Failure to complete

I failed to complete my olympic challenge. I guess I'm too busy. So let's talk about something other than knitting and yoga today. Let's talk about music. I will post pics soon, from Friday night. I went to the legendary Stone Pony. A good friend of mine has a band (The Verge)http://danfordsworld.com . They Rocked! They opened for Black 47. Hmm, long time since some of you have heard that name. So I've decided today to talk about some music. Let's make Sunday music day. I thought I'd start with a pesudo list of bands that I have seen. I can't even attempt to do this is a chronological order. There are just too many.
I can tell you my first concert was The Moody Blues. I have since seen them 3 additional times. Ok, the list (I will try to include venue if possible)
1.Black Flag (City gardens,trenton-no longer there but very cool club)
2. The Cure ( Radio city music hall, and Giant's stadium)
3. Lollapalooza (1992) Pearl Jam, Ministry, RedHot Chili Peppers, Jesus and Mary Jane,
Soundgarden, Ice Cube, Temple of the dog, Rage against the machine, STP, Lush, porno for
pyros
4. Lollapalooza( 1993 this was out in waterloo village): Front 242, Fishbone, Alice in Chains, Tool, Rage against the Machine
5. Lollapalooza(200?): Audio Slave, Incubus,Queens of the stone age, Jane's Addiction
6. Sinead O'conner (city gardens)
7. NIN (ok Trent I saw back in 1990 something at a small venue called the Green Parrot-
AWESOME show, he was just starting out, and then the second time at City Gardens- also a
VERY COOL SHOW!!!!!!)
8. Depeche Mode
9. New Order
10. R.E.M. (green tour- they rocked!!!)
11. The Replacements
12. Social Distortion (actually got to meet these guys, they were cool)
13. Faith No More ( Fast lane Asbury Park- one of my all time top 5 best shows ever!!!!)
14. Soul Asylum
15. They might be giants
16. Killing Joke
17. Primus
18. Blur
19. GooGoo dolls
20. Jellyfish
21. Mr. Green
22. Big Audio Dynamite
23. LA Guns
24. Meat Beat Manifesto
25. Robin Hitchcock and the Egyptians
26. Van Halen
27. Rolling Stones
28. Sarah Brightman
29. Yes
30. Chicago
31. Fire House
32. Kiss
33. Motley Crew
As of this moment these are all I can think of. I have seen far more shows. Just can't remeber right now, will add to list in future.

8.

My Olympic nightmare

OK, I've been knitting to the Olympics. Trying to be patient with myself when I am ripping and reripping out the same 5 rows. For some reason I just can't seem to understand this line in the directions; CO 1 st a beg of next 28 rows-I get this part- (adds a full 2-st patt rep to each side every 4 rows). Alrighty then, I tried to proceed in several ways here. The first attempt I just kept following the pattern as usual ( the first and last stitch of the pattern are knit I guess as a selvage stitch?) This did not work and threw off the pattern. The second attempt I thought I botched something up so I started the same again. The third attempt I knitted 2 stitches before starting the pattern, this started to work but since than has proven not to. I would love it if someong could help me out here. Unfortunately, I am always game to try to teach myself new things, but I can never seem to get it right the first time. In this case I feel like the iceskater who just landed on her butt. Ok, first time I'll get up and keep skating, second time, yeah, I'll keep going, third- GET ME OFF THE ICE I'M DONE. That's how I feel about this project right now.

Self Potrait Tuesday

Ok so we're supposed to get gross right? Here's my story. It's my 30th Birthday. I'm celebrating with my sister who is 10 years younger. Several cocktails later, boredom....She says, I say, I'm 30, should I get pierced or a tattoo? We are 15 minutes from the tattoo palor that does both. She's already pierced. Her and I have a history of piercing our ears in painful places while at lollapalooza, or just being bored. Ok, Pierce the belly button. Right, off we go. She keeps telling me it doesn't hurt as the gut sets up this thing with a cork attatched to it. Hmm, felt like a rather large bee stinging my belly button. My hubby who at the time was my fiance, says, oh, what did you do to your perfect belly? It's gonna leave a scar. Nah. It looks cool. Yup, real cool. Dontcha think?

Field trip day

After work today, my friend Janet and I took a field trip. We stopped at Mickey D's for happy meals then we took a drive to the LYS. The problem(not really a problem, unless you are addicted to acrylic) is that there are 4 LYS's within a half hour of here. Expensive LYS's. So we took a trip to one. I really love Manos yarn. I have to say it is one of my favorites. The Alpaca (minty green) I couldn't take my hands off it is so soft. Now, I already have 2 skeins in red sitting in my stash, so I really need to do a project with this before Easter. The greyish looking manos in the center actually has a minty green color running through it and it is very pretty. The zen is a ribbon yarn and I will find something flowery to do with it. I figured while I took a pic I would snap a second one of my "zen" knitting spot, which is still a work in progress... It's a lovely sitting corner in my bedroom. I want to get a cushier chair. This is a pampadam that I bought at pier one. I really want a nicer chair, but the problem is kitty. She looovess to scratch stuff. This is why we don't have nice furniture. She ruined our couch after we bought it and when my hubby found out he was PISSED!!!!! So, rather than waste money we just use the money for other projects around the house. Next up new carpet. I wanted hard wood in this room, but H thought it would be too cold. So soon we will pick out a new carpet. Exercised today also. Did it kicking and screaming, but I did it. Wish I could enjoy exercising as much as I enjoy yarn shopping!!!!!!! Thanks for going with me Janet!

I'm feeling blah

This is supposed to be a happy blog. I am happy when knitting. But for some reason, I'm not happy knitting my olympics project. Twice now I've had to rip out severals rows and start over. I can't seem to understand what the directions are telling me to do. Perhaps I was too mesmerized by the racing(cross) snowboarders. Yeah, that could be it. I have decided to take a break from it tonight and try another pair of gloves. A couple of weeks ago I had an echo cardiogram done. It's basically an ultrasound of your heart. My doc wanted me to have it done because I have a murmur. So yesterday I saw him and we talked about the results. Mild regurgitation in 3 areas, valves. Basically the heart has 4 chambers, left 2 and right 2, those are seperated top and bottom on each side by valves. There is some mild leakage on both sides. This happens, just means I have to take and antibiotic pre dental work. Then he tells me I have Left ventricular hypertrophy (mild), well this freaks me out slightly. I don't have high bloodpressure. So why is this happening? Can I stop it from progressing? Doc says my pressure probably skyrockets at work when it's not being monitored. Ya think? Twice this week I noted my body having a sympathetic response (fight or flight). You know when you get put in a position where your really uncomfortable? You start to sweat slightly, heart beats harder, your breath starts to get hard to catch. I get this way in a confrontational situation. I don't like being in that kind of situation. It's worse now that I am so much more in tune with my breath and body responses from yoga. Why do situations spin out of control? How do we stop this from happening? In this particular case I was just doing my job, minding my own business, the person on the other end, was not having a good day and chose to make someone else as miserable as possible. It took me a long time to see that in these situations this is what is happening. I want nothing more than peace. I know this is unrealistic in todays world, or is it? Can I view the person in front of me with love? Can I view them as being connected with me? part of me? Because in essence we are all connected with each other through the thread of humanity. I really feel I am continually a work in progress. I need to stay in the moment, step back and observe what is happening. This is hard, because sometimes things escalate out of control in mere seconds, with no warning.
So what's all this ranting about? I'm concerned about the heart thing. I know I need to lose weight. Now I have another reason to do that workout. I just have to be patient and put my nose to the grindstone. Eat less. Workout more.
Patience. Big lesson to learn. In more ways than one I am experiencing this. Live one moment at a time. Be present on your mat. I tell my students this all the time. Remember to breathe.

knitting my way to a medal

I have been watching the olympics. We tape them on dvr and watch when we can, sailing through the commercials. I have thoroughly enjoyed the snowboard half pipe. Especially the women. "totally stoked dude." Come on you have to get a kick out of the way these olympiads talk. That would be like me saying, "oh my god, dude, this medicine is off the hook, fer sure." Haha. Needless to say they are snowboarders, and I got a kick out of watching and listening to them. If I was an olympiad I would want to do my stuff to cool music. No doubt about that. This is my progress on the shoulder cozy. I gave myself a handicap. I did not start this until Sunday. I was in florida and I wanted to knit on the plane trip there and back, so I was working on baby blanket no. 1. This stitch is pretty cool once you get going. So I have been working on this nightly with the exception of last night. Went to Atlantic City for N.O.W. (noodles of the world) at Borgata. We stayed overnight. Fun. I played Carribean Stud poker. Not bad took 300 home with me of the casino's money. I want to try and finish shoulder cozy by mid week. We'll see.

Self potrait tuesday

Sorry I've seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth. I was in Fort Myers, Fla. visiting my grandmother and her sister. A somber type of visit. Gram is not doing too great and my Aunt came to pick her up and move her over to St Augustine. It was sad to see 2 sisters seperated. But I am glad I got to visit with both of them. My Aunt's place is so cute, right on a golf course. I even went to Senior citizen happy hour with them, what a hoot!
So for SPT, what better a day to post a romantical picture. It was spring break and my then "boyfriend" took me to Las Vegas for vacation. Being a pharmacy student I brought my books with me because I had a huge test the day we got back from break. I would study for a few hours during the day and then we would sight see and go out dancing at night. This pic was taken March 16th, we were at the Venetian. He wanted to take me on a gondola ride. I was senorita cranky pants because I wanted to eat something. Him, obviously too nervous to eat, but I didn't know this. We waited an hour for the gondola rise. I had a backpack with me, and halfway through the ride my hubby asked me for the backpack. I give it to him and I'm looking all around admiring the scenary, when I here the gondolier(?? is that what they call them??) say,,"Sir you have to sit down you can't get out of your seat." Well, there her is on one knee with box extended asking me to marry him. I was suprised! I am so lucky! He is what I waited 27 years to find and 31 years to marry. I love you. Happy Valentine's Day.XOXO.

Are you ready for some Footba..knitting?

Ahh super bowl sunday. Loosely translated into 3-4 hours of knitting in front of tv. I'm cooking husband a lovely dinner tonight. Starting off with margaritas, chips and homemade guacamole. Followed by skirt steak fajitas. I'm not a big meat eater, but it's one of his favorites, and he deserves a good dinner. I haven't decided what to knit in for the superbowl. I finished gloves. Hmm, could work on baby blanket that is currently in knitter's jail. I was once again reminded tonight that I suck at hanging things on walls. I don't know what my problem is. I just scratched up my bedroom wall trying to hang a frame on the wall. Now I have to repaint the spot. I could not get it to hang, jeesh, a lesson in patience. I just gave up. Were's my margarita? I worked up a sweat. Enjoy the game.

Day off? Who needs one.

Normally I am off on wednesdays. Not yesterday. Here's a glimpse at the day. Up early, hospital test done at 9:15 (just routine), 10:15 worked out at gym, 2:00 hair appointment(cover those grays), 4:00 teach vinyasa flow yoga class(until 5:45), 6:00 teach gentle yoga class (until 7:15), 8:00 teach vinyasa flow yoga class (until 9:15). Phew, was that a busy day or what??? First time I have taught more than 2 classes in one day. Actually, I felt great afterwards. Today, I'm a little sore, but it may be from the circuit training I did in the am. I signed up for a 21 day study at a local women only workout place. You know, 30 minutes to a "fitter" you. Have to do something, St. Lucia trip is on the horizon.
So what's on my needles lately? Kitty is modeling one of the caps I made. I put a little flower on it with one of my buttons. Is her face not soooo cute? I think she has abyssinian in her blood, such a narrow lower face. She also talks ALOT, especially to her daddy (because she loves him the most). turncoat. I also decided to knit something new for me... A pair of gardening mittens from Louisa Hardings book. Remember the yarn kitty was modeling from my stash? This was the perfect project. New, fresh, exciting, and quite quick. We all like quick projects. Near instant gradification. I am just finishing the rib part on the left hand. I also think a button might look cute on that flower, have to see what colors I have. This yarn is absolutely gorgeous in color. Perfect for those early springs in NJ.