Ka-boom

Last week, there was a message on the lid of my pudding cup. It said “Frown is a four-letter word.” I am still completely baffled by this, and thus, unable to formulate a proper blog post. I’m sure one will formulate itself later in the week, unless, of course, the world does not implode from the repetition of this Gain commercial:

Every time I hear “good-er,” a small piece of me dies. It’s a four letter word.

Oh. Wait. No. I said it. So wrong.

The world might just explode now.

Sorry bout that.

I'm not a Pisces anymore

When the new dates for astrological signs were released, I was a little miffed. I’m a freaking Aquarius now? Guess I’m going to have to practice being an extrovert. And...you know...stuff with water.

At least I have a song about my “age” now.

Recently, I have found it increasingly difficult to enjoy reading a book. I’m terming this the “Nancy Drew effect.” Sort of like the Coriolis effect. Except without the rotation. Or inertia. Although there might be a tornado if you are lucky.

I’m not sure if you have ever read a Nancy Drew novel. I read my first three after an assignment from a Children’s Lit class in my undergrad years (ah, youth). We needed to read a selection of three from a series to find some common factor, themes, etc.

Essentially, as I observed it, the Nancy Drew books followed a certain sequence of events.

First, a mystery (intrigue, surprise, obvious plots!).

Then, conflict. Here, poor Nancy had a tendency, as the denouement approached, to get a bonk on the head. With that solid thwack, she was knocked out, only to wake, and have everything revealed. After surviving the first ten books in the series, it is wonder Nancy had not received some serious brain injury, or developed extrasensory superpowers.

Finale. Villain uncovered. Oh finally...it’s over.

So, where am I going with this? Well, I started reading The Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch (SPOILER AHEAD). I got a little over halfway through the book, enjoying the murder mystery, when, “THWACK,” the stick of a rapidly approaching climax came down on our poor heroine’s head.

Son of a bitch.

I have put the book down since (figuratively, of course, since it is on my Kindle), and have not been able to pick it up again.

Generally, I don’t mind a predictable fiction. I read a lot, so I tend to recognize plot techniques.

Have you ever gone to a movie, and known the ending in the first ten minutes? Same thing.

With a good book though, I can usually suspend my cynicism (I know, hard to believe), and just let myself be absorbed. But not in this instance.

Jasper Fforde has a new book in the Thursday Next series though, so all is not lost. And if I make it through this week without exploding, I might treat myself to the first volume in the Sandman series. Neil Gaiman is the only person that I would ever willingly pair the words “delightful” and “macabre” together for.

Yea. I ended a sentence with a preposition. Want to make something of it?

That's quite enough

I'm sick, and am very much ready to be done with it. I haven't even felt like knitting. However, before the worst of it set in, I was able to go the very first knit night. Mind, it was only myself and SuperFriendCrochet (aka, the M.O.P.), but I enjoyed it thoroughly. Something about knitting in public is wonderfully fulfilling. An affirmation of the craft, perhaps. This is not my hobby, this is part of my lifestyle.

Being sick obviously makes me overly introspective. I kid you not, I have been reading poetry to take my mind off the searing pain in my throat (waaay too much coughing).

Now, on to the backlog of knitting/crochet/other pictures.

First up, something embarrassingly long overdue. A picture I took when the M.O.P. and I went to Old Town Alexandria for fibre space's Black Friday sale. The whole Black Friday shopping experience isn't typically a draw for me, but I will go out for yarn. I took this picture with my phone, and I like how it turned out, flash and all.



One of the yarns I got was some Fiberphile Super Squish Worsted in Fields of Gold. I used it to crochet (yes, you did read that right) a scarf.



My crochet skills still need some practice, but no epic failures yet, so I will charge ahead.

On the knitting side, I finished the M.O.P.'s Peaks Island Hood (with yarn she bought from, surprise, fibre space). Hopefully I will get some action shots of this soon, but until then, some pics I took with my new 50mm f/1.8 lens.







I am still getting the hang of the lens (and the camera, to be perfectly honest). Although I would prefer to be starting with the 50 mm f/1.4, it just isn't feasible price-wise.

And I think my remaining energy from the day has just fizzled out with this post. Until next time.