovely. I know I promised you an updated photo, but I'm just too tired right now and there is no natural light available. I'll try to get one tomorrow.<br />
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That's all, my friends. I'm off to bed.AdoptionMSWhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14297316314787853555noreply@blogger.com0