Destination Known

Roadtrip! On Friday.

Skokie, Illinois

I am SO excited. There is NO other way to express my EXCITEMENT!

Sure I will hate it for some parts. I'll just be tired from sitting or something. All part of a roadtrip.

Random Photos

Mountains, in Virginia if I am not mistaken.


Town Center in Virginia Beach. From the top level of the parking garage.


Elizabeth City, NC. Fountain beside the public library.

Mitchell 'waka-chicka-waka-chicka-waka-chicka"

Mystery Science Theater 3000: Mitchell

If you love MSTK3 I highly recommend this movie. If you are the bitter sort that doesn't laugh, oh you poor thing. I have actually known people who rarely laugh. I think you should slit your wrists already. And for god's sake don't procreate. Where is the joy, the fun, the something to distract yourself from the stick up your arse? Although I do understand your inability to focus while dealing with something so...painful.

How can you NOT laugh over such funny lines such as:

"Santa?!"

"Hot Merging Action"

"Whose the puffy guy who's a big dirty sex machine? MITCHELL!"

"Mitchell - Heart's pounding
Mitchell - veins' clogging"

"An empty plate breaks my heart"
Man I love pullin' my gun out when I go into my apartment it scares my cats half to death.

Linda: "He sleeps with me and then busts me"
Crow: "First things first"

Enough. Watch and you will know. For maximum laughter enjoy with friends and remember there is a chase scene where the driver downshifts in an automatic transmission.

If you don't understand these quotes, get the movie!

Ghost in the Window?

A sunny day in downtown Charlottesville, VA. I find myself in the passenger seat of a rental mini van. I'm parked and waiting at the curb for Andre to return from his search for clove cigarettes. He stops a young woman that looks very similar to Louise, the friend we are picking up in Chicago, to ask about a store. While Andre is away pounding the soft streets of an old city, I sit with a camera.



I snap away. Okay, well, really I push a button a few times. He returns and we have to drive a few blocks away and I am in front of another building. A handcrafted jewelry shop, a building door with a hand and a hope they turn out alright.



Cut to a few days later. We have returned home and are worn out. One horrible argument between us and lots of photos to download and sort. I find the above photos interesting and fun.

If you see the face, yeah, if not, shame on you. If there is one thing humans can do well it's seeing faces in things that do not have faces. Why do you not possess this innate ability? I find it interesting. I love ghosts. There are too many pictures out there that are completely unbelievable and plenty that have you wondering. So do they pop up in photos? Who knows but I like looking at creepy photos.

So what do you think? Ghosts in photos? Have any in yours?

Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Photos

Obviously I didn't take these so do not comment about their quality. Half of them were shot at dusk and well I had to adjust the brightness so you could see them. Click to see larger images at Flickr.



I love the 4th one, the little shop or whatever it is. I haven't asked what any of these buildings are but they aren't too bad. I have some "coffee shop product" pics if anyone wants to see those.

Also there are a couple pics of some Red Light District things, not included. You know cause it is SO seedy there. Place is cleaner than any American city.



Did you know they have bikes that people can move their sofas with. I'm not talking American sized sofas, love seats. But on a freaking bike. The place is far too interesting to never visit.

When you can get weed cheaper than beer....something is well, strange, huh? Or better? And you get your mushrooms straight from Columbia AND wrapped and served like food to take home.

Reading other blogs can be detrimental to your...

Mail.

I have been a loyal subscriber to Interview Magazine for two years and have never had any sneak peaks at covers. Until last month on Pink is the New Blog. Which I love. He shared with the "world" Michelle Williams and the photos!

I was irate! As much as one can be regarding a magazine cover and a guy with a blog.

Well this month unexpectedly, but really it arrives the same time every month. Much like a period...ha. Oh, um there is it with someone one the cover I don't know. I've only heard the name and unknowingly watched in the movies.

I am sad to read on the cover that Lindsay Lohan is interviewing someone.

Wait for commentary.

On a similar note, I kind of disliked John Travolta's interview with Scarlett Johansson a few months back. I have been thinking of that often due to the Hurricane Katrina disaster and the movie A Love Song for Bobby Long. Which I LOVE. I will have to get back to you on that, after I read it again and see if the problem is me or him.

Book Review Charity-Style: The Field Guide

The Field Guide - The Spiderwick Chronicles Book 1
By Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Yet again another children's book that I love. It's so cute with its kids and the faeries that aren't all "fairy tale". It's a single parent home and they have to live in the family "mansion" that has been abandoned for far too long. The father left them, the book is so modern like that.

There are 5 books in the series, currently, and I think there are a couple more in the works. It takes but a lunch break to read the book cover to cover and enjoy the illustrations.

So yes I highly recommend these!

Amsterdam, Netherlands.

My brother returned from Amsterdam yesterday. I really want to go now, as much as I want to visit anywhere else in the world. I am hoping that next year I will be able to make it!



So these are Tijgernootjes or Tijger nootjes, I've seen it both ways. They are pretty good and probably make the good thing inside worse for you. They are peanuts that are covered in some sort of crunchy shell and probably fried. They have good flavors: barbecue paprika(pepper), bacon kaas (cheese) and chili lime, some curry kind, and one more I can't remember. I have been waiting all year to have a taste of them again. Although you can always get them shipped to you. You can get anything online these days.



For over a year I have meant to scan the postcards he gave me last year and put them online. He doesn't really take many photographs, but I can't expect someone who isn't interested in photos to feel the same as me. He said everything is worthy but you can't just take pictures of everything. I say no. I will have to raid the camera and see what I get and check out last years pics.

It's the little things.

I have been knitting two afghans. Yes you may call me crazy. I am in one for the long haul. It's going to be for me or perhaps my niece.


I chose acrylic yarn, Caron Simply Soft, because it is really soft and inexpensive. I don't want to make anything with a fancier yarn since we have cats and children. I need it to be durable and easy to clean. I will post photos of it as soon as I take them. It does have a moss stitch border and stockinette with knot stitches throuhout. I have only begun the pattern. Which I worked out all on my own. It took me ages to get through the border.


The other afghan is child sized of Bernat Baby Boucle, I think, bought with coupons! I am making it for the niece and her dolls. It was going to be smaller but I might as well make it bigger. It would be good for in the car or at daycare, if I finish it before she starts kindergarten in the summer. The yarn works up into this baby soft thick blanket, that even I want to cuddle up in. It is pink, purple and blue, so it goes with all the dolls. I vow never to work with boucle again. It just wants to stick to the needles. The pattern I am using is like Grandma's Favorite Dishcloth. I have seen a baby blanket with the same pattern although the border was 5 stitches and mine is just 2. Why learn a "new" pattern? It lays flat and has barely there eyelets.


I did manage to pick up two colors of cotton yarn for some more facecloths. I need it to distract me with instant knitting gratification while knitting blankets to cover the world. I normally use Sugar'n Cream but at Wal-Mart (ugh) they had Peaches & Creme. Which sounds even better than Sugar! I had a choice of white, ecru, and the two I bought. I was eyeing a lime and white ombre but they were all out. I wanted some color for the Spring. It seems I have bad timing for these things. I was about to say screw it and drop into AC Moore or Michael's or anywhere, where the selection is vast, always full and on sale. I have named them as well. They only come with lot numbers. They are Denim and Fiesta. Yes, I know, very deceiving.

*Well wouldn't you know it, there is a name and I got them both right. I tell you I have seen too much yarn.

Those were the days.

The past few weeks I have been daydreaming, every now and then it would pop into my head, of drinking a $4 chai latte at B&N and looking through knitting books or magazines or something. Something at a leisurely pace and without rushing because they will be closing. The chair must be comfy or I must not be near people, seats away.

As I was just walking downstairs to get a bowl of fresh honeydew melon, YUM, I had a tiny epiphany. I must get out of the house to keep the bats out of my belfry, so to speak. Then I came back up, sat in my chair and spun around a few times eating pieces of melon. Then I stopped and thought about posting.

My honeydew was half ripe with some good spots and some GREAT spots of sweetness. I was reminded of my single days in my apartment driving to the only store that consistently had the freshest, ripest honeydew. The warm nights and returning to my lit apartment that was clean and perfect. Opening a bottle of chardonnay and having a little feast. I would watch a movie and get ridiculously silly-drunk on the wine.

I also enjoyed this ritual at my last apartment in Greenville, that I was allergic to and way more crammed in. I, again, would return to a lit window and a cat peeking out at me. I would drink some wine, go outside. There was a stillness at that busy apartment that just settled my soul. Sitting on my stoop, staring at cars. Listening to the distant traffic and the neighbors returning home. As usual, I would return inside and watch a movie I rented.

The difference now is that I don't have the wine, the car or money. I am barely social. I can't go outside and sit on the porch without disturbing someone and there are more bugs here than in the Greenville.

What a feeling!

I am completely excited to begin a new path on my journey through blogging.

I want to post more photos, knitting, sewing projects, baking, book reviews (Charity style), writing and, well, anything I'd like to share.

I hope to have a few readers and to branch out in the blogging world.

I can do anything so this should be easy peasy!