Knit Run, Purl Run

A New Year & My Resolution

Posted on January 1, 2012 by H3Dakota

A New Year & My Resolution

Holy disappearing act! I knew it had been a long time since I’d blogged, but I was astounded to discover it has been an entire year. My sincere apologies to all of you, I have been a very bad blogger.

Normally I’m not keen on resolutions. They just don’t pan out. I don’t know of many folks that actually stick to them beyond January. LOL But I decided this year to officially make one – and that is to resurrect my blog & stick to it this year. I have missed it so much.

Running

Yes, running is another area where I’ve dropped off the face of the planet, I’ll admit. I’ve gotten out here & there, but I just haven’t stuck to a regular routine. It’s been a very bad thing for me. Also something I’m determined to fix – and in case you few readers haven’t picked up on it before, I tend not to blog when I’m not really running either. I hate putting up a post stating that I’m not running! LOL

Now, I DID get out the other day for a 2 mile run with the youngest manlet & the Pixie (oh, you all haven’t “met” her yet – she is the oldest manlet’s girlfriend of 18? months). I *love* running with the family, it’s SO much fun! I felt bad, though, as the Pixie had worked out the day before, so she lost steam after a half mile. She walked pretty fast & I did a slow jog with her for a half mile to finish up mile 1. The manlet did fantastic for just over a half mile, running way out ahead of us with his super long legs… but then he slammed into that age-old runner’s issue, chafing. Poor guy had to walk the rest of the way in misery, but at least for mile 2, the Pixie kept him company. I ran back mile 2 on my own ahead of them & felt pretty damn proud of myself that I’d seriously outrun a 17 year old manlet & a 19 year old Pixie! :D

BTW – we took the route to the schools & back, so we ran by the ABC Gum Pole. I took a snap just to show the progress, for those of you interested. I decided to link to it instead of posting it directly so as to not gross out the other readers. ;)

Reading

I have gotten some reading done lately as well, YAY! Of course, it helped that I treated myself to one of these, which makes it SO easy to knit & read at the same time. ;)

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
WOW! I’m late to reading this one. A good friend of mine had recommended it to me months ago & after I got into it, I totally understood why. Someone else has referred to it as a “nerdgasm” – and it totally is. It is a true geekfest of virtual reality & 80s pop culture (but just the bits that centered around all things geeks are drawn to). Video games, movies like Star Wars & War Games, even Japanese cartoons – and best of all, Rushare featured in this fast paced action/adventure/suspense story. It is chock FULL of geek references, some explained, some not – it’s up to you to see if you can find them all! ;) Probably it’s the biggest hit with anyone that grew up in the 80s because of that & it’s not destined to be a classic – but it IS so much fun, I will absolutely read it again. :D
Rush’s album 2112 (which is my 2nd fave Rush album) is featured in the story. Specifically a couple of songs, this being one. Enjoy! :)
Rush – 2112 – Discovery
The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter
The latest in the Lords of the Underworld series, this is the story of Strider. Strider has the demon of Defeat within him, so he can’t lose any challenge without suffering terrible weakness & pain afterward. This story matches him up with a harpy, Kaia. Happily, I like Kaia – because that is the ONLY reason I made it through this book. Strider is the biggest egotistical sexist pig of a character I think I’ve read in a very long time. I hated this book.
Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris
There are some things that I love about the Sookie Stackhouse series – primarily, Eric Northman. The stories are usually either fun & entertaining or they stink. This one is in the stinker category. The author seems to have confused Bill & Eric, as she has Bill saying & doing things that Eric would do – and these two are as opposite as night & day. She also has Sookie blathering on about being Christian whilst plotting massive assassinations in this one – which totally loses points for me. Fine if she wants to focus on her faith, I have no issue with that. But to do that, then plan to kill people?! Pssst, Sookie – that doesn’t fall under the umbrella of WWJD. Just saying.

Knitting

Oh, I had lost my knitting mojo for the longest time. It’s come back again, finally too. Not quite in time to get ALL the gifts done for the holidays this year, but I’m ok with that. I’ve gotten loads of things done, but these are some of the highlights…

Today’s Ravelry Search

This part right here? I’ve missed the most, actually! :D I’ve always had so much fun doing this piece of my blog posts and I’ve really missed out on some awesome patterns this past year by not doing this.

None of these are mine, of course – just click the picture to go right to the Ravelry pattern page. Those marked with an asterisk are free patterns, so enjoy! :) It’s coming on that time of year again… ;)

Knit

* Cute & quick socks!

Knit

Beautiful cabling on this hat.

Knit

These would make a fantastic wreath to hang on your door, wouldn't they? It's a pattern for sale on Ravelry (only $2.50), but you can also find it in Woman's Weekly magazine for February 2011.

Knit

* Monster for your Love! SO cute.

Knit

* Must resist urge to move those hearts down about 3 inches if I ever make this one.

Knit

Have I mentioned how much I love Rebecca Danger's designs before? Because I do. I really do. :D You can pick this one up through the Knit Picks website $1.99 pattern program! Go, get it now!

Knit

* I adore this pattern as it is, but when I saw this project photo, HOW COULD I RESIST CHUBBY BABY LEGS?? :D

Crochet

Ok, I find this adorable and I don't even like cats. :D

Crochet

The classic crinoline girl with a bit of a holiday twist! ;)

Crochet

Cell phone charms, zipper pulls, key chains - these would be cute for any of them!

Crochet

* Pretty little doily!

Crochet

* Oooh, create your own fortune cookies. That could make the "in bed" game seriously fun! :D

Crochet

* Tiny hearts to add to hair clips, pins, or anything else you can think of!

Crochet

Awwww, kissing angels! So cute. Way less scary than the weeping kind. Aw, c'mon, you had to know I was going to make a Doctor Who reference, didn't ya?! LOL

Crochet

I'm positive I've featured this guy before, but who can resist his devilish charm, his heart shaped eyes & seriously cute bum? he he he

* Free pattern

Happy 2012, everyone! :)

Posted in free patterns, Running | Tagged Free Patterns, Geek, Knitting, Reading, Running, Rush, Today's Ravelry Search, valentines | 14 Comments

Happy 2011!

Posted on January 2, 2011 by H3Dakota

Running
I had quite the eventful run the other day on my 5 mile run. As I was heading in to a busy intersection on the Trail, a gentleman I’ve waved to many times as we’ve passed each other running was heading into it from the opposite side. It was a “balmy” 50ºF outside & we were both booking it pretty good to get through the intersection before traffic came upon us again. I looked up to see that he was wearing a long sleeved sweatshirt & typical running shorts. Just as I was thinking his shorts must have been a little nippy, I noticed something… odd was happening with them. About the time I pulled even with him, I realized that the elastic in the liner must have broken/stretched out, because all his manly bits were merrily bouncing & waving at me as we passed each other. *blink* The sight kept me rather entertained for the rest of my run & the remaining 3.5 miles went by in a flash. ROFL!

So, for the male runners out there… am I totally wrong in thinking that he surely had to know what had happened? I mean, he HAD to have felt that nippy breeze, right?

Happy 2011!
I actually had a very mellow ringing in of the New Year. It was the first time that I rang it in without the manlets, as their schedule worked out this year that they were with their father instead of me. I hung out with friends for the early evening, returning home before 10pm. I had a Black Chocolate Stout & watched Doctor Who – besides missing my manlets, it was a terrific way to welcome 2011! ;)

New Year’s Day, I started up the Kinect & got in 30 minutes of Boxing for my workout – it was pretty decent, really. Got my heartrate moving, though nothing like a good run will do. Then I headed off to Florida Blood Services to donate platelets. Rounded out the day by hanging out with friends again in the evening at a really lovely party where the food was excellent!

Reading
Yes, I’ve been reading! :)

The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferris
*blink* It reads like a cobbled together set of blog posts – utter bullshit blog posts at that. The final straw for me was when he talked about weighing his excrement to “scientifically” determine how much of the food he was eating was being retained by his body (or something of that far fetched vein, anyway). This guy is a marketing genius to have been able to sucker so many gullible folks into buying his book. I didn’t even attempt reading his sections on incredible sex – given that he’s the douchiest douche I’ve ever come across, I know it will only piss me off. Happily some have seen the light of day, though.
Dexter in the Dark by Jeff Lindsay
Another *blink*. What an utterly bizarre story – was Mr. Lindsay experimenting with drugs or something?? Because, while the writing is the same, the storyline is just so weird. I hated Dreary Deprecating Dexter. I hated the idea that his “Dark Passenger” was actually a physical entity possessing him. C’mon, seriously?! A bastard child of Moloch? WTF?! I’m not even sure why I even finished this story, to be honest. I see the ratings for the next book are right up in the 4-5 stars again, so I’m hoping the next one is back to his usual awesome standard.

Knitting
I’ve struggled through a few more mittens for the manlets’ Smitten garlands. Just not feeling the knitting urge still. But… a fellow Rubbernecker from Ravelry posted a new idea/KAL. She said that she always casts on a project for herself on January 1st for “good luck”. I decided, why not? I’ll join in, maybe it will help the mojo come back! So I cast on today for my own February Lady Sweater. I’ve not made this one before, so we’ll see how it goes!

Today’s Ravelry Search
None of these are mine, of course – just click the picture to go right to the Ravelry pattern page. Those marked with an asterisk are free patterns, so enjoy! :)

* Part of a 12 block project to crochet a square a month for 2011.

* Tessellated cowl! Cute!

* I know someone who would love this bag! It's so cute!

* This little shawl is so pretty, plus it would be a fantastic first lace project for someone!

If I were to make this one for myself, I'd probably eliminate the lacy part. I think the rest of it is adorable!

* I do love this cardigan. An excellent use for all that Wollmeise one has lying about (giggle).

Peace, Love & Happiness! I love these pillows! Must fave them for the nieces...

WOW! Seriously gorgeous.

This wrap looks very interesting & promising! I wish there were better pictures of it, though.

* Gorgeous! A fantastic pattern to challenge you with cables!

Happy Sunday, everyone!

Posted in Running | Tagged Dexter, Free Patterns, Knitting, Reading, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 10 Comments

My Yule Gift

Posted on December 28, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running
The past several days I’ve apparently been fighting off an infection of some sort. My lymph nodes in my neck on the right side hurt so bad that it actually kept waking me up through the night! Weird. I never did get any other symptoms – perhaps because I decided not to push it & tried to rest up as best as I could.

I did get out for a 2 mile run this morning & it was excruciatingly slow. Ah well – they can’t all be PRs, right? And it’s still better than sitting on the sofa instead, so all in all, it’s a win, be it however small. ;)

My Yule Gift
So I picked up a Sony Reader Touch Edition (yes, in that color, too!) for a Yule gift (for myself, I admit – I’m calling it the perfect gift from my manlets to their geeky reader Mom). I was going to wrap it & tag it to me from them for when we opened our gifts. Hee! When I placed the order, the website AND all my confirmation emails all stated that it would arrive by the 23rd or the 24th. Awesome! I had briefly considered paying an additional fee to make sure that it did… but the 3 day expedited selection on the website assured me that it would still arrive then. Imagine my surprise when UPS sent me a shipping notice stating that it would not arrive until the 28th!

I immediately sent an email to the seller, asking what we needed to do to insure that it actually did arrive when the website stated it would… and they did not respond to me for another 36 hours.

The very brief email I finally received told me it was my fault for ordering it as late as I had. Needless to say, I will not be ordering from them again. I would have been happier had the “customer experience manager” not been so rude in her email AND if they had bothered to respond to me in a timely fashion. A 36 hour delay is simply unacceptable from a retailer at this time of the year, to my thinking. Especially when you consider the state of the economy – don’t retailers want our business?? :)

It finally arrived this afternoon. Of course, it’s still charging, so I haven’t been able to play with it yet! I’m really looking forward to it, though. I had tried the Kobo and I loved reading books on it, but I couldn’t adjust to the navigation button on it – I’ve been spoiled by my old school pocket PC, which is touch screen page turning. :D

Reading
So I really don’t watch television. It’s never been something I’ve been interested in much, with the clear exception of Doctor Who, of course. I will admit, I am rather partial to British shows (Misfits, Being Human, Doctor Who, Torchwood). Anyway – I’d never seen an episode of Dexter until just recently. I had read the book, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, that spawned the series & totally loved it. When I watched the first episode of the show, I was disappointed… it just didn’t quite seem to be as good as the book (movies/tv shows never are!). I thought the manlets would love it, though – so I got them to give it a go on Netflix. I was right, they love it! :)

Dearly Devoted Dexter by Jeff Lindsay – read by Nick Landrum
It’s a bit slow going while Doakes is Dexter’s shadow – so much so that I was a bit worried that the story was never going to end that plot point. Once you get to the first victim of this book’s bad guy, though, the slowness comes to an abrupt end. From that point on, it’s just as excellent as the first book was – gripping, funny, horrifying and leaving you wanting to find out whether Dexter goes ahead with marrying Rita or not after you are done. A definite win!
A Christmas Story by Jean Shepard – read by Dick Cavett
I bought & downloaded the audiobook for the manlets & I to listen to on our drive to see family for the holiday. I knew it wasn’t quite the same as the movie, but as much as we adore the movie, I knew we’d still enjoy the book. We did, very much – they made some changes to the movie that weren’t in the book, but I’d have to say that in this case, the movie truly is as good as the book. I will admit to being a bit disappointed that I couldn’t find the version where the author himself was reading it, but Cavett still did a fine job. One just seriously expects the same voice as the one from the movie, ya know? ;)

Knitting
My knitting mojo seriously went on vacation too. I didn’t finish the manlets’ Smittens in time, but I just reused the mittens that were already finished to leave their daily little gifts. :) I’m still working on them here & there, though! It’s just been difficult – the holidays are always tough, but this year was downright painful without Dad here.

Today’s Ravelry Search
An eclectic collection because I searched on something relevant to the post, but it’s not the subject of the patterns (well, except for one!). ;) As always, none of these are mine – just click the picture to go right to the Ravelry page.

* Free pattern!

Such a cute idea! I love their patterns so much.

* Spring fever, anyone? ;)

* The pattern is in Japanese, but includes charts. Very cute!

* ZOMG!!! Seriously, how freaking cute is this????

* Really cute idea for your favorite Slytherin or snake lover!

* This pattern is a cute idea for stashbusting, I like it!

I really like the look of this bag - and it's available in both knit and crochet! Kewl!

I might have mentioned it a time or two before, but I adore her patterns! Look at the wee scarves - how can you not love 'em? LOL

Woo HOO! A cover for your eReader! ;) One of the super awesome $1.99 patterns over on Knit Picks!

Cute enough I want a baby of my own so I can make one. Bwaa-haaaa-haa-ha-ha!! Ok, not really - but it IS awful cute. ;)

Speaking of utterly adorable...!

A really cute sweater for those with an hourglass figure!

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Posted in Running | Tagged eReader, Free Patterns, Knitting, Reading, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 2 Comments

Vacation, How I Love Thee!

Posted on December 18, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running
So the weather & my work schedule has kind of killed my running this week, plus I did give myself some recovery time after Sunday’s halfathon. :) I did get out on Friday for a short, slow 2 mile run before going to work at least.

My brand spanking new Garmin Forerunner 305 arrived Thursday night. I am over the moon to have my Garmin back again! :D I went with the older model, but it was up on a deal of the day on eBay – only $98! How could I resist? It turned out to be perfect timing because look what happened to my HRM strap during the Holiday Halfathon:

I wondered why my HR stopped on my HRM around mile 4 or 5. When I got home & was heading for the shower, I peeled off the strap only to discover it had bitten the dust. he he he

Vacation, How I Love Thee!
After a murderous run of back to back projects at work, I am vastly relieved that my vacation is finally here. I had 5 days of vacation time that I wasn’t able to use all year left, so I had to roll them over to next year. Since I already had a clear schedule for the last 2 weeks of the year, I just tacked the 5 days onto the end of my vacation, so I’m off work for 3 whole weeks. I need it, too. :)

I’m slated to knit loads, read a ton, hang out with friends and head to Universal for Harry Potter again. :) Hopefully the lines won’t be quite as bad as they were when it first opened. LOL

Reading
So I’ve not been reading too much up until now. Just about done reading one classic and I’ve just started another book that has much promise for this geek…

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
Yes, it’s true. I hadn’t read this story before now. I’m not sure why because I do enjoy Oscar Wilde’s stories. At any rate, it is a little slow starting off, but quickly gets you hooked. I’m nearly done reading this one and I’ve really enjoyed it. The idea that one can commit all sorts of sins because their portrait suffers from them rather than you is interesting. What I found more interesting is how much Dorian allows Lord Henry to sway him in everything he does. If he hadn’t met the man, how differently his life might have been! This is a story in which I wish Wilde hadn’t toned down the homosexual tones – they seem vital to the storyline & as it is written, they are merely hinted at. If you approach the story with the thinking that Dorian & Lord Henry have a romantic relationship, you can better see how the older man can influence Dorian as much as he does.
WebMage by Kelly McCullough
A novel that promises to be delightfully geeky, mixing classic Greek mythology with modern day programming hackers – how much better can it get for me?! Rivern is the great-too-many-times-to-count grandson of Lachesis (the Fate that measures everyone’s life thread) and the story is about how he must try to stop his Great Aunt Atropos from removing free will from all the humans. FUN!
Hot Mama by Jennifer Estep
Ok, I was reading this one a long time ago & had set it aside. I had read Estep’s other book, ‘Karma Girl‘ and really enjoyed it & so I’d hoped this one would be as enjoyable a read. It’s got funny moments, definitely. I picked it back up & I’m enjoying it as a really light read – it’s a good choice for when you just want something really lighthearted. Beach reading. ;)

Knitting
Still working on the mittens for both the manlets’ Smitten garlands. I sneak one in whenever I can. LOL I’m also working on the GF’s Harry Potter scarf when I can. I was supposed to be working on an afghan as well, but with these projects, I just haven’t been able to. I’m not sure if I’ll work on it or just give up & buy something instead. I’m seriously considering a Soda Stream – anyone know anything about them?

Today’s Ravelry Search
What fun can I find today? Let’s see! None of these are mine, but if you click the picture, you’ll go right to the Ravelry pattern page… :)

Seriously adorable Santa.

* 1-2-3... AWWWWWW!

Because Santa's dog has to get cold up there in the North Pole, right? :)

* knock-knock-knock PENNY...

* So cute! You could use them for ornaments or even gift tags.

Very cute hat!

Ded. Ded from teh cute. It's sold as a kit, but SO awesome!

Santa's elf! He's adorable.

Free when you buy another pattern from the Mochimochi shop - SO tiny & cute!

Santa baby, just slip a sable under the tree, for me... I've got that song stuck in my head now! LOL

Awesome style Santa from Phoeny - she makes some wonderful toys!

* Seriously, if this one doesn't put a smile on your face, yer heart is teenier than the Grinch's. he he he

One last adorable Santa... :)

* Free Pattern

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Posted in Running | Tagged Free Patterns, Holiday Crafts, Knitting, Reading, Running, Santa, Today's Ravelry Search | 2 Comments

Let’s Hear it for PRs!

Posted on December 14, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running/Let’s Hear it for PRs!
I had two goals for this year’s Florida Holiday Halfathon: 1) to finish and 2) to finish in less than 3 hours. I’m happy to report that I accomplished both of these goals! Not only did I get it done in less than 3 hours, but I shaved 12 minutes off my previous PR while I was at it! Woo HOO! I even had enough juice left that I was able to really kick it up & fly through the finish line, passing 2 people in those last 50 yards.

I was about 3 miles from the finish when I finally spotted Larry, heading back home. He’d joined in on the race unofficially, like usual – and got it done in 01:47 and change (for those of you who don’t know Larry, that’s 1 hour, 47 minutes to run 13.1 miles in flip flops – a light day of running for Larry!). I was so happy to see him as I’ve been worrying about him – I haven’t seen him in months! It’s the longest I’ve gone without running at least part of my run with him.

Which reminds me… when running a one way half marathon, it’s not polite to run back to your car wearing your finisher’s medal, waving at those of us still heading towards the finish line.

Just kidding, I actually kind of chuckled about it! ;)

I had a couple moments of memories, which were sad & nice. As I came around the corner heading into Taylor Park, I couldn’t help but remember last year when I had done so only to see Dad & Rocky waiting for me right there, cheering me on. I cried, but kept going. Going around the lake was tough, the wind was brutal – and I’d forgotten about the back trail there. It’s a shell/dirt trail – between the shells & the cypress knots growing up into the trail, my feet were hurting a bit in my Vibrams! I hit the spot where Joe joined me last year & it put a smile on my face for the rest of the way.

I grabbed a bottle of water, a banana & headed for the shuttle bus right away, rather than hanging about to listen to the awards. Thank heavens I did, as the cold front hit before the bus made it back to Madeira Beach & the sky opened up. My heart went out to anyone still struggling to get across the finish line at that point, it must have been really hard then.

Reading
I’ve been a bit busy to do much reading, but I did manage to read one book, anyway!

Me & Mr. Darcy by Alexandra Potter
A lighthearted retelling of a modern day Pride & Prejudice under the guise of a Jane Austin tour. The best part of the story was the inclusion of our heroine meeting the “actual” Mr. Darcy – and coming to realization that if Mr. Darcy was actually a real man, he would not quite be the fantasy man one might imagine from reading P&P. Not a deep read by any means, but fun!

Knitting
I’m still working on Smitten for the manlets – I’m over halfway done. I’m keeping up to the current day, at any rate! LOL I also cast on a Harry Potter Scarf for the manlet’s girlfriend. She’s totally knitworthy and is a huge HP fan (a definite plus in my book! LOL). I went with slightly more subtle colors for Gryffindor, so it won’t be quite as obvious that she’s wearing an HP scarf. The gold I found is a pretty shade of gold, not the bright goldenrod most of the Gryffindor scarves are. :)

One important note on this pattern: it’s double knit, rather than in the round – which is fun for a change! But the pattern states to slip every other stitch purlwise with the yarn in back – doing so nets a garter stitch tube, not a stockinette tube! So if you want a stockinette scarf, be sure to slip the stitch purlwise with the yarn in front instead. ;)

Today’s Ravelry Search
The patterns today won’t be of much interest to the crocheters out there, as they are all knit projects. I usually try to include both, but today is an exception. ;) Remember, these aren’t mine – just click the picture to go to the Ravelry page.

My niece would probably love this one, she loves giraffes, I hear. :)

* Special Olympics logo scarf - awesome!!

SO freaking adorable!!

Gorgeous scarf!

I totally love this bag! Must knit one.

* Entirely appropriate pattern name! ;)

I've featured this pattern before, but I love it too much not to include it again!

* Super cute hat - would be a good gift for a math teacher. ;)

* ZOMG... SHEEPS! And adorable ones at that! LOVE!

* This one is for you, Anett! I know you'll love it. ;)

* Stunning! The first project I saw where I wanted to rush out & get the yarn to start knitting RIGHT NOW. Fortunately, my logical mind stopped me from it, as I've got too many gift projects to tackle right now. LOL

* Free pattern

Happy Tuesday, everyone!

Posted in Running | Tagged double knitting, Florida Halfathon Challenge, Free Patterns, Harry Potter, Knitting, Reading, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 8 Comments

Contest Winners & Holiday Stuff

Posted on November 28, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running
YAY! I’ve managed to get my feet on the street since dealing with bronchitis. I’ve been trying to force myself to go slow, take it easy. :) I have been able to get out there, though – that’s what counts! I even went for a 4 miler on Thanksgiving Day – though I admit, it helped a great deal that we didn’t have our celebration until Saturday. he he he

I’m still hoping to at least beat my existing half marathon time in the upcoming Holiday Halfathon. We shall see, anyway! :) Must remember to find jingle bells to wear again. I’ll be in my VFFs again, so I’m thinking maybe a pin for them or a wrist band. We shall see! Last year, I had a couple people cheering folks on comment that I was the only one they saw with jingle bells on, which surprised me quite a bit.

I’m also getting in the habit of taking my tiny dog out for walkies in the evening – she’s developed a bizarre & complete reluctance to poop in the backyard AND she just gained 1.5 pounds in the past month. Not a huge weight gain, except that she’s weighed 9 pounds for the past 2 years & really ought to be around 8 instead. Now she’s ballooned up to 10 pounds, 6 ounces! Not enough exercise, which we’re taking care of now. She can handle up to a full mile for a walk – anything past that & she’s so tired, I end up carrying her. LOL

Contest Winners & Holiday Stuff
So I know that I was going to have the manlets pull names out of hats for the 2 lucky winners… but I totally had forgotten that ALL their spare time would be taken up by the Kiwanis Club tree lot now! I took the route of using the random number picker to pick numbers of comments for the contest winners. :) Without further ado…

CONGRATS MiniPurlz & Dawn!!
I’ll be emailing you to find out which e-card you would like later. :)

Speaking of the Kiwanis Club tree lot… this charitable event is the really big annual tradition that the manlets had with their grandfather. Every year, Dad would smoke a turkey & a ham on Thanksgiving Day. He would bring them with him Friday morning when he came to pick up the manlets. I would cook during the morning while they went & unloaded the delivery truck & helped set up the tree lot. They would then spend all day & evening selling trees, only stopping long enough to come home for our Thanksgiving meal at lunchtime. So Friday was a bittersweet day for all of us & one where I shed more than a few tears. All the gentlemen from the Kiwanis Club were pretty emphatic in their wish that the manlets continue volunteering with them – and they were more than happy to do so. They still love helping out there & they have formed good relationships with a couple of the guys that are always there. We started a new tradition this year, in which they still spent Friday at the tree lot, but Saturday morning, we cooked our meal together & ate before they headed over to volunteer for the rest of the day. It was a good day. :)

Reading
So yes, I finished reading Mockingjay, as well as a couple more books my last post. :)

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)
(This is my review over on GoodReads & sums up my feelings perfectly, so I’m reproducing it here!) Hmmm. The concept of this trilogy is a good one, really. It’s the concept that drew me in. It’s a little gritty & not a feel good type of story. My biggest disappointment is that after 3 books, I still feel no affection, warmth or even much interest in Katniss. It’s not that she’s cold, because she really isn’t. As the reader, though, you just never quite relate to her character – you never really empathize with her. She’s doesn’t show any growth at all, it’s more like just going through the motions. She doesn’t have her heart committed to ANYTHING – not to Gale, Peeta, the rebellion, her own mother. Just a small part to her little sister & a deep loyalty to her father. I pretty much expected the outcome in the end, though I admit that I hadn’t anticipated quite such a dismal ending. Sure, the rebellion is successful & all that, but you just have this impression that she’s just made do & settled for her life in the end, just as she’s just made do all along. NO growth at all, which is very sad.
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Book 5)
The thing I love most about the Percy Jackson series? It’s the series that totally got my youngest hooked on reading. I’d given up all hope of getting him to read when he picked up The Lightning Thief from the massive collection of books I’ve gotten for them over the years (trying to entice them into reading!). He began reading it for a book report for school… and hasn’t really stopped reading since! I cannot recommend this series enough if you have a young manlet of your own that dislikes reading. ;)

I had put off reading this final story in the series for a variety of reasons. The manlet has nagged me for months to finish it & I finally did this morning. It’s an excellent story in the series, as are all the others. I’m a bit disappointed with the idea that there won’t be any further Percy Jackson stories, though I believe we’ll hear more about him with the new series. I loved how the Great Prophesy was fulfilled and I loved even more that Tyson came into his own in this story. This series conclusion was no let-down like the Hunger Games conclusion was. YAY! :)
The Girl Who Could Fly
This book is a really quick read, but it was fun. Relatively light-hearted with dashes of evil that humans do, it’s a nice little read for young adults. I wouldn’t recommend it to an elementary school aged child if he/she is sensitive or lacks maturity yet for more mature topics. I totally would have read it as a 1o year old, but I was an advanced reader. It’s a little predictable, but I would definitely suggest it as a fun read for tweens or even a little older readers. :)

Piper is a young girl (9, I think) who can fly. Once it comes out in the community that she can, the family farm is besieged by the media until a group led by Dr. Hellion arrive to take Piper away to a school dedicated to kids with special abilities. Think X-Men elementary school, but without the awesome Charles Xavier at the helm – a school with a completely different & much darker purpose than Mutant High.

Knitting
Thanks to my friend Chris, I discovered this really fun holiday sock yarn at Webs. I ordered up a skein for me (Victoriana), a skein for the oldest (Snow Day) and one for the youngest (Gingerbread Man). In my haste to order them, I totally missed the part where the description stated “with a touch of sparkle”. Needless to say, the manlets prefer their socks like their vampires – NOT sparkling. he he he

Imagine my utter delight at coming across this pattern, though! PERFECT solution to this sock yarn I’ve got sitting around. ;)

Today’s Ravelry Search
I thought I’d find some fun things for the holidays today. ;) Just click the picture to go to the Ravelry pattern page & remember – none of these are mine!

Another cute garland idea!

Sold as a kit - totally adorable!

* SO gorgeous! I love this throw!

Really cute idea for an ornament or holiday decoration.

* Cute holiday throw!

ZOMG, adorable!! The penguin is a separate chart, but still so cute!

Really cute idea for a centerpiece!

I really love this pillow - I wish the pictures were a little better for showing it off!

* Old school ruffled trees! Cute!

* Gorgeous tree skirt!

Cute idea for a holiday hat.

Another really adorable holiday hat!

* Free pattern!

Happy Sunday, everyone! Hope you all had a fantastic Thanksgiving (if you’re from the States)!

Posted in Running | Tagged Christmas Trees, contest winners, Free Patterns, Kiwanis Club, Knitting, Reading, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 3 Comments

Enter to win free stuff, it’s a blogaversary!

Posted on November 21, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running
Saturday was not a good day to go for a run. I’m feeling better from the bronchitis, but Saturday was a special day for me. My first time to donate platelets ~ I didn’t think a run would be such a good idea after that. LOL!

So this morning, I got my feet to the street finally. w00t! It felt good, if a bit painful. Build slowly, build slowly! Recouping from bronchitis takes time and I’ve got to remember that. Pushing too hard will only lead to being even more sick, right? :) I made myself run 4 minutes, walk 1 through the whole thing. I got in 4 miles of running & 1 mile walking – I wanted to be sure to get in a solid hour of working out.

Reading
For a trial run, I thought I’d include a bit about what I’m currently reading or books that I have read. Just to see how it goes, what kind of feedback I get. :)

The Hunger Games: Book 1
It’s slow to start, but once Katniss gets into the Games, it really picks up & makes up for the slow start! Remember what you were like as a teen… now imagine yourself in the wilderness with 11 other teens where it’s kill or be killed. The winner of the Games is the one that outlives the others. This story makes the reality in “reality show” real. :) The main thing I didn’t like? There really wasn’t a sense of horror that children were being forced into the Games – from 12 to 18. It’s done as a punishment for one District that tried to fight back… but you really don’t get the feeling of a world gone wrong, people living under the blood covered thumb of the Capital like you should.
Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games)
Wow! The story took a turn I hadn’t anticipated. It started off slow again, but picked back up with a bang! I read through this book faster than the first one. What happens to Katniss? How does her life change after the events in book 1? I didn’t come out of the first book with a sense of any real emotions between Peeta & Katniss, so I’m curious to see where the author is going to take us in terms of their relationship. Gale is far more suited to Katniss than Peeta and they come across with more chemistry.
Brave New Knits: 26 Projects and Personalities from the Knitting Blogosphere
For once, a knitting book where I really want to knit at least half of the patterns in it! Countless times I buy a book only to find I like maybe ONE pattern in it. I am so thrilled with this one! Take a look, you won’t regret it! :)

What I’m reading at the moment:

Mockingjay (The Final Book of The Hunger Games)
Of course! I have to find out what happens, right? ;)
Torchwood: The Sin Eaters – An Audiobook Narrated by Gareth David-Lloyd
Read by Ianto? Of course I’m going to listen to it!!

Enter to win free stuff, it’s a blogaversary!
Wow, speaking of my blog ~ I totally missed my “blogoversary”! In September, I hit 3 years of blogging. I went back & read my first post… funny how much my blog has changed since then!

SO – to celebrate my blogoversary, I decided on a contest. Now… the problem here being that I have an eclectic group of people visiting my blog. So, what will the prize be? Your choice! The winner gets to choose a $25.00 gift card from any one of the following places:

Tiger Direct – my one stop geeky shopping place!
The Loopy Ewe – a favorite online LYS of mine.
Amazon – awesome all round shopping, it’s not just for books anymore!

How does one enter this contest? Just leave a comment & make sure that you provide a valid email address. I’ll have the manlets draw 2 lucky names (2 manlets = 2 lucky winners!) the night of November 28, 2010. The gift cards will be sent electronically, hence the need for a valid email address.

Knitting
Well, I blogged just a few days ago, so I haven’t really done anything new. I’m still working on my Boomslang, though I’m getting closer to being done with it! I definitely have a few Angry Birds slated to be crocheted soon, though. ;)

Today’s Ravelry Search
So just searching “anniversary” wasn’t enough to get some fun patterns to peruse. I had to do a couple of searches, but they were well worth it! I added to my faves and I bought a new pattern book online as a result (drat it!). LOL! Remember, these aren’t mine – just click the picture to go right to the Ravelry pattern page.

* Gorgeous shawl sprinkled with hearts - how can you not love it?

* Very cute crochet bag - I love how cheery it is.

Peacock Shawlette - I love how pretty it is in semi-solids.

* I really love these pincushions & have featured them before. :)

* Tea wallet! Cute idea. Of course, one could always use them for something other than tea... LOL

* Have extra yarn? Why not cut back on buying wrapping & gift bags this year - crochet (or knit!) your own!

SO cute!! I love them, without a doubt. :)

* Ripple blankets are always awesome. :)

* Simple but not boring to knit!

* The hardest part about this pattern? Trying to find just one project to share with you! There were so many gorgeous ones to choose from.

* STUNNING.

Sure, it's a ton of single crochet, but C'MON! How awesome is this afghan?!?!

* Free pattern.

Don’t forget to comment to enter the contest!! :)

Posted in Running | Tagged Blogaversary, Books, Contest, Free Gift Card, Free Patterns, Free Stuff, Knitting, Reading, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 18 Comments

Gift Ideas for Geeks

Posted on November 18, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running
Remember how I was fighting a cold before my half marathon? Yeah. Acute bronchitis – and it’s had me knocked on my backside ever since. I’m supposed to be training for my next half marathon, but I get out of breath, coughing just walking up 2 flights of stairs. *sigh* Hopefully, I can get my feet to the street this weekend.

In the meantime, I’m waiting for a copy of this book to arrive. I’ve heard many good things about it over the past year & I’ve just put off reading it. A quote from the author that I rather like…

According to a new body of research, it’s because humans are the greatest distance runners on earth. We may not be fast, but we’re born with such remarkable natural endurance that humans are fully capable of outrunning horses, cheetahs and antelopes. ~Christopher McDougall

Gift Ideas for Geeks
So the guys lean towards geek gifts as much as the next teen. One a bit more than the other, simply because he’s totally a geek like me. So, what to get for a geek today? These are all things that I’ve either gotten recently, have on my wishlist or are things I’m thinking about for my geeky guys. ;)

Geek Dad: Awesomely Geeky Projects and Activities for Dads and Kids to Share
Dr. Doctor Who Space Vortex Men’s Black Tee
Gateway NV73A04U Refurbished Notebook PC – Blue – My guys LOVE theirs. An excellent choice for teens, they even play intensive games like Spore on it.
Agent18 FlowerVest for iPod touch 2G, 3G (Blue/White) – I have this one in white/pink. Sometimes I’m a girly geek. ;)
Doctor Who Timelord Spinning TARDIS
Sony Digital Reader Touch Edition – Red (PRS600RC)
Garmin Forerunner 405CX GPS Sport Watch with Heart Rate Monitor (Blue) – someday, I am SO going to replace my old one that got Dane-damaged.
Men’s F*ck You in Binary Code Microfiber Tie by Mr. G33K in Black – If ya gotta wear a tie, this would make a fine choice. LOL

Knitting
I’ve been working on a couple larger projects here & there, when the mood strikes. I actually have 3 projects in process, which is highly unlike me. I’m normally a monogamous crafter, though I do allow myself 1 knit project & 1 crochet project at the same time. ;) My favorite recently completed project is Boomslang. I adore this pattern. So much so that I started a 2nd one right after binding off the 1st one! In my Harry Potter geekness, I naturally keep calling it Boomslang Skin (and I totally hear Alan Rickman’s Severus Snape in my head saying that, of course).

Today’s Ravelry Search

So for today, I decided to pick out some ideas that one could make for his/her favorite geek! What inspired this particular post? The very first pattern. Remember, these aren’t mine – just click the picture to go to the Ravelry page.

* ZOMG, ZOMG!!! Angry Birds! SO full of win! I am totally making several of these.

GANDALF!! :D

* Hermione's mittens from Half Blood Prince! w00t!

* Jayne hat for your Firefly fan, of course!

Viper Pilots ~ very cool pattern for BSG fans! :)

* I've included this one before, but seriously, you can't go wrong with Pac-Man!!

* These are not the droids you're looking for. he he he

* NOT the red socks! Never wear red on the Enterprise, d'uh!!

* Stargate hat, anyone?

* TurtleGirl76's awesome Red Dwarf socks! :)

* Why not mix your geekdoms? It's a Doctor Who Jayne hat! Hee!

* How could I not include TARDIS socks?! LOVE! :)

* GIR!!!!

* Any Zelda players out there? :) Tunisian crochet, awesome.

* "Hot" in binary. Referring to the coffee, of course! ;)

For your favorite film geek! I love this scarf!

* See? These are totally AWESOME socks!! :D

* Baby Link!! SO cute!

* Free pattern!

Live long & prosper! ;)

Posted in Running | Tagged Doctor Who, Free Patterns, Geek, Gifts for Geeks, Harry Potter, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 9 Comments

Halfathon Challenge, 25% Done!

Posted on November 2, 2010 by H3Dakota

Halfathon Challenge, 25% Done
Thursday night I was working late, huge project underway. I’ve been fighting off a cold for weeks, feeling a bit under the weather, but just not sick, if you know what I mean? I woke up Thursday feeling a bit more like the threatening cold was no longer threatening, but not too terrible. Around the time I decided to go get the free flu shot from work, my chest tightened up & the coughing began. Sure enough, by 7pm, I was utterly miserable. I thought for sure I was done for in terms of being able to run the Halloween Halfathon on Sunday. :(

By Saturday, I was feeling better, but still pretty blah. Once I found out that there was no time limit to the race, I had decided that I would go for it unless I felt truly awful when my alarm went off at 5:30AM. Happily, I felt up for it Sunday morning, so off I went. I had decided to run 3 miles, walk 1 – repeat as needed until I crossed the finish line. That lasted through the first 4 miles – that 1 mile of walking took forever! I didn’t care how slowly I shuffled along, I knew I wasn’t going to walk that much. I ended up with a terrible finishing time, but I didn’t care – I finished & that was all I wanted to do. :)

So now I have less than 6 weeks to train up for the Holiday Halfathon – my next one in the Florida Halfathon Challenge! I’m looking forward to it because I just know that I can get a PR. ;)

Knitting
I’ve been knitting on a holiday gift here & there, as well as a ruffled shawl. Just simple projects that haven’t been too much of a challenge. The mojo still isn’t what it was, so simple projects still work for now.

I had crocheted my crochet hobo bag after losing Dad – but the yarn was a bad choice. It pilled with the first use & continued to pill more & more until it ended up actually felting some. I was disappointed, but not terribly so – I suspected it was going to be an issue. I found a fantastic replacement yarn from Knit Picks, though – their CotLin turned out to be a wonderful yarn to use for the bag! It could be a wee bit hardier, as it has shown a bit of wear – but I use my bag every day, so it is to be expected some. :)

Today’s Ravelry Search
I did something a little different for today’s search. This time, I have selected patterns from the Ravelry database that have been rated 8, 9 or 10 in difficulty – challenge yourself! Colorwork, cables, lace, amigurimi – what’s your flavor? ;) Remember, none of these are mine – just click them to go to the Ravelry page.

I love this one so much, I think it would be worth digging up the book it's from!

Seriously gorgeous pea coat.

Holy cow! Amazing.

I found some truly fantastic sweaters/jackets in this search!

* And some seriously awesome crochet patterns as well! Sadly, this one is only in German for now - hopefully there will be an English version sometime soon!

* Double knit reversible scarf - I haven't yet tackled the double knit challenge yet, myself. :)

Ooooh, so pretty! Reminds me a little of the butterfly lace dress.

* I might know someone who will fave this one, if she hasn't already. ;)

* Oh. Oh wow. Utterly incredible - isn't it just GORGEOUS???

* Wonderful! Seems stashbusting fair isle is a bit popular of late... ;)

Entrelac Turkey cozy? How fantastic is this idea for Thanksgiving?! :D

* Beautiful socks - they would make a great holiday gift & you have time to knit them before then! ;)

* The details are amazing on this one! All of her designs are just incredible - DO check them out!!

Bobbles, kitchener, lace - how much more challenging can it get?

* Free pattern

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

Posted in Running | Tagged Challenging, Florida Halfathon Challenge, Free Patterns, Halloween Halfathon, Knitting, Running, Today's Ravelry Search | 11 Comments

Lost my mojo for a bit

Posted on October 21, 2010 by H3Dakota

Running

Well, I was doing great with the running, getting out there, building up the mileage again. Running is one of my go to activities whenever I’m stressed, upset, sad, angry… it is a multipurpose healing addiction! This past week, however, I’ve gone back to not sleeping well, so I’ve been too tired to get my feet on the street first thing in the morning. I’ve got to turn this around, as my first half marathon for the challenge is coming up on Halloween! I expect I’ll do as poorly as I did on my first one as a result, but I’m choosing to take it as a challenge to have the remaining 3 go far better. :)

I’ve also had a bit of an incident with the dogs at home that contributed to the halt in running. I took on Dad’s constant companion, Rocky, when he died. Rocky is a 158 lb harlequin Great Dane, quite a bit smaller than our Leonardo. Anyway, he & our little shih-tzu/corgi mix have had 3 run-ins now, as Rocky is trying to take over the alpha role in the pack. I had hoped that it would work out, but the last spat we had turned nasty. Rocky bit him this time before I managed to get them broken apart… and in the process of my wading into the fray, I got it too. Then Leonardo was all silly & “oh, we’re playing? Yay, we’re playing! I wanna play too!” and he jumped into the middle, getting the worst bite of all of us. Poor baby! So now we’re looking for the right home for Rocky where he will be the only dog & with someone who will work hard on training him well. He is ordinarily a super sweet dog & a fantastic companion. He just doesn’t do well with other dogs around. :)

It's hitting the ugly green/yellow stage now!

Lost my mojo for a bit

I’ve just not had the interest to participate in all my favorite other activities since we lost Dad. I haven’t felt up for crocheting, knitting, blogging, reading… but I have been making myself work on projects here & there to help keep my mind off things. So my completed projects? First, I finally crocheted a Crocus Bud Shawl for myself, yay! I dyed Knit Picks bare laceweight with Kool-Aid for this one – a combination of grape, berry blue, black cherry & watermelon kiwi. :) Have I mentioned how much I love this pattern? Because I totally do. LOL

Next up was this awesome new Halloween pattern, Scare Isle, available on Knitty. I’ve done fair isle before, of course, so it was a super fun pattern to work & not stress over too much. I changed just a couple little things about it, but not too much. Dad would have gone NUTS over this hat, so I just had to make it. :)

I did manage to find a few more film version of my favorite (Hamlet, of course) to watch. I’m now up to 15 versions that I’ve seen! I even keep a running list of them in order of preference. My top 3 favorite Hamlets have not changed one bit – they are still all solidly staying put. For those of you that don’t know (he he he), here they are…

#3 - Jacobi's Hamlet - he's sly & sarcastic.

#2 - Branagh's Hamlet - cool & collected

#1 - Tennant's Hamlet - his Hamlet is brilliant, physical & so expressive!

In other news, I was one of the very lucky winners in a contest over on the Knit Picks blog! I was thrilled to win a copy of this book, along with some gorgeous deep red Stroll sock yarn! Woo HOO!! Some of the patterns in this book are just adorable! If you get a chance, head over to Amazon & pick up a copy! ;)

Today’s Ravelry Search

So with a bite on my leg, Halloween & a free copy of Vampire Knits, how could I search on anything else? ;) Enjoy & remember, these aren’t my patterns – just click them to go right to the Ravelry page!