Blithering Knitiot

So...

I really need to continue my story of my Easter vacation, even though it's been a while since the last post.  I've become such a bad blogger....

Anyway, the Easter weekend was spent meeting family and God Parents and children of God Parents and an incredible sister-in-law and friends from church.  It was a whirl wind of meeting people, and Easter dinner included about 35 people, family and extended family, and it was just awesome!  I was welcomed to the family by several people, and I did feel like family, and like I've known them forever.

Monday morning started very early with a short flight to Seattle, then a long flight to the Big Island of Hawaii.  In First Class!  How awesome was that!  Large, comfortable seats, Flight Attendants at our beck and call, a breakfast of Eggs Benedict with Salmon, and drinks in our hands at 8:30am.  It really IS the way to fly.  And we got a VERY good deal, which is why we did it. 

After a very nice flight, we picked up the rental car, and made out way to the Aloha Guest House, a lovely little B&B on the side of a mountain, and our room looked out over the west coast of the island:

The week was spent exploring the local attractions, kayaking and snorkelling, lots of eating (the breakfasts at the B&B were just incredible, as was the company of the other people staying there, and the local restaurants were superb!!!), and time in the hot tub.  (At one of the little shops we stopped at, we were told that we were "full of Aloha", because obviously we looked like the tourists that we were!  LOL!)  We also took a little trip to the Volcano National Park, which was fascinating!  It was actually a very relaxing vacation, and it was difficult coming back to work the following week.  but isn't that the way it always is after time away?

Because I still need to write a post about the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat that the BF and I went to, I'll keep this post short.  The pictures of our Hawaii trip actually gets into much more detail of where we went and what we saw, so you can go here!

And there has been a little knitting going on, mostly swatching for a sock pattern that was written especially for the Men's Knitting Retreat.  More on that later!  Have a great night!

The beginning...

So, the Spring vacation started immediately on Good Friday, with a departure time of 6:30am.  Well, what should have been 6:30am, but a delay because they wanted to examine the wings for ice, which they did, and there was none, so we took off about a half hour late, which was enough for me to be late getting my connection flight in Detroit.  So, I was rerouted, and ended up getting to Portland, Or only about an hour late, which I thought wasn't too bad, actually.  As I was being rerouted by Vincent at the ticket kiosk, a group of 20-something kids, maybe five of them, showed up a little bit after me, pissing and moaning becasue they had missed the same flight.  Amd by moaning, I really mean being very fowl mouthed and belligerent.  And as Voncent was trying to get me re-routed, they continues to harrass him to the point where he told them that if they did not stop, he would call the airport police.  They were just belligerent to this man who was trying to do his job.  And then they started to interrogate me:

Them: And where are you going?  Where did you fly from?  When were you supposed to land?
Me: I'll be going where Vincent re-directs me and I'll be on my way.  My destination is none of your business, and like you, I've missed the flight as well.  There's NOTHING we can do to get on that plane.  At the moment he's helping me, so I guess you'lll need to wait your turn.  And if I were you, I'd get in line and be very nice to this man, because right now he's the only on that can help you, and if I were him, I'd make sure you didn't get to your destination till tomorrow afternoon due to all your harrassment.  Now maybe you should just suck it up and wait your turn.
Them:  Absolutely mothing to say.  All conversation stopped.

Then I turned away from them and gave my attention to Vincent, who looked at me and winked.  I thanked him for his help and shook his hand.  Big smiles!  He got me new tickets and I went on my way.  (Now, anyone who knows me well knows that I NEVER speak up in situations like this, but I thought, this is just bullshit, and I opened my mouth)  And I giggled all the way to the new gate, got on a new plane and was in the air in no time.

The BF picked me up in Portland.  It was SO good to see him.  10 weeks is a long time to not see someone you care about, and we've vowed to not be away from each other that long if we can help it.  He said he had a surprise, and when we got to the car said "Put your bags in the back, the tent is in the trunk."  Time stood still for a moment.  "Tent??"  "Yeah, it'll be fun!".  I got the bags in the car and we were on our way.  Chatting, getting caught up, being very happy and giggly to be together again.  And then little questions about where we were going.  "A great little place I found to camp.  I think you'll like it."  So, I'm thinking, it's only one night, I can do this, although I've never camped in a tent in my life.  But he knows what he's doing, so I guess I'll just trust him and we'll see how this works.

So, we're driving through the roads of Oragon, which is absolutely GORGEOUS!  The mountains are just stunning, and it was so GREEN!!!!  And moss everywhere!  Everywhere, I tell you!  We climb up and up, high elevations, and all of a sudden there's snow on the ground.  Snow!  I'm coming from upstate NY after a long winter, and I really don't want to see snow.  Higher and high, and the amount of snow is also getting higher and high.  We're talking 15 to 20 feet!!!!  I'm thinking, "How the hell are we going to camp in this?"  I ask, and he says, "I'm pondering digging a snow cave, they're warmer than just a tent."  At which point I'm thinking, "FUCK!  What the hell have I done!!!" 

We finally reach our destination - I see lots of skiers and a HUGE lodge.  We park and he says, we have to go in and register for the camping site:

We go in, and the lodge is absolutely beautiful (Go to their site and read about it's history!  Very cool!):

He goes to the front desk and I stand there taking in the site of the lobby, thinking "Why can't we be here instead??"  He returns and hands me a key with a HUGE grin on his face and says "Room 110!"  He was so proud of himself!  I start to laugh and give him a big hug, and we giggle all the way to the room.  I'm sure I was blushing 10 shades of red, and kicking myself for being sucked in to his little story!  But, he was very convincing (although he was  trying so hard during the drive not to laugh out loud, and he succeeded!).

And yes, that was a working fireplace!  And the view from the room:

So, he played a nice little surprise, which I'm sure neither on of us will ever forget.  And this was just the beginning of the vacation!  More to come at a later date!

Trivia...

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Paul!

1. Paul became extinct in England in 1486!
2. A rhinoceros horn is made from compacted Paul.
3. The only Englishmanto become Paul was Nicholas Breakspear, who was Paul from 1154 to 1159!
4. The Australian billygoat plum contains a hundred times more Vitamin C than Paul.
5. Paul has often been found swimming miles from shore in the Indian Ocean.
6. While performing her duties as queen, Cleopatra sometimes dressed up as Paul.
7. Paul can't drink - he absorbs water from his surroundings by osmosis.
8. It's bad luck to put Paul on a bed.
9. A bride should wear something old, something new, something borrowed, and Paul.
10. Only one person in two billion will live to be Paul!

I am interested in - do tell me aboutherhimitthem

Find out more about yourself than you ever knew here.

Hello!

It's been a while since my last post.  I've been busy getting all of Cinderella put away, and just recently got back from a little trip.  I'm still trying to get pictures and events put in the right order.  The trip started here:

And then wound up here:

More details when I get over my jet lag...  I hope you all are having a wonderful Spring!

So it's Spring...

But yet we're having lows in the teens for the next couple of nights, and it's 36º at the moment.  The winter was pretty busy - I directed a production of Cinderella, and just for giggles, decided to set the whole story in Japan, add some elements from kabuki theatre, and added a HUGE fan as the backdrop for the ballroom scenes (these pics were taken by the yearbook advisor at the final dress rehearsal):

All the kimonos were made by several mothers, and when they got done, all the kids looked fabulous!  Cinderella and the Step Mother and Step Sisters after the ball:

 The little white globes in the background of the ballroom were lanterns (manipulated by students all in black) that not only became part of the set, but also did their own choreography around Cinderella and the prince while they sang:

All the set pieces were moved and held by people all in black.  Ninja costumes were just the thing (even their faces were covered, so they really blended into the background:

We're very lucky to have an art department in the high school that is willing to build and paint the sets.  The base for the carriage is a rolling cart borrowed from the custodial staff, which was also manipulated by a "ninja".  All in all, it was a success artistically, and the parents and community were very happy, the kids are walking away with another positive theatre experience and memories, and now that it's over, I can get back to some knitting - directing plays is such a time comsuming project.

What little knitting that has been going on has been the start of a sweater (the bottom cuff of the body is completed), and a scarf that I started on the train to New York to see the BF and Operas at the Met is not even half finished, but I have been  working on it a little bit this past week - neither is picture worthy yet.  So, that's been my life the past couple of months.

I hope everything in your world has been terrific!  Thanks for stopping by!

Enjoy the day...

Season's Greetings!

The best of holidays to you and your families, however you may celebrate!

What sweeter music can we bring
than a carol for to sing the birth
of this our heavnly king.
Awake the voice awake the string.

Dark and dull nights fly hence away
and give the honor to this day
that sees December turned to May.
That sees December turned to May.

Why does the chilling winters morn
smile like a field beset with corn
or smell like a meadow newly shorn.
Thus on the sudden come and see.
The cause why things such fragrant be.

Tis' he is born who's quickening birth
gives life and luster public mirth
to heaven and the under earth.

We see him come and know him ours
who with his sunshine and his showers
turns all the patient ground to flowers.
Turns all the patient ground to flowers.

The darling of the world is come
and fit it is we find a room to welcome him.
To welcome him.

The noble part of all the house here is the heart
Which we receive him and bequeath, this holly and this ivy wreath.
To do him honor who's our king and lord of all this reveling.

Snow Day

'Nuff said....

Saturday Sky

Goodness, it's been a very long time since I did one of these!  Today's sky is just unfortunate!  Gray, rainy, and 52º at the moment.:

I have been trying to get some knitting done.  There's yet another scarf I'd like to finish before I start a sweater of some sort with the yarn I got at Rhinebeck a couple of weeks ago.  Here is the scarf as of yesterday afternoon:

And a close up:

The yarn is Noro Silk Garden Lite, and those are indeed Knitpicks Harmony needles, which I like a lot.  The colors in the top picture are a little truer to life (and yes, it IS that same pattern I keep doing over and over again!  LOL!  Maybe it should become an art installation called "That Same Damned Scarf: 800 scarves of the same pattern with different yarns"...).

I know I've not posted much lately.  The knitting mode has been very sporatic, and I've been trying to spend a little less time on the internet and more time with friends at home.  I'm not sure how successful I've been, but I have been getting out more and doing things.  When I first started blogging about 2 and a half years ago, my entire social life was on the internet (I know, kinda sad, but justified at the time).  There were several people that I e-mailed back and forth with several times a day, which was a lot of fun.  And little by little, we all started to get wrapped up in our own lives, started new jobs, or moving to new places, or becoming obsessed with new crafts or art forms.  Very cool to see the changes that have happened over the last couple of years.  I continue to teach, conduct and direct plays, and the day to day routine really doesn't change all that much.  And yes, there is someone very special to me right now (who unfortunately is quite a distance away), and that has been such a very good thing for me (and a very big surprise - and I've been told frequently "When you least expect it...")   But I also think that the distance is a good thing, for the time being.  And even with the distance, it's very cool knowing that someone out there really cares and thinks I'm special.  I've not had that for a very long time.  And I DO really appreciate that.  :-)

So, that's it for my world at the moment.   I hope your sky isn't as gray as mine is at the moment!

Rhinebeck

I'm sorry I've not been posting much recently.  I guess there's not been too much going on in my day-to-day life that's been so exciting that I need to write about it.  I go to school, I do my job, my schedule this year is really quite good, the kids I've been given are a lot of fun to teach and sing with, and so I guess I can't complain at all, and things are just going so smoothly that nothing is really out of sorts or what I consider to be "blog worthy".  Life is going along just fine.  And I'm a pretty happy boy at the moment.  Not much excitement (well, actually, there IS something pretty exciting going on, but it's kinda private at the moment, and I'd like to just keep it to myself for the time being.  But, just so you know, there are no china patterns being picked out.  Yet...)

I did manage to get to Rhinebeck again this year.  It really is a very special event for me.  Since going to the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat last May, it was just so exciting to see several of the guys who were there, and who were SO willing to share their expertise and love of knitting and spinning.  Joe, Ted, Sean, Stephen, Danny, Mel and David, and Lars, just to name a few.  And to see Carol and Marilyn, whom I had met at Rhinebeck last year, and who are just delightful and talented women.  And, as so many people have been blogging about, Franklin (Yep, got his book signed, and I'm not sure how it happened, but I got to have dinner Saturday night with Franklin and this lovely group of people, and it was truly a terrific evening).

Gratuitous Franklin shot:

 

We know that Rhinebeck is about the fiber, the yarn, the spinning wheels and all that goes along with them, but for me, Rhinebeck is about seeing all these wonderful, talented and beautiful people.  Visiting, talking about the newest project on the needles, family and friends, and future endeavors and events.  Each time I go, I always come away with a greater sense of being, of community and sense of self - of being part of this vast world of fiber enthusiasts.  And more importantly, being WELCOMED into this community.  For me, it truly IS about these beautiful people, and how fortunate I am to be part of it.

I did get a few little things while I was there - although I really had no need for anything.  I have a closet full of yarn that I really need to use up, but I don't think I really went overboard.  A new Bosworth Spindle that Danny helped me to pick out, some roving to spin, and since I decided that my next major project WILL be a sweater for myself, I got some lovely wool:

Oh, and if you know of any good sweater patterns that might look good with this yarn, please feel free to make suggestions.  I'm toying with something knit from the top down, or something from one of the Elizabeth Zimmerman books.

The guys from the knitting retreat gathered to begin planning for the next one.  Joe organized and ran the little meeting, and things are rolling:

The man in the rainbow hat and sunglasses is my friend Van, who I met through menwhoknit.com.  He lives in the Catskill Mountains of NY, and is almost finished with his first sweater!  He's a terrific knitter, and a good friend.

So, there you have it - my little excursion to Rhinebeck, and seeing some truly remarkable people. 

I hope you all are having a great week!