Okay. So we go to Easton in Columbus and sit to have a Cinnibon and who walks up to the ice cream place right next to us????
















It's Arnold Schwarzenegger!!! Haha. Of course I ran over to take a picture. Gavin is walking behind him in the red sweatshirt. That's Cinnibon right behind Gavin.

So we're all excited about seeing Arnold and up walks...

Sylvester Stallone!!!


















We couldn't believe it! In Columbus, Ohio! Bob said he was right in front of Arnold in the ice cream line and he should have bought him ice cream. That would have been funny.

I think the Arnold Classic bodybuilding show was in town this weekend and that's why they were there.

I forgot to post these pics last weekend. Graham earned his Bear badge in Cub Scouts. This is our cake for the cake raffle. It's one of the easier ones we've made, but it turned out to be one of the best. He won the best animal lookalike award.

We got a couple more inches of snow last night. Ever since Graham went polar bear camping, he has decided he loves the snow and wants to be in it all the time. So we went out and made a snowman. Today he wants to tackle a snow fort.

I've decided that since I got this job as the librarian at my school, I'd like to actually read the books in the library. I was reluctant to read young adult fiction because, well, I don't really know why. Stephen King and gruesome stuff has always been my thing. Jr. High students at my school are required to read AR books. Many of them do not read outside of school and have no idea what to get. Some DO read but don't know what would be a good next book. I was stuck on my own adult paranormal romance kick and didn't want to spend my time reading "little kid" books. However, I started reading books from my library just for the purpose of recommending them to jr. high students. To my surprise I've found many of them excellent and "unputdownable." I'd just like to recommend a couple to you.

Deadline by Chris Crutcher. This author writes a lot of sports books and I thought this would be one, too. It is, but it's also so much more. It's the story of a senior in high school who finds out he has one year to live. He decides to forgo treatment and keep his illness a secret from everyone. He spends his last year doing things he wasn't brave enough to do before he got sick. I don't want to give anymore away, but I'll just say that there were lots of tears at the end. This was a super book. I've been recommending it to boys (I usually read more "girly" books).

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is a disturbing book about an anorexic girl's obsession with her caloric intake and family issues. After her friend dies, her health deteriorates severely. This was a fast read and a very good book.

Finally, I'll leave off with Identical by Ellen Hopkins. This is about a pair of twins who both have major problems at home, at school, and, with their peer relationships. I couldn't believe some of what happened in this book. It's hard to imagine such "worldly" teenagers, but I guess they're out there. The end of this book had a twist that made me gasp.

My Muse scarf

Books I've Read 2010

* denotes CHS library book

*1) Undiscovered Country--Lin Enger (1/1/10)
*2) Wintergirls--Laurie Halse Anderson (1/3/10)
3) The Center of the Universe--Anita Liberty (1/3/10)
*4) Blood Brothers--SA Harazin (1/11/10)
5) Taken by the Night--Kathryn Smith (1/12/10)
6) My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon--PN Elrod (1/13/10)
*7) Identical--Ellen Hopkins (1/17/10)
*8) Looking for Salvation at the Dairy Queen--Susan Gregg Gilmore (1/23/10)
9) Let the Night Begin--Kathryn Smith (1/24/10)
*10) Generation Dead--Daniel Waters (1/27/10)
*11) Deadline--Chris Crutcher (2/3/10)
*12) Burn--Suzanne Phillips (2/11/10)
*13) Ghostgirl--Tonya Hurley (2/14/10)
*14) Hush, Hush--Becca Fitzpatrick (2/15/10)
15) Lies My Teacher Told Me--James Loewen (2/16/10)
16) Pleasure Unbound--Larissa Ione (2/17/10)
*17) Thirteen Reasons Why--Jay Asher (2/20/10)
*18) The Poison Apples--Lily Archer (2/22/10)
*19) Shooter--Walter Dean Myers (2/28/10)
*20) Along for the Ride--Sarah Dessen (3/3/10)
*21) Jumping Off Swings--Jo Knowles (3/6/10)
*22) Story of a Girl--Sara Zarr (3/9/10)
23) Vampire Academy--Richelle Mead (3/16/10)
24) A Bite to Remember--Lyndsay Sands (3/17/10)
*25) Newes from the Dead--Mary Hooper (3/19/10)
26) Passion Unleased--Larissa Ione (3/20/10)
*27) Plain and Simple: A Womans' Journey to the Amish--Sue Bender (3/21/10)
28) The Art of Racing in the Rain--Garth Stein (3/27/10)
*29) Bad Girls Don't Die--Kate Alender (4/2/10)
30) Catch a Mate--Gena Showalter (4/4/10)
31) Mrs. Perfect--Jane Porter (4/7/10)
32) Fallen--Lauren Kate (4/10/10)
33) Flirt--Laurell K. Hamilton (4/15/10)
*34) Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side--Beth Fantaskey (4/16/10)
*35) Coraline--Neil Gaiman (4/17/10) read aloud with Graham
36) Sizzle--Julie Garwood (4/23/10)
*37) Wake--Lisa McMann (4/23/10)
*38) After--Amy Efaw (4/30/10)
39) Safe from the Neighbors--Steve Yarbrough (5/4/10)
40) Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict--Laurie Viera Rigler (5/9/10)
*41) The Hunger Games--Suzanne Collins (5/16/10)
*42) Fade--Lisa McMann (5/20)10)
*43) Gone--Lisa McMann (5/22/10)
44) Her Fearful Symmetry--Audrey Niffenegger (6/1/10)
45) A Reliable Wife--Robert Goolrick (6/4/10)
46) The Midwife's Apprentice--Karen Cushman (6/5/10)
47) The Late, Lamented Molly Marx--Sally Koslow (6/9/10)
48) Wisconsin Death Trip--Michael Lesy (6/12/10)
*49) The Mark--Jen Nadol (6/14/10)
50) How to Read Literature like a Professor--Thomas C. Foster (6/16/10)
*51) The Short Life of Bree Tanner--Stephenie Meyer (6/18/10)
52) The Lighter Side of Life and Death--CK Kelly Martin (6/24/10)
53) My Name is Memory--Ann Brashares (6/27/10)
*54) Hold Still--Nina LaCour (6/29/10)
55) Medieval Lives--Terry Jones (7/1/10)
56) Soulless--Gail Carriger (7/2/10)
57) Changeless--Gail Carriger (7/4/10)
58) Mona Lisa Awakening--Sunny (7/5/10)
59) Dead Place--Rebecca Drake
*60) Looking for Alaska--John Green
*61) Rikers High--Paul Volponi
*62) Life As We Knew It--Susan Beth Pfeffer
*63) The Dead and the Gone--Susan Beth Pfeffer (7/18/10)

Modifications to the Alpaca Earflap Hat

Modifications to the Alpaca Earflap Hat--Be warned--this is my first time writing instructions out.

 

1. I reversed the design on one earflap so that the open part of the "claws" or whatever you call the design would both be toward the face.

 

2. I double knitted the earflaps.  Based on previous experience, I knew the earflaps would stick out like Pippi Longstocking's hair in just plain stockinette, so I decided to try double knitting them.  I had never double knit before.  The process itself wasn't so hard, but when I threw in the reversal of the design and the whole thing gave me fits.  It took two days to knit the two earflaps.

 

This is a chart of the right earflap in double knitting.  I can't figure out how to number the rows beside the boxes.  The bottom row is Row 1 and so on like usual.  I increased the black on its knit side by knitting in the front and back of the stitch.  I increased the gray on its knit side by casting one on using backwards loop.  The right side is the black side.

 

        KB=Knit Black

        PB=Purl Black

        KG=Knit Gray

        PG=Purl Gray

 

 

 

K2tog	K2tog	K2tog	K2tog	K2tog	K2tog
KG/PB	KG/PB	KB/PG	KB/PG	KB/PG	KG/PB
KB/PG	KG/PB	KG/PB	KB/PG	KG/PB	KB/PG
KB/PG	KB/PG	KB/PG	KG/PB	KG/PB	KG/PB
KG/PB	KG/PB	KG/PB	KG/PB	KG/PB	KG/PB
KB/PG	KB/PG	KB/PG	KB/PG	KB/PG	KB/PG
KG/PB	KG/PB	KG/PB	KB/PG	KB/PG	KB/PG
KG/PB	KB/PG	KB/PG	KG/PB	KB/PG	KG/PB
KB/PG	KB/PG	KG/PB	KG/PB	KG/PB	KB/PG

 

 

 This is the left earflap. The black side is the right side here, too.  I hope this is right.  The "claw" is facing the other way.  Reversing this and double knitting is one of the hardest knitting things I've ever done. 

 

K2tog	K2tog	K2tog	K2tog	K2tog	K2tog
PB/KG	PG/KB	PG/KB	PG/KB	PB/KG	PB/KG
PG/KB	PB/KG	PG/KB	PB/KG	PB/KG	PG/KB
PB/KG	PB/KG	PB/KG	PG/KB	PG/KB	PG/KB
PB/KG	PB/KG	PB/KG	PB/KG	PB/KG	PB/KG
PG/KB	PG/KB	PG/KB	PG/KB	PG/KB	PG/KB
PG/KB	PG/KB	PG/KB	PB/KG	PB/KG	PB/KG
PB/KG	PG/KB	PB/KG	PG/KB	PG/KB	PB/KG
PG/KB	PB/KG	PB/KG	PB/KG	PG/KB	PG/KB

 

3.  I changed the arrangement of the cast-on stitches.  18 stitches for the front was REALLY not enough.  I ended up casting on 38 stitches for the front and 32 for the back.

 

4.  I changed the top decreases and added an I-cord top.  In black only:

        Round 1: Knit even

        Round 2: Knit even

        Rounds 3 and every odd row thru 17: [K4 K2tog] repeat to end

        Rounds 4 and every even row thru 18: Knit even   

        Rounds 19 and 20: [K2tog] repeat to end  

 

5.  To stop the front and back from curling, I picked up stitches, knitted in garter stitch for 2 rows, and then bound off.

 

IF/WHEN I knit this hat again, I will make the following changes:

 

1.  Knit first 2 or 3 rows in 1x1 rib to stop the stockinette curl.

 

2.  Use size 7 needles after the earflaps because the hat is a tad too tight.

    
 

Another Meme

1. What time did you get up this morning?4:15 am

2. How do you like your steak? Very rare. The bloodier the better.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? Bandslam

4. What is your favorite TV show? True Blood & Hell's Kitchen

5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be? I'd have to say England.

6. What did you have for breakfast? Diet Coke

7. What is your favorite cuisine? Mexican

8. What foods do you dislike? Fish

9. Favorite Place to Eat?Lately it's been Quaker Steak and Lube

10. Favorite dressing? Honey Mustard

11. What kind of vehicle do you drive? Honda Pilot

12. What are your favorite clothes? Jeans and t-shirts

13. Where would you visit if you had the chance? Australia, to visit where I was born

14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full? 1/2 Empty

15. Where would you want to retire? Somewhere near family

16. Favorite time of day? Early morning before anyone else is awake

17. Where were you born? Exmouth, Australia

18. What is your favorite sport to watch? I don't watch sports.

19. Bird watcher? No

20. Are you a morning person or a night person? Definitely morning

21. Do you have any pets? 1 dog Kacie

22. Any new and exciting news you’d like to share? I'm starting my new position this week.

23. What is your favorite childhood memory?My grandma baking gingerbread at Thanksgiving just for me

24. Always wear your seat belt? Most of the time

25. Been in a car accident? Yes, a guy hit me on an icy freeway.

26. Any pet peeves? When someone puts a new roll of toilet paper upside down. It's supposed to come over the top. That's why the design is on that side, people!

27. Favorite pizza toppings? Pepperoni & green olive

28. Favorite Flower? Lilies

29. Favorite ice cream?Anything coffee flavored

30. Favorite fast food restaurant? Chipotle

31. How many times did you fail your driver’s test? None

32. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Barnes and Noble

33. Do anything spontaneous lately? No.

34. Broccoli? Yes. I love broccoli.

35. What was your favorite vacation? San Francisco. I'm a big sightseer.

36. Last person you went out to dinner with? Hubby and the kids

37. What are you listening to right now? Muse's new song Uprising

38. What is your favorite color? Black or green

39. How many tattoos do you have? Two

40. Coffee Drinker? Oh yes. The darker the better!