Donations needed! Urgent!

The London Transport Museum (Our favorite museum, and that's saying a lot!) is auctioning off the chance to be the couple in the back of a 1930's taxi display. .

They will take a mold of the winning faces and put them on mannequins.


Matt says for another GBP1000 we can have our souls transferred into them after we die. What better place to be for eternity than in an shiny old taxi in London!

Opening bid is only GBP12,000! :) Surely we can scrape together enough pennies!

What the heck is Sock Wars, anyway?

I've been getting emails asking about SW, so here's the idea:

You sign up with HQ. You are assigned a victim. A sock pattern is distributed to all warriors, with adjustments for size of your victim's feet. On the start day (which was 9/22), you start knitting furiously, then mail the finished socks. When they arrive in the mail, your target has been killed. S/He then sends his/her socks in progress back to you, and you take on that target as your new mission. Unless, of course, your assassin has already killed you... in which case you send your unfinished socks to your killer. Hypothetically, a pair of socks may change hands repeatedly and be knit by multiple people.

Eventually, only one knitter remains. Their personal (unfinished) pair of socks is mailed to them. They have to complete them, but win the honor of being the Sock Wars Champion and get some awesome prizes (yarn and such). Everyone else gets a pair of handknitted socks and at least one new friend.

The amazing part is that the internet has introduced an international twist. My 1st victim is in NY. My assassin is in the UK. There are participants in Australia, Hawaii, Korea... all over the world! Since the matchup was random, some people delivered the Socks of Doom personally, while others had to mail across hemispheres. How cool is THAT!? The organizer - the magnificent Yarn Monkey of Belfast, Ireland - suffered a hurricane just before the start. As a result, there were some communication blips since she couldn't send out the dossiers. Instead, we just emailed our victims and assassins for the mailing info. Most people are taking advantage of the opportunity to enclose local postcards and treats. It's been really wonderful to take part in the message forums, too. I can't wait for SWII!

I have already mailed my first pair (my first pair EVER knit, BTW - I am very happy with them!) and am waiting for some half-finished socks to arrive. Meanwhile, a deadly pair is on its way to me. Which will get here first? It's anybody's guess. Pics will be posted when they will no longer ruin the surprise. :)

Are your fingers nimble?

Sock Wars starts tomorrow! In celebration, I have updated my links (to the right) and provided shortcuts to my Cafe Press stores, in case you need some cool clothing. Requests cheerfully acommodated!

Adopt Victor! Save Dust Bunny! UPDATE!

Victor has found a new home with a lovely woman named Kathy. I hope they are very happy together. :)

Karen sent a bittersweet email upon receipt of her newly-spun Shabbit yarn. She loved the color: The dye came out a gorgeous autumn red. Unfortunately, one of the Angora buns who donated to said Shabbit has been diagnosed with cancer, so please cross your knitting needles for Dust Bunny. Prayers helped Matt recover, I say the same can happen again!

Deadwood and other stories

Bear with Deadwood's awkward pilot - it gets better immediately. It's a Western based on the beginning of said town, involving real people like Wild Bill Hickock & Calamity Jane as well as the obligate invented characters. I've been reading up on my history and like how they have tried to stick to the truth in tone, if not in story. Wild Bill never met Seth Bullock in real life (they only shared residency of Deadwood for one day), but it's true that WB was "courtly with women and fond of children," and that he wrote lies to his wife about working hard at prospecting when he was really drinking and gambling. Anyway - I recommend this series highly based on the characters and their realistic reactions to their lawless situation. It's a nice ensemble piece with multiple intermingling subplots. I think Bullock was miscast, but otherwise they are dead on. Great dialogue, sets, costumes, lighting... I've taken to watching the episodes once with subtitles to catch all the snide mutterings, then again with Matt to appreciate the beauty and rhythm. Another part of the fun is Googling the references I don't know and learning a bit of history. Consider yourself warned: Deadwood is not for the young or delicate. Much of the action centers around the town brothels and the commerce within, and nearly every sentence contains at least one vulgarity.

I've just fallen in love with Mae West. My Little Chickadee is pure genius. She wrote much of her material: This is the woman who originated "Is that a gun in your pocket or are you happy to see me?" She's voluptuous and captivating in a very mature way, and of course laugh-out-loud funny.

Other recent movie favorites: Breakfast on Pluto is adorable. 12 Monkeys is a wild ride - nobody does insanity like Brad Pitt - with a different take on time travel. David Macaulay's Castle is a detailed yet entertaining look at the form and function of the medival fortress.

The SuperNanny gets smart!

Okay, so it had more to do with location than a design choice. Still, they shifted from their usual LT1 (the boring new London Taxi) and rented Wallace for a day of shooting in central WA. The episode will air sometime next year and yes, you will see me driving him around in my chauffeur's cap. There was a constant cloud of activity around the cab as they refitted him for the next section of filming - applying tint films to the windows, changing lights, rigging electronics, etc. The guys were very careful and highly professional (props to Tobias in the green). As a huge movie buff, I loved listening to the crew on the walkie-talkies coordinating the cameras and other stuff. Great behind-the-scenes day! It was a very long shoot but I had a blast and hope they follow through on their desire to use us again.

more LeMay pics

Tons of old fire trucks with wooden ladders (I guess they just hoped they wouldn't catch fire). There were three separate areas of fire truck collections. This was the smallest. Check out the carved bakelite hood ornaments & knobs! The dashboard is cardboard behind glass.

A-LeMay-Zing!

The LeMay Foundation has a shockingly monstrous collection of cars. One day a year, they open the "museum" to the public, and that day was last Saturday. I am not exaggerating when I say the sheer quantity - as well as quality - of their collection is staggering. Heather and I walked all day through the acres of tightly packed autos. Brass era beauties, fire trucks laden with wooden ladders, glistening Packards... And each square inch of wall was covered in rusty old toys and signage. I took 100 pictures and only stopped when my filmy core was full. More pics later, but here's my favorite, taken in the graveyard.

Byzantine Bling!

Matt, in his precious spare time, does silverwork. His favorite things to set are these ancient coins (3rd-10th century AD). He makes lovely bracelets, too. I am currently investigating appropriate boutiques to carry them, since cash is tight until we can sell a taxi. I'm also looking into working for Kaplan as a teacher, since they liked my practice scores so much. ;)

Decompression

It's over.

*sigh of relief*

I won't know how I did for a month, but the MCAT is over.

For readers who are unfamiliar with his particular form of torture: Imagine the hardest class you ever took. Now imagine that class lasted a year, and there were 4 of them (chemistry, organic chem, biology, and physics). Now spend 8 hrs being tested on all of that material, with your future depending on your performance, knowing that if you blow it, you can't recover by retesting.

Yeah, fun, huh?

So now... now I get to apply to UW med school, build my acupuncture business, hang out with Matt and Heather, play with the bunny and cattle and cars, and spin & dye more Shabbit. I'm also heading fearlessly into battle. SOCK WARS, by Yarn Monkey, coming soon to a knitting needle near you!


And check out this incredible paper artist!

Two Birds on the Road

With Wallace's future uncertain, we found another London Taxi for sale and bought it. We figured we could sell either Wallace (if his undercarriage was too rusted out to repair) or this one and use the cash to pay for the repair. There's so much interest generated by Wallace & Wendolene that we know finding a buyer will be easy-peasy. Heather flew to Sarasota, FL with me and we drove the new car back. His name is now Victor, and he looks just like Wendolene except his interior is still the original vinyl. What a GREAT car!!! I am always amazed at how well these cabs do at 70 on the highway, given that they were primarily designed to run around London at 35mph. He was getting about 30-35 mpg once we fixed the return fuel line. The truckers and our fellow travelers really liked him... in fact I nearly sold him three times on the way! It's looking now like Wallace is recoverable, and it will break my heart to part with Victor, but even *I* have to admit that we don't need 3 taxis.

The trip was an epic adventure. I'm a roadtrip rambler from way back, and this journey has seriously rekindled my desire to drive all over the country again, with more time to stop and smell the flowers. At a time when the news is filled with all the horrid things we do to each other, it was wonderful to have my faith in humanity refreshed. We were consistantly shown kindness and generosity. The local people really sweetened the trials we encountered: Two mechanical issues and an emergency surgery for Heather. That's right, folks, she left her gallbladder in Amarillo.

I have started writing up the trip. Going chronologically, I'm on page 5 and Heather isn't even sick yet. I also have zillions of amazing pictures, so I'll put together a full report after my MCAT this weekend. Let me know if you want to see it. And please keep your fingers crossed for me on Saturday!

House for sale in Everett!

Lovely Craftsman / English cottage type, 4 beds, 2 bath, white picket fence. Finished basement with daylight. Fireplace, back yard, detached garage. Walking distance to Forest Park & its Petting Zoo. Cab not included but a ride in it is!

http://locator.nwmls.com/scripts/mgrqispi.dll?APPNAME=Locator&PRGNAME=MLSLogin&ARGUMENT=2VOEb4QVGSOxbpmHZV9DvA%3D%3D

UPDATE: SOLD

Shabbit, expression, and Matt's triumphant return

Matt is back at work and kicking medical butt. He trounced a neonatal resucitation test which stymied some of his fellow residents, and he's solving tough cases at the hospital. His spirits are great and his health seems excellent. YAY!!!

We were talking last night about creative expression. I used to be a pretty good writer - I have won awards and garnered some minor publication - but I am most prolific when I'm unhappy. Following my divorce I was cranking out 1-2 interesting stories a week. Now I'm blissfully happy, but I haven't written anything decent in years. I had a cool dream two months ago and felt compelled, but in written form it was utter dreck. Awful. My Kaplan essays are servicable, but hardly lyrical. My blog entries here (I'm sure you've noticed) resemble the overpunctuated dribbles of a highschooler.

I'm so happy I found fiber art. You always hear about tortured poets, but nobody's ever said you have to be miserable to spin a good literal yarn, just a literary one. It seems the more content I am, the more driven I am to experiment with my wheel and needles. So here's some 50%/50% Angora bunny/Corridale wool. Matt calls it Shabbit.

I love my life!

Fine-tuning my wheelie skills - UPDATED

Top: That black wool & red mohair you saw in progress earlier, a standard 2 ply. The fun here was mixing the two roving colors. The pic doesn't quite capture its sheen, unfortunately.

Left: Wensleydale wool roving bought at the Black Sheep. I spun it superthin, then did a Navajo triple play. The result was a small, soft yarn that retained the color blocks.

Right: 100% percent mohair! This was a crazy experiment. I had AJ's bag of uncarded locks, and nothing that looked good blended with it. After a few failed mixing attempts, I decided to go for a wacky novelty yarn. There are curly bits hanging out, and some thick & thin variation. It should make a spectacular scarf. She has emailed me and says she likes it. :)

Most impressive: Heather's first skein! Ok, mini-skein. I'm still incredibly impressed that her first yarn is actually usable. Way to go, girl!

As always, click to enlarge. Quarters for size comparison.

2006 ABFM - Wendolene brings home the GOLD!

... And we bring Feathers home! He has finally been judged able to leave the shop and looks utterly adorable next to the Taxis. He only takes up half a lane! Despite his diminutive appearance, he performs admirably on the highway (60mph) and is a joy to drive. We look forward to having the liquid assets to paint and rechrome.

The 2006 All British Field Meet was this weekend. There were nearly 600 cars there... and Wendolene won 1st Place in the Specialty Vehicles class! Quite impressive since it's her first real show, and she's a daily driver. There were plenty of trailer queens there with immaculate lacquer paint, but I always prefer a real working car. Evidently the votors did, too. Feathers was also very popular. He didn't take a prize because there was no class on his windshield card. I think they didn't know how to assign him! On the right is a lovely 1954(?) FX3, the London Cab that preceded the FX4 body style of our taxis. The owner lives on Vashon Island, and we met him during the strawberry run. Very nice chap! Heather took a liking to Morris Minors, so they are added to her shortlist for post-house-sale purchase.

Help Bamboo!

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2003123619_elephant13m.html?syndication=rss

Check out this article. Bamboo is an elephant at the Woodland Park Zoo. In addition to the neurotic rocking behavior exhibited by most captive elephants, she has become agressive towards her keepers. She needs to be moved to an elephant sanctuary. This picture is a WPZ press release photo. Bamboo is on the left. They all look wretched!

This has been a long-term desire for me: To help elephants get back to the 30-40 miles or so they need to walk each day, and to the large herds they need for their mental health. Elephants in small zoo enclosures with only a few friends simply go crazy. It's a cruel mistake. I can't wait to be rich so I can use my financial power in their defense. In the meantime, I am using the weapon of email. Please read up on this problem and do the same!

gigi.allianic@zoo.org
woodlandparkzoopr@zoo.org

Proud to be an enabler

I've done it. I've gotten Heather committed to getting a cute little car of her own. Even better, the object of her love is an Austin! A Mini Countryman, to be exact. This blessed event occured at the Strawberry Festival at Vashon Island. Another gorgeous ferry ride to a car show & parade. Wendolene was much loved and admired by all except the announcer, who declared her to be "um... uh... some sort of prison car" despite her lit TAXI light.

Heather is saving her pennies for a woody wagon of her very own. Since we now need a way to tow & move our fleet, I fell hard for this burly Mack truck. Note the curved roof! Fear not, I won't be acquiring one... yet.

You may notice that Wallace and Feathers are conspicuously absent from the show. Feathers is still at the shop - it turns out that thermostat housings for the little guy are tricky to come by. We finally have one and should be driving him by Wednesday. Wallace had an unfortunate run-in with a winch while getting a wheel alignment. Not at our usual shop, of course! He will require many thousands of dollars in repairs (on their tab). Hopefully he'll be done by the All Brit Field Meet on the 22nd, but I doubt it. Pictures of the damage are NOT being posted due to their graphic nature.

Pics of the car parade here: http://www.finchhaven.com/Festival_2006/Sunday/Classic_Car_Parade/index.html

Fish & Fireworks

Heather, Matt & I went to the harbor early yesterday and hung out all day. A huckleberry ice cream waffle cone couldn't quite beat the heat, so we took a refreshing ferry ride to a Bainbridge Island casino, where we each bet $1 at the nickel slots. We renewed our Aquarium membership and went to their July 4th party: Communion with my otter friends, a behind the scenes tour, and a great view of the fireworks from their deck. Another terrific day!

"It was GREAT until I almost died!"

I have links now! These are a few of the sites I peek at regularly. More to come soon.

Oil's well that ends well.

The oil that came with my spinning wheel ran out. I had to use a lot, because she always started squeaking after each hour of yarn creation. Matt talked me into using Triflon, a firearm oil that contains Teflon. HOLY COW is that wheel smooth and silent now! Spinners, pick some up at your local gun shop.

While we're on the topic, avocado oil is fantastic for massage and other personal uses. Like other oils, it's not compatible with latex, but it leaves your skin feeling wonderful and even works under water. Find it in the salad dressing / olive oil section of your high-end gourmet grocery stores.

Enjoy! :)

2006 Black Sheep Gathering = Girl Heaven

For you non-fiberaddicts, the Black Sheep Gathering is an annual festival in Eugene, OR for farmers (with goats, rabbits, alpacas, and of course sheep), people who turn raw fleeces into carded roving, dyers, spinners, weavers, knitters, and all the folks who sell our toys (wheels, looms, etc). There are tons of animals and vendors, and it's downright easy to find something you can't live without at every single table.

This year I drove Wendolene (living up to her yarn-shop proprietess namesake) and filled her with eager fiber artists Holly, AJ, Joy, and Amy. Amanda and Alex had to back out at the last minute, which was fortunate since we filled every cubic centimeter with our purchases! Pictured are my finds: The only sheep wool I got was 6 oz of Wensleydale in dark mallard green, brown and a tremendous glowing copper. It seemed to be the year for mohair: Those are the curly locks, and they come from Angora goats. I bought silver-gray, cobalt blue, and a watery mix of blue and green that actually matches the other blue beautifully. The seller tossed in some of that deep scarlet and the buff colored roving (that's what mohair looks like when carded). I'll dye the buff and maybe the silver. The black is teenage alpaca and is SOOOOOO soft. I also got a little white silk. Overall, a nice mix of textures and colors to play with. I'm expecting some white bunny Angora from an Internet friend, so I have to figure out what fibers I want to pair up before I start dyeing.

AJ, being a smart crocheter, chose some roving that I'll spin for her. It's a win-win: She gets cheap yarn and I get to spin more without having to pay for it. She selected a cherry mohair and black merino that I'll blend into a varigated blood red two-ply. Add all this to the spinning I'll be doing for Heather, and you've got a very happy Needlegirl. I'm not even jealous of the portable wheel Holly bought. Okay, I am. But at least I didn't buy that gray Angora bunny boy with the black face and ears. He was adorable, and only $20. I am the queen of willpower!

Other highlights of the trip: Visiting Weaving Works in Seattle with Amanda. Harvesting lavender with Holly (grown in her back yard). Giggling at the Wallace & Gromit movies yet again, and enjoying my friends' first exposure to them. Getting a foot rub from AJ. Having a cold shower after a blistering drive through record-setting temps ... with the heater on to keep the old diesel cool. Holly gleefully shouting "I've got crabs!" Best: Having my dream car filled with girlfriends whooping and laughing on the way to Spinner Heaven. I love my life!

"You keep doing what you're doing - I'll get the firecrackers!"

This is Heather. Doesn't she have a wonderful smile?

A few of my favorite things:

Cool stuff you should know about for your mind, body, and soul (plus a local bonus):

MIND: Sudoku is a logic game with no math or guessing, just analyzing and eliminating. You can find unlimited free games (and the extremely short rules) at websudoku.com. Very fun, but I warn you - also very addictive. They are difficult at first but as you start to figure out the strategy they go much faster.

BODY: Last week I mentioned Keens and Merrills. I'm famous for being a cheapskate, but good shoes - like a good bed - are worth every penny. I'm not kidding about trying them out. They make Birks seem like Keds, both ergonomically and aesthetically.

SOUL: For a little entertainment, rent Carnivale. It was a short lived (2 seasons) HBO series about some freaky and fabulous carneys traveling the country in 1934. It's a magical whirlwind with great sets and amazing people who evolve as the show spins out. Available on Netflix, among other places. NOT for kids!

Lagniappe: Check out Superior Automotive, 17 1/2 102nd Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98004. (425) 454-5028
These guys are real, honest-to-goodness old-fashioned mechanics. They can figure out anything. They're honest. They're cheap. Thery're fast. We are oh-so-glad we found them!

Not all who wander are lost...

Matt & I have been taking advantage his time off, and my break between tests, to explore the magnificence that is Washington State. On Saturday we took part in an antique British car run. Unfortunately most of the cars who came were neither antique nor British, but there was a lovely '59 Jag Mark IX (ahead of Wallace in the pic - I'm shooting while driving Wendolene) and a few old MGs and Triumphs. The route was fantastic: Lots of well-maintained roads through woods and beautiful farmlands. On Sunday we drove up to Snoqualmie Falls and took a train ride. Yesterday we intended to see the Sequoias at the Olympic National Park, but got diverted and wound up on the Dungeness Spit at Sequim instead. The pic of Seattle was taken from the ferry coming back home.

I'm very happy with the pics I took (far more than I can post here) and the best will be added to the next picture CD.

Wind Beneath my Wings AKA The Perfect Day

Some Chemistry and Organic Chem, then off to the city for some real fun! First we stopped at REI, where I found a pair of Keens on clearance. Haven't tried these yet? Along with Merrells, they are my prescription for happy feet.

Debbie, Steve, Matt and I hired a seaplane for an airtour of Seattle. When the pilot found out I used to fly, he let me take the yoke for about 10-15 minutes. It was INCREDIBLE! I've been really missing flying recently - even dreaming about it - so I was doing serious binkies heading TO the plane, let alone afterwards! We had great visibility and just a few gusts. Utterly perfect! Steve took the pics.

Afterwards we had a stupendous seafood dinner at Chandler's. Like I said: Perfect! This is so cool - with my friends coming to see me, I feel like I've been on vacation, and I haven't even missed any school! :)

It's AAAAALIIIIVE!!!

WOW do I feel GREAT!!! I've been working out hard again, and it's difficult to express just how different I am. Instead of tired, depressed, and weighted down by a giant Fat Suit, I am springing all over the place. I know I still look the same (okay, I'm obviously losing a little - my watch bracelet is looser) but I FEEL like I'm back in my Personal Trainer body. I feel energized, integrated... lithe and light.

I started back in the gym a few weeks ago, just doing the usual treadmill and weights, but I was sick of it and unmotivated. I obviously wasn't pushing myself enough.... until last Monday when my buddy Steve came to visit. He's been overseas for a few years and I've missed him tremendously, so our week-long visit has been great. Steve has always been extremely athletic (rock climbing, martial arts, etc.) but now he's gotten into this Crossfit (you guessed it, crossfit.com) thing and he's really loving it. I am too! The workouts are different every day, so you don't get bored. The paradigm is completely unlike my old bodybuilding routine: It's built around functional fitness and is designed to generate core strength with multi-joint movements.

Boy, do my quads hurt! :) Woo-HOOO!!

PS - Act fast, girls, he won't be single long now that he's back in the country. It's hard to find such a brilliant, funny, sexy sweetheart of a guy!

update

My vertigo is mostly gone but zings me once in a while. More troublesome: Matt's been having some short-term memory problems and is back on medical leave. We are going to do a sleep study and are investigating some other causes. Anyone want to buy a really cute car?

Austintatious! It's a boy!

The A30 baby has arrived! His name is Feathers McGraw, in keeping with the Wallace & Gromit theme of our other Austins. Generally he looks very good for a 1955 - an excellent project car! The paint is of course tired, but the rust is confined to a few small areas and the engine sounds just fine. We'll be shopping on eBay for chrome and a water pump... getting all the little bits and pieces as we can find them cheaply. :) Alan & Doug at Superior Automotive are having fun playing and now Alan wants an A30 van for himself! Tons of detail pics here for the mechanically inclined: http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/barbelle1/my_photos