My 2009 De-Stash "PROJECT"

I have too much yarn, and I keep buying more so my 2009 goal is to knit more of what I already have. I'm picking out projects that I want to do and that I already have the yarns for and I'm devising random ways to pick 1 or 2 at the start of each month. Hopefully my end result will be a lot of stash de-stashed and not a bunch of UFOs. So far I've decided on 6 sock patterns, one for every other month. I'm not ambitious enough to take on 12. I've also got 3 hats picked out so far, but I'll probably pick more. I'm also going to FINALLY do my hermione mitten and fuzzy felted slippers....

So here are my lists, for anyone who is curious, and also for myself to help keep track:

Socks

(since there are 6, I'm going to roll a die to randomly select one every other month, or sooner if I work quick enough)

1. Fawkes in Lorna's Laces, Flames
2. Hedwig in Comic Fibers, Sorcerer's Stone
3. Uzume in Cosmic Fibers, Kazua Takoa
4. Monkey in Skinny Duet, Mona
5. Zombie Socks in Cosmic Fibers, Burke & Hare
   
6. Anastasia in Cosmic Fibers, Mme. Defarge

EDIT: I switched out the Flutter-by Socks for Zombie instead. ;) I'm still iffy on Mme. Defarge for the Anastacia socks, but not so much that I can up with an alternative... If I maneage to get all 6 done early then I'll go back to the flutter-by's...

I'd also like to do Jaywalkers with my Ravenclaw 2nd Year yarn.... I had a lot of trouble narrowing this down last night. LOL Now I'm thinking of changing it all around... Oy Vey!

Hats:

This is a short list. I haven't picked all of then yet... I also haven't decided how many I should do, or how to pick them.

1. Foliage in Malabrigo Chunky, Sapphire Magenta
2. Hermione's Cable and Eyelet Hat in Wool-Ease, Grey heather
3. Star-Crossed Slouchy Beret in Malabrigo, undecided on colorway (I'm thinking Jewel Blue or Roanoke)

Other Projects:

Also a short list right now

1. Hermione's Cable and Bobble Mittens in Cascade 220, 9404 (ruby)
2. Felted Furry Foot Warmers (Plain Version) in Lambs pride bulky, blue magic & Fun fur, fiji

I'll do more updating once I pick out some more projects... I have a lot of yarn to de-stash so I definitely need more projects. :)

Scarves:
I'm iffy on including these. I HIGHLY doubt that they will ever get done in one year with the other socks and hats and mittens and other things that I want to do

1. Clapotis in my Noro Silk Garden --> I'm scared of it, and it'll be a big undertaking.
   
2. longish skinny scarf (Possibly Omo) in Cosmic Fibers, Sweeny Todd
3. Finish my Lace Ribbon Scarf in Lorna's Laces, Hawaii
4. Sara's Scrunchable scarf in Bernat Chunky Twist, Denim Rag
   

Happy Christmas! (from 3 days ago)

Christmas has come and gone. I gave away all my presents. My 2 favorite reactions to them being Aynsley who loved her hat and fingerless gloves so much that she let me take multiple pictures and put them on immediately, and Veronica (of course)... Veronica started a ravelry thread to show off the Cullen charm bracelet that I made her. :-D I am a very proud gift giver.

My Christmas highlights.... These are all going to be points of laughter:

• My dad trying to fit the hat that I made Shannon on his head. I laughed really hard. And I took a picture of it! I think he had been drinking to allow this! :)
• Me singing for "Rock Band." I laughed at myself a lot! I got a 100% on Duran Duran's "Hungry Like the Wolf" and a "flawless rating." My mom's response to this "yea, you sounded flawless." LOL I should note that I cannot sing. AT ALL. :)
• My mother spilling hot chocolate everywhere. I'm not sure whay this was really funny to me, but it was... After I realized that my iPhone wasn't hit. Also one of my Bella Mittens smells a little like hot cocoa. It'll need to be washed.
• Aynsley taking a picture of Bella's fingerless gloves with an apple in hand. And when anyone asked what we were doing we replied, "you don't want to know!" LOL They would just roll their eyes at us anyways...
• Mauricio surprised me with a Pink iPod nano! YAY!

I think that's about it. Here are pictures of my Christmas knitted gifts... and my Christmas project. There's Aynsley's green unoriginal hat, Aynsley's Bella Fingerless Gloves, and Shannon's pink hat. I cast on my Bella mittens of Christmas Eve, so I'm including those. :)

Snow in the Desert

It has snowed all day here! Normally, that's impossible, and I'd agree with anyone who thought that I was lying... but I have picture proof! That's the desert behind my house covered in snow! :)

I took Rocky outside to play in it... He didn't like it so much... He kept hiding under anything that didn't have snow on it... LOL He is so cute!

I've been stuck at home unable to walk for 3 days

And since that has been the case I've been a very large knitting kick. I can't believe how much I've got done this week. :) And I'll be working on some more as well. First of all, I finished Luke's Slytherin scarf. It's just shy of 10 feet long. It's a dark green and a dark grey/silver so it's not exactly the same as the movie scarf, but I think Luke doesn't care about accuracy. ;) I'm so proud of myself for finally finishing it. When I did finish it, last Sunday night, I did a happy dance around my room out of pure joy. :) It's long and thick and warm and I hope he loves it... Even if lately he is a real jerk about 90% of the time.

I have also knitted and finished a hat for Aynsley. (She requested it, and saw the yarn before hand, and saw the ravelry post and pictures... So it's not a surprise, but it is a gift.) I did the Unoriginal Hat by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee. Which I have been wanting to do for a while, but hadn't got around to it. I used to different green Caron Simply Soft strands held together to get a bulkier knit and create some variegation in color. It's kelly green and lime green. (Which the picture doesn't show very well, but my camera is MIA and my iPhone is the best I have right now.) She saw the pictures and says she really likes it.

I also knit Aynsley a surprise present. Which I'm not talking about or posting about because it's a surprise! :) Let's hope I actually manage to keep this surprise a surprise. I'm not so good about it usually. ;)

I'm going to do some more knitting today, and maybe finish up some WIPs that have been sitting around and/or start work on my mom's knitted pillows. :) Probably the latter, because I'm not really feeling like finishing anything I've already started...

******

In other non-knitting business, my Christmas shopping (and knitting) is pretty much done. There are a couple of things I'd like to pick up still, but there's no rush on that. :) Except for 1 thing I want to get before I can send off Veronica's present. :)

We had a bunch of our mail stolen a couple of weeks ago. So we've been dealing with changing cc numbers and figuring out if packages have gone missing. It's such a hassel...

I went in for treatment on my foot again. Which is why I can't walk. It's a more aggressive treatment this time and therefore much more painful. I've watched a lot of tv and done a lot of knitting. Not too much walking though... I'm not looking forward to work tomorrow, because my foot is still really hurting. Hopefully I can manage to get a shoe on it...

For the rest of the week... Thursday is the holiday luncheon for work... I'm not really looking forward to it, because I don't really like most of the people I work with. But it's also payday so I have a paycheck to look forward to. :) Friday I'm going to go to Sara's dance recital and the Nutcracker... Well, I'm going to be cutting it close but I am DETERMINED to make it to both. I don't want to disappoint Sara, but I also don't want to give up the Nutcracker tickets because they are expensive. (Plus, I know a little girl dancing in the nutcracker too.) Saturday I'm babysitting Sara and Ellie. So I'll be busy at the end of this week, nothing going on in the beginning though. :)

It's Raining

It's raining. :( And it's supposed to rain all day... The news says to leave AT LEAST 15 minutes earlier to get anywhere on time. AND flights are delayed at the airport. Which is fantastic since I have to drive to the airport and pick up my dad. I was already dreading the airport because it will crazy busy, but now I have the stupid rain making it worse...

Sorry, I just really felt the need to complain about the rain... (HAHA That kind of rhymes.)

Also, I don't really mind the rain. It's a rare commodity in the dessert, but driving in it BLOWS.

I'm actually blogging about knitting.

Now that my swap package has been sent and received, I'm going to explain a bit about why it was different... Since I had hinted at it before. This is my 4th HSKS and I've always spoiled Gryffindors. So this time I decided to change it a little bit and send off a Hermione-themed package... She is one of my favorite Gryffindor characters and has the some of the most wonderful knitted items in the movies. :) Here are a few pictures.

The handmade item is a HatMione. The patterns were for Gryffindor Pride socks (with knitpicks yarn) and HerMittens (with cascade 220 that matches the hat). There was a small "beaded" purse filled with her knitting needles (for both pattens), a row counter bracelet, (10) gryffindor stitch markers, and otter (Hermione's patronus) stitch markers. I also decorated a notebook for her in gryffindor colors and put the patterns in a red project folder. I also, of course, included some treats for her. :) All of it fits in a red tote bag that I found and monogrammed with her (muggle) initals.

Emma Scamander said she loves it! She also said that her camera is MIA... Which is easily understandable by me... My camera is MIA about 70% of the time... Which is also why I decided to post some pictures. :)

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Now that I am finished with my kit, I've been furiously working on finishing my Christmas knitting.

Luke is getting his Slytherin scarf for Christmas. I am absolutely determined to finish it up... It's about half way there. If I get through at least one set of trapped bars a day I'll make the deadline. And I should be able to that as long as I knit while I watch tv every night.

My mom wants knitted pillows that are made to resemble some saw at West Elm. I've figured out the stitch pattern and started to get my gauge. They aren't too large of a project and it's a bulky weight yarn so they should go pretty quickly once I get all the kinks worked out...

I'll be posting some pictures of the Christmas knitting soon. :)

Last Round of Quidditch

1. Who was Tom Riddle Sr.'s girlfriend before Merope gave him the love potion?
a. Eleanor
b. Cecilia
c. Sally
d. Mandy

2. What does Luna say floated into Harry's ear when he was in the train car that supposedly caused him to lose focus?
a. Demiguise
b. Jobberknoll
c. Wrackspurt
d. Runespoor

3. How much do the primary Apparition lessons cost?
a. 10 galleons
b. 8 galleons
c. 15 galleons
d. 12 galleons

4. What is Professor Merrythought's first name?
a. Eileen
b. Galatea
c. Carol
d. Jocelyn

5. What Hogwarts club was Eileen Prince captain of?
a. Charms Club
b. Gobstones Club
c. The Slug Club
d. Occlumency Club

6. Who is head of the Goblin Liaison office?
a. Ambrosius Flume
b. Dirk Cresswell
c. Ciceron Harkiss
d. Barnabas Cuffe

7. Mrs. Weasley offers Fleur a goblin-made tiara for the wedding with Bill. What family member is currently in possession of the tiara?
a. Aunt Muriel
b. Aunt Ethel
c. Aunt Edna
d. Aunt Thelma

8. How many points does Snape take from Gryffindor for Harry's late arrival and muggle attire?
a. 30
b. 70
c. 50
d. 90

9. When Profressory Slughorn first meets Hermione, he asks her whether she is related to Hector Dagworth-Granger. What society did Dgworth-Granger found?
a. The Most Extraordinary Society of Charms
d. The Most Extraordinary Society of Herbology
c. The Most Extraordinary Society of the Defense Against the Dark Arts
d. The Most Extraordinary Society of Potioneers

10. Which of these describes Golpalott's Third Law?
a. The antidote for blended poison will be equal to less than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components
b. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to less than the product of the antidotes for each of the separate compenents
c. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the product of the antidotes for each of the separate compenents
d. The antidote for a blended poison will be equal to more than the sum of the antidotes for each of the separate components

Update!

Emma Scamander got her package, which makes me incredibly happy because I get nervous that my package will be lost every time I send one out... She also said that she love it, which makes me even happier.


I spent a lot of the weekend at the pool. Logan was swimming in the Nevada State Championship... He had a few really good swims, but only 3 that he was personally happy with. I think he did really good though. :) Ryan Little got 4 gold medals, 3 silver medals, and was awarded the 8 & Under high point trophy. Last year he was high point runner-up... He's one of the funniest little kids that I've ever met. :) On Tuesday (the last day of the meet) I begged to get out REALLY early so that I could make it in time to see Ryan get his trophy. I was so proud of both of them... (According to Luke the rest of the team did well too, but Logan and Ryan are my favorites. hahahaha) The swim meet really threw off my concept of what day is what though so last week ran into this week, and I can't believe it's not Friday yet....
(In the pictures, that's Logan swimming butterfly and Ryan showing off his "State" Champion shirt...

So the rest of my week (the whole, what 3 days?) will be work, work, work... Then Friday Mauricio and I are going to dinner. Saturday I baby-sit Sara and Ellie most of the day, and then I'll hang out with Mauricio after that... We're planning on going to see James Bond. YAY! :) Next Friday I'm taking Aynsley to dinner and the Twilight movie for her birthday... Also a big YAY! hahaha My friend Gwen is coming with us... :) That's it for now, I think... I'm off to work.

Super Secret Ravenclaw Homework

1. Astrid Cloverleaf
2. Cassandra Grubby-Plank
3. Enna Kirts
4. Selena Starfire
5. Henry Longstaff
6. Ceciley Fortescue
7. Mona Ravenscroft
8. Artengia Pascal
9. Prendolyn Wilcox
10. Lizzy Wychwood
11. Ursula Longbottom
12. Rowena Weasley
13. Aurora Curlyfur
14. Lily May Clearwater
15. Megaera Black
Bonus #1: Hermoine Bagnold
Bonus #2: 37, less than half

I'm Sending my Package Out Today!

I'll be sending my package out today. I finished up and got the last few things of it done last night... As soon as I get my confirmation number I'll send it to Wisteria Lovegood, Minee Kwikspell, and Emma Scamander (my spoilee). I hope she likes it. :)

And I did take pictures before, so I'll send those off to Bevin Rae Mooney, but that may not happen until tomorrow. ;)

Which the poor owl luck, he was to fly across the whole country. :/

My temporary update... a breakdown of the last few days

FRIDAY:
The Halloween party was a success. Everyone had a good time, there were no fights, no drama, and no big messes. Rocky ended up as a pirate. I found out that my friend Gwen, who I love and was so excited she came because I don't see her very often, really loves Twilight, so she will be accompanying me and Aynsley to the movie. Which is my birthday present to Aynsley, dinner and a movie. :) It was a late night, I ended up sleeping on the couch at about 4:30/5 am after things were picked up... Why was on the couch? That's a story for another time. hahaha I forgot my camera, but there were some pictures taken. I'll hunt around and see if anyone can give them to me...

SATURDAY:
I helped nurse Mauricio's hangover, and stayed at his house until I loaded up the car and went home. I went to bed REALLY early, seeing as how I was up by 9am and went to bed at about 5... But I woke up in the middle of the night because my dumb dog had decided to get into his treats earlier that day and ate to may and threw up bright green all over my room, and my moms bathroom... I was not to happy with him.

SUNDAY:
Had the monthly family breakfast. Mauricio even drove out to eat with us. Logan, Mauricio and I went and saw Zach and Miri Make a Porno... Then I read (I've been reading the Sookie Stackhouse books. Now I'm on the 7th one. I was on the 5th still Sunday. hahaha) Helped my mom with dinner and dishes. I also did laundry, swhich is really good since it had been 2 weeks and I really needed some clean stuff... Went to bed after watching True Blood, Entourage, and Dexter.

MONDAY:
Worked, and did more reading.

TUESDAY:
Worked, watched the election results come in until I gave up and went to bed...

TODAY!:
Going to a concert with Logan... He's getting dropped off at the office and we're going together from there. I'm so glad he's getting dropped off so I don't have to drive across town and then back again to pick him up. Should be a fun night for us...

I probably won't be on the computer much more today, or possibly tomorrow because I'm finishing up my package and also going back in to the doctor for more work on my foot... So I figured I'd blog now, and get it done early. :)

My Halloween Pumpkins for 2008

So here they are I just barely finished. I decided to go with a Futurama theme... My other ideas wouldn't really fit in with the Halloween decorations that Mauricio got. Oh well, there'll bee more time next year. :)

I did Bender and Nibbler... 2 of my favorite characters. If I had a 3 pmpkin he would be Dr. Zoidberg, my favorite of all the characters on the show. :)

Anyways here's the pictures that I promised to post:

Nibbler!
Who looks an awful lot like my Rocky. And if my Rocky had been my Rocky from the beginning and not adopted later, his name would possibly be Nibbler. (The other option would be Stitch. hahaha) I'm working on a Nibbler costume for Rocky...

BENDER
the "bite my shiny metal @$$" pumpkin
I messed up his eyes and mouth (He's supposed to have more defined "teeth" and a cigar in his mouth.) a little bit, but he turned out okay.

And here they are together, with some light... Which shows Bender's imperfections quite a lot more.I also tried my entire costume on. It all fits and it looks cute... Although I haven't worn tights since I was 6... and I remember why, they itch and they're hot. :( I never found a black mini skirt that fit me so I have a dark grey one instead, and I swapped out my black boots to my pewter colored ones. :) I'll post pictures after I have some taken with Mauricio. (We're Speed Racer and Trixie... It doesn't look as good with us separated.) Rocky was going to be chim-chim and match us, but I ever found a mokey costume. So instead he's getting a last minute hand made nibbler costume. LOL He'll match the pumpkins instead of us. Mauricio decorated some today. We're going to finish up tomorrow. The party should be a blast!

Well, since I'll be busy tomorrow I won't be posting, but I'll leave you with this:

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Ravenclaw House Quiz 2

What security question does Mr. Weasley ask Mrs. Weasley before he enters the Burrow? What is the answer? What is Arthur's nickname for Molly when they're alone? Mollywobbles

What two names does Mrs. Cole call Dumbledore when she takes him to see Tom Riddle at the orphanage?
Mr. Dumberton and Dunderbore

What is the name of Ginny's Pygmy Puff?
Arnold

What three D's are needed for apparating?
Destination, Determination, Deliberation

What spell did Harry perform when he was attacked by Dementors?
Expecto Patronum

Who did an arrow salute at Dumbledore's funeral?
The centaurs

What did Dumbledore set on fire to prove to Tom Riddle that he was a wizard?
A wardrobe

What Christmas present did Kreacher give Harry?
Maggots

What is on top of the Weasleys' Christmas tree?
A garden gnome disguised as an angel

What was the most popular item at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?
Nosebleed Nougat

Why did Harry threaten to kick Ron off the Griffindor Quidditch team?
For being a jerk to the others on the team

What happens if you break an Unbreakable Vow?
You die

Who did Hermoine go to Slughorn's party with?
Cormac McLaggen

Who is Mrs. Weasley's favorite singer?
Celestina Warbeck

Who are the only two people who know the full contents of the prophecy made about Harry and Lord Voldemort?
Harry and Dumbledore

:)

So I'm doing something a little different this time around.... It's a surprise though so that's all I'll say. ;) I've got the majority of it done/put together, but probably won't finish up until this weekend. I really hope that Emma Scammander likes it. It really is very different than anything I've done before, or have seen done for that matter.

I'm entirely walking without a limp now and my foot fits into normal shoes again, which is fantastic! And I mean that "FANTASTIC" seriously, not sarcastically... I didn't enjoy having to either wear my mothers shoes or beat up too big chucks all of last week.

I'm going to the Flogging Molly concert this Friday with Mauricio. It should be so much fun. It's at the Palms, so we actually have a cheap(er) room for the night too. It's been about a year since I saw them. They always come in October and in March, but I missed the March one being in San Francisco this year. :) I'm not complaining either, San Francisco was awesome.

I babysat Sara and Ellie last weekend. Ellie has finally warmed up to me. She's happy to see me when I come over. Not as happy as Sara or Zoe (the dog) but she doesn't scream the moment I show up... This time she actually put her arms out for me to pick her up... Neither of the girls will sleep in their beds when I'm there though... They're so cute!

Well...

The last few days have been a little tough... not necessarily for me but just tough, in general... I'm just worrying about other people and maybe misconstruing some other things but whatever. I'm feeling a little disconnected from everyone. :( I actually really miss Aynsley being next door to hang out with me whenever and help me with projects. I think I've called her every single day this week just to talk... Which is odd, because I rarely use my phone for talking... ;)

I almost had a temper tantrum of sorts today. Not that anything was wrong or going wrong, just I got really mad for no apparent reason... I didn't yell or hit or explode on anyone though so that was good. It took quite a bit of effort though. Aynsley thinks this means that I need to see a shrink. I think it means I need a new job and more exercize. It's not like these "rage blackouts" are any stranger to me, just usually I have a more defined trigger...

My foot is on the mend now. I'm actually almost walking like a normal person. Although I need to go back in for my follow up and I'm pretty sure that's going to mean another round of pain, because it still doesn't look like it's altogether healed. This is all supposed to happen the day before Halloween. HOWEVER, I'm not ruining my fun by being in pain and not being able to fit my feet into shoes for my costume, so I'm planning on going the day after Halloween instead. :)

Quidditch Round 2

1. What animal does the portrait in the Muggle Prime Minster’s office resemble?
a. Rat
b. Frog
c. Cat
d. Lion

2. What drink does Romilda Vane try to give Harry?
a. Gillywater
b. Butterbeer
c. Pumpkin Juice
d. Elf-Made Wine

3. What is the name of the person who heads the Holyhead Harpies?
a. Gwenog Smith
b. Gwenog Jones
c. Glen Jones
d. Glen Smith

4. How many ‘Exceeds Expectation’ grades does Harry receive in his O.W.L’s?
a. 6
b. 3
c. 5
d. 4

5. What is Professor Sughorn’s favorite candy?
a. Cockroach Clusters
b. Sherbet Lemon
c. Acid Pops
d. Crystallized Pineapple

6. What tattoo is Harry reported to have on his chest?
a. Mermaid
b. Blast Ended Skrewt
c. Hippogriff
d. Unicorn

7. What color robes do the staff at the Weasley’s shop wear?
a. Buttercup
b. Magenta
c. Royal Blue
d. Aqua

8. What is the man outside Flourish and Blotts selling?
a. Amulets
b. Cloaks
c. Wands
d. Hats

9. How much is the skull, which Hermione enquires about at Borgin and Burkes, worth?
a. 9 Galleons
b. 18 Galleons
c. 16 Galleons
d. 12 Galleons

10. What are Professor Slughorn’s initials?
a. H.F.G.
b. H.E.F.
c. H.A.L.
d. H.K.D.

My foot hurts...

I'm being a big baby and skipping work today. Now I need to entertain myself. :) YAY books!


This is what you do:
1) Look at the list and bold those you have read.
2) Italicize those you intend to read.
3) Underline the books you LOVE. (I'm changing the color instead... I have no clue how to underline on blogger)
4) Reprint this list in your own Blog


1. The Lord of the Rings, JRR Tolkien
2. Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
3. His Dark Materials, Philip Pullman
4. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
5. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, JK Rowling
6. To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
7. Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne
8. Nineteen Eighty-Four, George Orwell
9. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
10. Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
11. Catch-22, Joseph Heller
12. Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë
13. Birdsong, Sebastian Faulks
14. Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
15. The Catcher in the Rye, JD Salinger
16. The Wind in the Willows, Kenneth Grahame
17. Great Expectations, Charles Dickens
18. Little Women, Louisa May Alcott
19. Captain Corelli's Mandolin, Louis de Bernieres
20. War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy
21. Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell
22. Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone, JK Rowling
23. Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, JK Rowling
24. Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, JK Rowling
25. The Hobbit, JRR Tolkien
26. Tess Of The D'Urbervilles, Thomas Hardy (UGH! This reminds me of Junior year of high school. I hate this book)
27. Middlemarch, George Eliot
28. A Prayer For Owen Meany, John Irving
29. The Grapes Of Wrath, John Steinbeck
30. Alice's Adventures In Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
31. The Story Of Tracy Beaker, Jacqueline Wilson
32. One Hundred Years Of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez
33. The Pillars Of The Earth, Ken Follett
34. David Copperfield, Charles Dickens
35. Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Roald Dahl
36. Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
37. A Town Like Alice, Nevil Shute
38. Persuasion, Jane Austen
39. Dune, Frank Herbert (This is Mauricio's favorite... I feel like I should bold it he talks about it so much)
40. Emma, Jane Austen
41. Anne Of Green Gables, LM Montgomery
42. Watership Down, Richard Adams
43. The Great Gatsby, F Scott Fitzgerald (THIS IS MY FAVORITE!!!)
44. The Count Of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas
45. Brideshead Revisited, Evelyn Waugh
46. Animal Farm, George Orwell
47. A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
48. Far From The Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy
49. Goodnight Mister Tom, Michelle Magorian
50. The Shell Seekers, Rosamunde Pilcher
51. The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett (My favorite book when I was little girl)
52. Of Mice And Men, John Steinbeck
53. The Stand, Stephen King
54. Anna Karenina, Leo Tolstoy
55. A Suitable Boy, Vikram Seth
56. The BFG, Roald Dahl
57. Swallows And Amazons, Arthur Ransome
58. Black Beauty, Anna Sewell
59. Artemis Fowl, Eoin Colfer
60. Crime And Punishment, Fyodor Dostoyevsky
61. Noughts And Crosses, Malorie Blackman
62. Memoirs Of A Geisha, Arthur Golden
63. A Tale Of Two Cities, Charles Dickens
64. The Thorn Birds, Colleen McCollough
65. Mort, Terry Pratchett
66. The Magic Faraway Tree, Enid Blyton
67. The Magus, John Fowles
68. Good Omens, Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
69. Guards! Guards!, Terry Pratchett
70. Lord Of The Flies, William Golding
71. Perfume, Patrick Süskind
72. The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists, Robert Tressell
73. Night Watch, Terry Pratchett
74. Matilda, Roald Dahl
75. Bridget Jones's Diary, Helen Fielding
76. The Secret History, Donna Tartt
77. The Woman In White, Wilkie Collins
78. Ulysses, James Joyce
79. Bleak House, Charles Dickens
80. Double Act, Jacqueline Wilson
81. The Twits, Roald Dahl
82. I Capture The Castle, Dodie Smith
83. Holes, Louis Sachar
84. Gormenghast, Mervyn Peake
85. The God Of Small Things, Arundhati Roy
86. Vicky Angel, Jacqueline Wilson
87. Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
88. Cold Comfort Farm, Stella Gibbons
89. Magician, Raymond E Feist
90. On The Road, Jack Kerouac
91. The Godfather, Mario Puzo
92. The Clan Of The Cave Bear, Jean M Auel
93. The Colour Of Magic, Terry Pratchett
94. The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho
95. Katherine, Anya Seton
96. Kane And Abel, Jeffrey Archer
97. Love In The Time Of Cholera, Gabriel García Márquez
98. Girls In Love, Jacqueline Wilson
99. The Princess Diaries, Meg Cabot
100. Midnight's Children, Salman Rushdie

Sorry...

Normally I have at least one huge post a week and much more to say.... but not so much today. I've been getting crap at work about the hours that I work by the HR/payroll lady. She's not my boss and it's none of her business what and/or when I work over than to pay me, but she's constantly on my case. This has made me paranoid that my benefits will be taken away. Which would really piss me off because I only went full time for benefits.... UGH!!!!!

Anyways.. I'm sort of out of it right now because I went to the doctor and I had to have a painful procedure done... For which I was given meds for the pain... So I'm a little out of it, but I won't be home tomorrow because I'm taking Maurcio for dinner for his birthday.

I'm kind of in a bad mood right now between being in pain and getting an overpriced parking ticket for not having my registeration properly displayed because someone stole my sticker...

I promise my next post will be happier. :)

Ravenclaw House Quiz

House Quiz

What potion has the strange side effects of excessive singing and nose-tweaking?
Euphoria

What ingredient can be used to counteract the effect of the above side effects?
a sprig of peppermint

How much can you get for Acromantula venom?
it may fetch up to a hundred Galleons a pint on the open market.

What is the most powerful love potion in the world?
Amortentia

What antidote does Harry use to help Ron when he is poisoned by Madam Rosmerta's finest mead?
Bezoar

How does Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes' Owl Order Service get their potions past the security at Hogwarts to their customers?
products are disguised as cough syrups or perfumes

What did Draco Malfoy make in Potions class when Professor Slughorn assigned them to make something amusing?
Hiccuping Solution

What spells will not work in an area affected by Instant Darkness Powder?
Lumos (and other common light spells) and Fire Magic

What are the ingredients for the Draught of Living Death?
wormwood, asphodel, valerian roots, and a single Sopophorous Bean.

How much will unicorn tail hair fetch?
Ten Galleons a hair




Extra Credit

Answering the following questions are extra credit and will earn you an additional ticket in the drawing for the prize.


Do you prefer to knit or crochet?
Knit, I don't know how to crochet

What is your favorite weight yarn to knit/crochet with?
Depends on the project and what I want to do with it

What fiber contents do you most like to knit/crochet with? What fiber contents do you dislike knitting/crocheting with?
I really love merono and silk... I dislike really cheap acrylics, ut other than that I like them all

How many complete pair of socks have you knit/crochet?
2 halves, which isn't a whole because I've never finished a pair... I'm working on two at once right now so when I finish that I'll actually have finished a pair

What is your favorite item to knit/crochet?
Probably hats, their quick and easy... and everyone seems to like them for gifts

What is your favorite treat?
Frozen Yogurt

Do you drink coffee, tea, or both?
Both... I'm a caffeine addict

Do you have an online wish list? If so, where?
No, I don't actually

How many Ravelry groups are you in?
a bunch? I don't know

Is there any special item you have been really wanting, but can't find in your local area?
Maybe, but I look for stuff on-line all the time so... nothing particular comes to mind... Unless someone knows where I can find the Malabrigo Sock Yarn :)

Dead in the First Round... Again!

My hat from Draco Firewalker came in the mail today, and I have been out-dueled.... Even though my hat was out into the mail on Tuesday during my lunch break... and has yet to leave Las Vegas! I'm seriously resisting donning a Guy Fawkes mask and blasting the 1812 Overture ....
That being said.... my hat is lovely... and it fits and it's beautiful. I'm impressed! And I really like it. :-D I hope that my hat gets to him soon and that he like it... and that it fits his supposedly big head. :-D



I got some other goodies in the mail this week! 1st was the first installment of the UK covers from Cosmic Fibers... I have all the US ones, and it was absolutely necessary for me to have all of the UK ones too... The second was my "Sweeny Todd" color way... Which is actually Silver Silky Sock... It's beautiful and sparkly and I LOVE it! Despite it being "sock yarn" it's definitely not going to turn into something that will go on my feet. :)

Quidditch Round 1

1. At the beginning of the book, Cornelius Fudge is talking to the Muggle Prime Minister. Which member of the Order of the Phoenix has recently been found dead?
a. Hestia Jones
b. Elphais Doge
c. Emmeline Vance
d. Dedalus Diggle

2. What animal does Bellatrix Lestrange kill when she and her sister, Narcissa, are going to see Professor Snape?
a. Owl
b. Fox
c. Rabbit
d. Cat

3. What time does Professor Dumbledore collect Harry from Privet Drive?
a. Midnight
b. 11 p.m.
c. Noon
d. 11 a.m.

4. What did Professor Slughorn transform into when he was trying to hide from Harry and Professor Dumbledore?
a. An armchair
b. A bed
c. A table
d. A wardrobe

5. What grade did Harry get for Herbology?
a. E – Exceeds Expectation
b. P – Poor
c. O – Outstanding
d. A – Acceptable

6. Herbert Chorley, the Prime Minister’s Junior Minster, has been entertaining the public by impersonating which animal?
a. A hen
b. A duck
c. A lion
d. A squirrel

7. What is Professor Sprout’s first name?
a. Pimmy
b. Pomony
c. Pommy
d. Pomona

8. What are Dumbledore’s idea of ‘a few words’?
a. nitwit, odder, blubber rand tweak
b. nitwit, odder, bubblegum and tweak
c. nitwit, oddment, bubblegum and tweak
d. nitwit, oddment, blubber and tweak

9. Who is Marcus Belby’s famous uncle?
a. Bertie
b. Damocles
c. Tiberius
d. Savage

10. What is Snape’s mother’s name?
a. Helana Prince
b. Eileen Prince
c. Lily Prince
d. Elizabeth Prine

Narcissa
Snape

Bellatrix
Professor Sprout
Professor Dumbledore

Picture day

Which of course... is a bad hair day and a the work office ran out of air day... It's just like high school! Except I feel less of a need to ditch and partake on other forms of teenage rebellion....

Halloween

Normally I'm not a HUGE Halloween fan... I normally get irritated over how stupid people my own age act over the holiday. However, I LOVE carving pumpkins (just check out my 2 favorites from a 2 years ago below) and I LOVE handing out candy to little kids.However, this year I'm super excited for halloween. I have ideas for at LEAST 7 pumpkins... Mostly themed, and I'm not leaking any of my ideas out. I'll post pictures when I finish them though. :) I almost have an entire costume ready. (I just need a couple of things.) Mauricio and I actually even decided on matching, couple costumes... We're going to be Speed Racer (Mauricio's costume obviously) and Trixie (my costume, and Speed's gf if you're not dorky enough to know.) I might even dress Rocky up as Chim-Chim. He and I are are planning/working on a party for the holiday since it's actually on a Friday and we both actually can do stuff... Plus most of our friends are available for fun too. Yesterday I spent, I kind you not, looking for costume accesories and missing pieces and different decorations for almost 2.5 hours yesterday. And then I rambled on about it all for about 2 hours to Mauricio who is totally exhausted this week between not really having a relaxing weekend, school (which was all tests this week for him... I sympathize, but his test load isn't as hard as mine ever was...), and working so I don't think he was listening all that much. So I'm posting all my excitement here. Hoping that maybe other people will like hearing about it. :)

HSKS6 survey

I have another hour and a half AT least until my flight home... And then it's straight to bed and off to work. I'll update more about my weekend trip later, but right now I'm thankful for this survey to keep me occupied. (Some quick quips about the trip: I actually got sunburnt in Utah! Craziness, I left 100 degree weather for the mid-80s and got sunburnt! It's madness... And also this whole only 3oz of a liquid thing is just ridiculous...)

Potter Name:

Fleur Sweeting

Rav ID:

misslucy

I am allergic to:

grasses and pollens, bananas

Pets that I have:

a pug

My favorite yarn:

Malabrigo, Lorna's Laces, Cosmic Fibers

If you are a Ravenclaw, do you prefer the film colors or the book colors?

book, but I don't like when bronze becomes orange

My favorite flavor:

for what? ice cream, yogurt, lattes.... it depends. But I do LOVE both vanilla and raspberry.

My favorite holiday: Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas:

Thanksgiving normally, but I'm really hyped for Halloween this year!

I would like to receive a: (Sock kit, scarf kit or yarn dyeing kit)

Preferably sock, but I'd be ecstatic with anything

List your favorite brand of needles or hooks, including size and length:
addi turbos size 2 24", or knit picks same size

Is there a brand that you are dying to try?:
I'll try anything :)

I've participated in HSKS: (How many times have you participated in HSKS swaps?)

this is my 4th

Do you have a birthday during this swap? If so which day?

Not this time...

This weekend

I'm headed off to Salt Lake City, UT and Wendover, NV this weekend... Spending time with Mauricio's family. Originally we were flying, but there were complications of sorts so now Mauricio and I are driving up with his grandparents, which should be interesting. (The whole reason we were originally going was for his grandfathers birthday, hence the necessity of us driving them up... they refuse to fly.) I'll be so out of the loop on any car conversation because it'll be in Spanish!!!!! Maybe I'll get some practice in... It'll be a looooooong weekend though because we're busy the entire time up until we fly home at 10pm on Sunday. Plus, I was unable to get ANY days off in September because everyone else has vacations so I pleaded to work an early shift for this trip.

Hopefully I don't miss the Michael Phelps SNL... Oh how I wish that the Olympics were still on and swimming was still on tv so that I could see more than Phelps... Oh well.

Anyway, I'll be semi-away from internet access, Mauricio will have his laptop but I don't know if I'll have time to get on it, so this will probably be my last post until Monday or Tuesday... I have access to my emails on my cell though. :) YAY technology!

Excuses... Excuses...

Apparently, despite my new resolve and my constant thinking of only knitting, the only knitting that I got done this entire week was done on Sunday, while I marathon watched season 2 of Dexter... and not much progress was made on any one thing because I was way too A.D.D. seriously switched between all three of my WIPs constantly... Plus, I was paying A LOT of attention to Dexter. New season starts the 28th!! Then I finally joined the masters team this week, so I've been getting up around 4:30am to go swim, and then go to work from there. Then I come home and pass out, literally on a couple of occasions... Today I cleaned out my room, and baby sat Sara and Ellie. I think Ellie is actually starting to like me, finally.

Basically this post served to make several lame excuses for not knitting... Tomorrow is breakfast at Nana's, I'm not sure if I'm going yet though... I'll see if I feel up to facing my stupid aunts and uncles when I wake up. Right now I'm leaning towards the NO option, but we'll see. If Luke goes, I'll feel more obligated to go, and if Mauricio wants to go then I'll have to, but with the 2 of them there the stupidness of my stupid relatives won't bother me as much. Then Mauricio and I are meeting up with some friends at a bar to kick of football season. Should be fun! But it's unlikely I'll get any knitting done tomorrow either. lol

HSKS6

The new term starts soon!

I went back to Ravanclaw... after being in slytherin last time around. I'm excited!

For the new term/my VIPs

I stole this idea from a friend of mine on LiveJournal, but it's actually a good idea so I'm going to use it here. Basically I'm going to use this post to explain who all of the important people in my life are so that every time I make a post (which I'm vowing to do more frequently) I don't feel that it's necessary to say that Sara is my mother's friend from works daughter whom I adore and babysit all the time OR Luke is the elder of my two younger brothers who.... anyway, you get the point. And then I'll link to this post in my sidebar under "VIPs" so that anyone can find it when I mention a person. It'll also be a work in progress so, I'll update it with information. So here it goes:

Updated Jan 26, 2009

Family Members:

• Mom - my mom is the literacy specialist at an elementary school
  
• Dad is currently in Wyoming working. He should be home at Thanksgiving.... Back from Wyoming... Now he sits at home and hinders my tv usage... LOL
  
• Rocky - my pug... I baby him and humanize him too much and I'm sure the Dog Whisperer would tell my that is the reason he doesn't always listen to me.
  
• Luke... The older of my 2 younger brothers. He's 3 years younger than me. We used to be SUPER close, not as much anymore; he's moved out, I've graduated, we work different jobs, but we still hang out occasionally. If I have a complex relationship with anyone, it's my brother Luke.
  
• Logan... My other younger brother. He's 7 years younger than me. He and I are pretty close. He likes most of the same movies and tv shows that I do.... And he reads the same comic books. Like Luke (and I guess me) he's a swimmer too.
  
• Nana and Papa - are my grandparents and they live next door to us
• Aynsley - My cousin, she's my age and the person who taught me how to knit. She used to live next door with my grandparents, but now she lives in boulder city. She hates everything girlie... Her younger sister Rachel works with me.

Friends

• Mauricio - my bf of 4+ years. We've known each other for nearly 8 years. He works at the Palm's hotel and Casino as a front desk clerk/VIP clerk. He likes science fiction and is majoring in history... He wants to go to law school... Most of our friends/some family members have trouble pronouncing his name so he gets called Mo. He's Cuban/Mexican and his entire family speaks Spanish. His grandparents are his only relatives still in Vegas and they only speak Spanish... His parents live outside of Salt Lake City.
  
• Alex - Mauricio's best friend, he's a bartender/waiter
• Some of Mauricio's work friends that we hang out with: Jason - an assitant manager, Lyndsey - recently engaged to her bf of 6 years
  
• Veronica/Ronnica/Rowena Bladvak - appently she has lots of names.. lol... She's my long lost twin that I met in the HSKS5 swap. I'll be venturing to the East Coast for the first time ever and visiting her in February! Her blog
• Michelle - my bfff (which is kind of a joke between us)... she's been my friend for 10+ years. I love her death but she literally drives me to the limits of my sanity on a daily basis. I work with/for her... she got me the job... More or less I've been driven to the limits of my sanity with her right now... I've been avoiding her.
  
• April - She is the younger sister I never had. She was on the swim team that I coached, and my brothers swam for... She used to live SUPER close to us so we gave her rides all the time and we've bonded. She goes to school in GA, and she swims there too. I miss her while she's at school :(
  
• Sara - my 6 year old mini-me. I baby sit her frequently. She loves Fancy Nancy, princesses and is in the 1st grade. I love her. Her mom (Vanessa) works at the elementary school with my mom. Her dad is Dave and her baby sis is Ellie.
• Armani/Bobbie (she changed her name because of identity theft, but I use both names when I talk about her) She is my hairstylst/friend. I text her ALL the time. She has a baby, Chloe who is the cutest, most well behaved baby ever.

Quick Post

I've been working slowly towards completion of my 2 scarves. Which are now currently my only WIPs.... I had to either frog the others or put them into a deep hibernation. I am determined to get both my lacy ribbon scarf and Luke's slytherin scarf done before Christmas. More than likely, I'll keep my lacy ribbon scarf for myself but decided that it needed a deadline too. BUT Luke's scarf HAS to be finished in time for this Christmas, sooner if I can help it. It's been OTN for far too long. However, I did order new needles, and as soon as those get here I'm starting on some new socks! wii! We'll see how that interferes with my new "must finish scarf" resolve. lol

That's it for now... I'll upload pictures soon.

(Also I've been trying really hard to keep both blogs updated with pretty much the same stuff...)

cute as a button hat

I finished my banana republic knockoff hat on sunday.... I'm now calling it the "cute as a button hat." I LOVE it. It is so cute, it fits perfectly. The colors are wonderful. It *almost* makes me excited for cold weather so that I can wear my hat... Or maybe I'll just crank up the AC and wear it around the house. I'm not in that big of a hurry for winter.

I improvised the original hat pattern a little bit... I switched needle sizes because last time I tried to knit this yarn on 10.5s (the suggested size) the fabric that resulted was way to stiff. And I only knit the brim to be slightly larger than the button.

A little story...

My spoilee (Rowena Bladvak) sent me a birthday present in the mail. She is just about the best spoilee ever! (It's early, my birthday is on Friday, but I'm not going to complain about that.)

She is also my long lost twin...  So this year at Hogwarts has been a little like the parent trap. It has definitely been my favorite of all the swaps I've done. And I've definitely gotten myself a great new friend out of it. 

Quidditich Round 3

1. When Hagrid returns to Hogwarts after being sent to see the giants with Madame Maxime, Professor Umbridge questions him on his late return to school. She suspects that Hagrid had been to the mountains, but where does he tell her he has been?

a. Europa

b. Fiji

c North America

d. South of France

2. Professor Umbridge comes to Hagrid's Hut and searches his cabin one evening (as she believes Harry, Ron and Hermione are there visiting him at night when they are not supposed to). When she walks past the place where Harry, Ron and Hermione are hiding under the Invisibility Cloak, Harry holds his breath. True or false?

a. True

b. False

3. A stately-looking witch in an emerald green shawl is one of the members of the Advance Guard who rescues Harry from Privet Drive. What is her name?

a. Emmeline Vance

b. Dorcas Meadowes

c. Amelia Susan Bones

d. Bellatrix Regulax

4. What is the name of the witch who was killed two weeks after the photo of the original Order of the Phoenix was taken?

a. Alice Longbottom

b. Marlene McKinnon

c. Emma Fenwick

d. Dorcas Meadowes

5. Which two fifth year Ravenclaw students does Dumbledore choose to be prefects?

a. Terry Boot and Mandy Brocklehurst

b. Luna Lovegood and Ernie Macmillan

c. Cho Chang and Michael Corner

d. Anthony Goldstein and Padma Patil

6. Which house was Rose Zeller sorted into?

a. Gryffindor

b. Slytherin

c. Ravenclaw

d. Hufflepuff

7. What is the color of Murtlap's essence?

a. Pink

b. Peach

c. Yellow

d. It is transparent

8. Name the Ravenclaw girl who became prefect in Harry's fifth year.

a. Hannah Abott

b. Padma Patil

c. Luna Lovegood

d. Marietta Edgecombe

9. According to a healer's portrait at St. Mungo's hospital, which disease was Ron suffering from?

a. Splattergroit

b. Splittygrot

c. Spottygroit

d. Spattergroit

10. Which book did Harry give Hermione for Christmas?

a. "New Theory of Numberology"

b. "A Compendium of Common Curses and their Counter-Actions"

c. "Acheivements in Charming"

d. "Moste Potente Potions"

SCAVENGER HUNT

Padma Patil

Hannah Abbott

Percy

Dumbledore's Army

Cedric Diggory

Extra 5 pts - What movie will Robert Pattinson star in this December?
Twilight (Which, I'll admit I read all the books and pre-ordered the next one... and also I think that Robert Pattinson is super cute...)

:(

My mom backed into my car and totally destroyed the front end of it. It runs and I guess it could be worse... but I'm really upset about it.

My swap package

Here are pictures. Now that I'm home, and thrilled that it's the weekend... Even though monsoon season may or may not ruin my weekend plans. But that's neither here nor there... My package came at a great time. I just found out one of best and oldest friends is planning on moving to Montana in a few weeks. I'm horribly depressed about it... Hence being at a movie at 10pm, I was hanging out with her. :( Anyway, my package cheered me up and here are some pictures.

This is the bag, which is beautiful, and everything inside of it.

2 patterns: a shawl one and a sock one

and instructions for spinning!

My hand dyed yarn!

I love love love these colors.

Fluff and a spindle, for me too learn to spin

I'll be honest and admit I look at this and see something that Rocky would like to shred and throw all over the room and a stick. It's odd to me that it will (with luck) turn in to yarn. I'm very excited to teach myself though...

A little yellow bag with my other goodies

a note from chrysta, a shawl stick (love this, and needed one), a bracelet, stitch markers... and of course some of my favorite needles!

My package came!

I got my package this morning (well, technically it cam yesterday, but I spent all of yesterday away from the house, working and baby sitting, in a sleep-deprived coma because I was an idiot and went to see a movie at 10pm the night before, and on the other side of town too!... So dumb, I know, but I had my reasons... anyway). I'm running kind of late to work (as per usual) so I'll post more and include pictures later. I just wanted to say that I got it and I LOVE it! Thank you Chrysta! (I'm dropping "the cursed" part because I refuse to believe such a perfect package came from someone "cursed")

for fun!

1. I Love Lucy, 2. Chicken Enchiladas, 3. sin city, 4. Shades Of Sunshine Yellow, 5. David Beckham, 6. Margarita, 7. Maui Wowie!, 8. Frozen yogurt with fruit on top, 9. Blood smear. Extreme macro, 10. rocky, 11. Sassy, 12. Dobby

1. What is your first name? 
2. What is your favourite food? 
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favourite colour?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favourite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favourite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name.

Choose 1 image from the FIRST page of results, remember the image you choose doesn’t have to be exactly what you were looking for - just the image you like best from the first page.

Copy your URLs to the Mosaic Maker here and publish your mosaic to your blog.

GUESS WHAT?

I finished!

My entire package is all put together and sealed up and prepared for mailing in the morning... I had some teaser pictures but for some odd reason my camera that is nice new and never has any problems and my sweet new imac are fighting and won't let me upload pictures properly... technology is so very irritating.

It'll be mailed tomorrow morning!

US Olympic Trials Swimming

Beware! 

This is a rambling post about swimming. 

The Olympic Trials are a big deal for me

I can not express how freaking excited and obsessed I have been since I can actually, for once, watch my favorite sport of all sports on tv during prime time. I love the olympics! It gets swimming on tv, and it gets other people interested and they'll actually listen when I start talking about swimming. I can name more swimmers than I can any other athletes... and I watch soccer and football and baseball... I just love swimming the best.

I was a competitive swimmer for years, although never good enough to ever do as well as any olympian... and I was a competitive swim coach for even more years. Both my brothers are swimmers, my "adopted" little sister is a swimmer. And she's a really good one too! She even is at the trials now, not swimming, but to watch. She bought me a shirt! (It's a Natalie Coughlin one ;) That's her in the picture. She's my favorite.) And I kid you not one of the 8 year old little boys I used to coach will be the next Phelps.. he's so good already...

Anyways... this week has been me cutting out of work early and racing home to yell at the tv and watch Phelps and Coughlin break world records. I have been so excited. I can't even begin to explain... and I'm trying to right here and now, because I think my friends and family (meaning my parents) have exhausted their patience with my swim rambling. hahaha. April and I watched the 400 IM on sunday night before she left to go see the meet in person.. (I'm jealous... really I am) and we literally scream at the tv like crazy drunk football fans... it's even sadder because later on I do it all by myself too. I thought I was going to cry when Coughlin broke her own back record in finals last night... AND I am not a crier! hahaha

I'm done for now... I may be back tomorrow with another ramble... I love this week.