Of Computers and Colinette and Other Screwy Things

I hope this post comes out all right...my computer decided to blow up last night. The Tech (aka dh) thinks it's a power supply. Let us devoutly hope that's all it is. Not only does that computer contain every digital photo we've taken in the past 7 years, but also an extensive number of songs I've managed to download, but not get on my ipod yet. What's that, you say? Recover all this from your backup? Well, you would think that since (a) dh is in a technical field and a certified computer geek, and (b) he purchased this massive external hard drive (like 360GB), we would have a back up. But no, dh has been "too busy." Thank god for laptops, cable modem, and wireless routers.

Two sick kids today and dh is at work. The younger one, age 2.75, who shall be dubbed The Instigator, has a sinus infection. The older, age 5.5, who shall be dubbed The Negotiator, has some unidentifiable stomach ailment that requires him to lie about on the furniture and moan periodically, then demand very specific food, take one bite, and declare he can't eat it. Luckily we have two televisions, as The Negotiator is dead set on watching "Max and Ruby", while The Instigator is insistent on a really stupid DVD. On a side note, I am pretty sure that the creators of "Boohbah" were really high when the concept for that show occurred to them.

My main bitch of the past few days concerns Colinette yarns. On my Stitch 'n Bitch calender, which I am loving, thanks-for-asking, there is a beautiful feather and fan wrap featured as the January 5 pattern. It's made in three different types of Colinette yarn. Unfortunately, the local yarn store only stocks Colinette kits. And all the places I've found online that are US based don't have the specific yarns I need in the colors I need. Not to mention that they all charge exorbitant prices--to the tune of $75 plus shipping for 3 skeins of yarn. The same yarn could be had for the equivalent of $38 if only I could order from the aforementioned UK site. But they will not let people from the US order from them (only the mill ends, no yarns or patterns, they said). Apparently it violates some sort of agreement they have with the US distributor , whose website, I can unequivocably say, really needs some work. Come on, guys, if you're going to give a list of U.S. distributors with links, how 'bout making sure that (a) the links work, and (b) the stores in question still do sell Colinette yarns. The whole situation irks me no end, because it's just blatant price-fixing. It's not like I can get the yarn cheaper in the UK because the dollar is strong (haha!)--there's just an unreasonable profit margin being charged by the gougers, excuse me, I meant US distributors and retailers.

So it looks like I shall be forced to pick and choose from my old friend, eBay. It seems there are some sellers there who have the right idea. Don't get me wrong; I'm all for capitalism, but if a hank of yarn is being sold by a UK retailer for 6 pounds sterling (roughly $12 US), and you know that retailer is making at least some profit, why would that same hank of yarn suddenly jump in price by $10-14 merely by making a transatlantic journey? Was the yarn strapped into first class on BritishAir perhaps? Because I can't think of any other logical reasons why this would be so.

My First Baby

September 3, 1992-January 15, 2007

I remember the first time I saw you: soaking wet, water everywhere, stumpy little nose and ratty tail, fresh from a bath in the laundry room sink.

I remember the last time I saw you: resting on your bed in the vet's office as you fell asleep for the very last time.

No one could ever have asked for a better or more loyal friend. When the human babies arrived, you gracefully ceded your role as center of the household, and put up with toddler tail-pulling antics with great dignity and good humor. I will miss you. I hope you are running full speed along a river bed, diving into the cold water to find your favorite ball, having a roll on your back in the dirt, without any pain from arthritis hurting you any more.

A Rose By Any Other Name

OK, I think I've sorted out a color scheme for now...at least until I until I convince dh the techie to take a crack at finding me something more aesthetically pleasing. I also need to dump pictures of my FOs off the camera and post them on here tomorrow.

I am actually taking a knitting break tonight, after feverishly working to finish a birthday gift late last night. It was a simple ski headband, with a cute flower embellishment. Unfortunately, the pattern writer decided to make the flower *in crochet.* ::cringes in horror:: Now I used to do a little crochet many years ago, before discovering knitting, but whoever designed that goofy flower was clearly smokin' the crack pipe. I tried it three times and came up with these strange ratty things that looked almost, but not quite, completely unlike flowers (There's a little shout out to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for those of you in the know--heh). So I frantically googled for patterns, and found this easy and cute rose . I ended up adding a bobble of contrasting yarn as a center, and made two leaves. It looked better than than the stupid crocheted flower anyway. So there.

Tomorrow the kids and dh are off for MLK's birthday. I was explaining to ds1 that he wouldn't have kindergarten tomorrow. They've been studying Dr. King all last week--well, as much as little brains can absorb on such an adult topic.

He sighed deeply, and said, "But I don't want to go to his birthday!"

"Who?" I queried.

"Martin Luther King. I don't wanna go to his birthday party!"

"Well, he's not having a party. He's dead. It's a holiday to celebrate him and his work in this country."

"But if he's dead, why does he have a birthday?"

"Well, sometimes when people have done great things, we celebrate their birthdays even after they are dead--kinda like Christmas is Jesus' birthday."

"Well, I'm still not going to his party."

No disputing five-year-old logic.

Welcome

Here is my new home. It'll probably take a while to get things sorted out, as I am illiterate in html, and am still learning Blog Vocabulary 101. (Skins? Templates? AAAAH! ::runs in horror, waving knitting needles about wildly::)