Yay, I have a new home...

I have a new domain (cyndilou.net) and as soon as I get a spare minute (or 30), I'll get my site back up and running!

Changes coming to the new and improved site:
- the blog will be moving over
- pattern section for the patterns I've published thus far
- retirement of the Monkees page (sorry, gang - I haven't updated it in 4 years or more)
- (hopefully) an integrated photoalbum.

By the way, if you head over there now, everything is garishly pink. Heh. So much for prepared templates. :D

Pardon my dust...

Over the next few days you may notice some changes here and on my main website. I am dropping my old ISP in favor of DSL, and this means I have to relocate all my webpages. If pictures suddenly fail to work or a specific page disappears that you are trying to access, please feel free to leave a comment to let me know and I'll see what I can do.

Cheers!

Oy vey

Take away my checkbook. Please! Heh - we did the round of after-Christmas shopping today. I really didn't spend too much on stuff (that came later when I had to send in my passport application) but still, I think I'm definitely done for the day. And week, and weekend, and even year. :D

Apparently there are others out there taking advantage of the great sales -- some of them don't want to pay, however. I pulled up to my local grocery store just as a cop was putting a handcuffed gentlman into the back of his cruiser. Yup, a shoplifter. At HEB. Does it occur to anyone else that there are better places to commit a felony?

Merry Christmas!

Off to church for Christmas Eve service -- I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday! :)

Overheard

"You're dysfunctional."
"No, we're functioning; we're just dysfunctionally functioning."
- conversation at the next table at China Wall

---

"His pants bust."
"You should've told me; I have my digital camera. You know, blackmail."
"No, he's a white male."
"That's funny!! Black male, white male."
"Heh - you started it."
"No, I meant blackmail - one word."
"Oh. That's even funnier."
- conversation between co-workers

Are we ready?

Let's see...

Christmas shopping - done
Baking - have to help make cookies tomorrow
Handmade presents - all done save for one to knit and finishing on two

I think I can knock that out tonight, and still have plenty of time to run over music for church. I love Christmas!

Jesus is the Reason for the Season!

Yay!

My new digital camera is here! Yippee! Heh - now, to play...

Oh, here we come a wassailing...

Yes, tonight was yet another singing gig - this time at the Austin Trail of Lights. It was a bit chilly, but not so cold that our voices were hurting. :) I think the music went over well, although it is true that perhaps we needed a couple of our pieces to be a little more upbeat than they were. (BTW - thanks E and V for sitting for a long time on a cold bench and cheering for us! :)

The Trail itself was marvelous as usual -- and the PaRD outdid themselves this year by updating several of the displays. The ice castle, for one, was completely changed from past years. Now maybe I can convince a couple of my more jaded (oh, we've done that before...) friends to revisit the ToL with me this year or next. *g*

To sleep, perchance to dream...

A technophile's prayer...

Dear Lord,

Every single evening as I'm lying here in bed,
This tiny little Prayer keeps running through my head.

God bless all my family wherever they may be,
Keep them warm and safe from harm for they're so close to me.

And God, there is one more thing I wish that you could do,
Hope you don't mind me asking please bless my computer too.

Now I know that it's unusual to Bless a motherboard,
But listen just a second while I explain it to you, Lord.

You see that little metal box holds more than odds and ends,
Inside those small compartments rest so many of my friends.

I know so much about them by the kindness that they give,
And this little scrap of metal takes me in to where they live.

By faith is how I know them much the same as you,
We share in what life brings us and from that our friendships grew.

Please take an extra minute from your duties up above,
To bless those in my address book that's filled with so much love.

Wherever else this prayer may reach to each and every friend,
Bless each e-mail inbox and each person who hits send.

When you update your Heavenly list on your own CD-ROM,
Bless everyone who says this prayer sent up to GOD.com.

AMEN

Christmas on 37th Street

Folks, I gotta tell ya - if you've never done it before, you must see the lights on 37th Street. This is a neighborhood where fantasies are lived out in lights (ok, so some of them aren't fairy tale fantasies...). With everything from an icebox shrine to Elvis to UFOs to a volcano to Wonderland, you're going to love this display. Just don't forget to tip the light house - they need all the help they can get with that electricity bill! :)

Just to toss some knitting in, I finished the bumpy hat I started yesterday afternoon. My new digital camera is in the mail, so I should be able to get some pictures going this weekend or next week! Of course if shipping takes a long time due to the Christmas rush, it may be after Christmas.

So I'm a bad girl...

...I appear to have a bad case of start-itis. Yesterday at the Meetup!, instead of working on the commissioned hat I worked on a new hat for me that I started yesterday afternoon. I've got it over 75% completed already, though! I am making it from the Noro Big Kureyon in colorway 9, using a stst/rev stst pattern. It should match the broken rib scarf I'm making from the same yarn.

Fomenting ideas...

I heard back from Amy (the Knitty editor) on the pattern I submitted for the December issue. Part of the problem was the pics - taken care of as I'm getting a new digital camera. My old one is horrible - only has digital focus, eats power and doesn't like low-light situations. She also got me thinking about possible changes to the pattern, so I'll be taking time over the next couple weeks to play with it.

Gotta love feedback! :D

A Knitter's Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas and all around me
There was unfinished knitting not under the tree,
The stockings weren't hung by the chimney with care
'Cause the heels and the toes had not a stitch there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
But I had not finished the caps for their heads.
Dad was asleep---he was no help at all.
And the sweater for him was 6" too small.
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I put down my needles to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash.
Tripped over my yarn and fell down in my stash.
The tangle of yarn that lay deep as the snow
Reminded me how far I still had to go.

When out on the lawn I heard such a noise,
I was sure it would wake up both Dad and the boys.
And although I was tired--my brain a bit thick,
I knew in a moment that it must be St Nick.

Yet what I heard left me very perplex-ed
For nothing I heard was what I expect-ed.
"Move Rowan! Move Patons! Move Koigu and Clover!
Move Shelridge! Move Starmore! Move Spinrite!
Move over!

Lopi, don't circle around, just stand there in line.
Pay attention you sheep and you'll work out just fine!
I know this is hard as it's just your first year
But I'd hate to go back to 8 tiny reindeer."

I peered over the sill. What I saw was amazing:
Eight wooly sheep on my lawn all a-grazing!
And then in a twinkle, I heard at the door
Santa's big boots stomping on the porch floor.

I rose from my knees and got back on my feet.
As I turned around, St Nick I did meet.
He was dressed all in wool from his heat to his toe
And his clothes were hand knit from above to below.

A bright Fair Isle sweater he wore on his back.
And his toys were all stuffed in an Aran knit sack.
His hat was a wonder of bobbles and lace
A beautiful frame for his rosey red face.

The scarf on his neck could have stretched for a mile,
And the socks peeking over his boots were Argyle.
On the back of his mitts was an intricate cable.
And suddenly on one I spotted a small label:

"S.C." in duplicate on the cuff.
So I asked, "Hey, Nick, did YOU knit all this stuff?"
He proudly replied, "Ho, ho, ho, yes I did.
I learned how to knit when I was just a kid."

He was chubby and plump, a well dressed old man,
And I laughed to myself, for I'd thought up a plan.
I flashed him a grin and jumped up in the air,
And the next thing he knew, he was tied to a chair.

He spoke not a word, but looked down in his lap
Where I had laid my needles and yarn for a cap.
He began then to knit, first one cap then 2--
For the first time I thought I might really get through.

He put heels in the stockings and toes in some socks,
While I sat back drinking a scotch on the rocks.
Quickly like magic his needles they flew,
Good Grief! He was finished by two!


He sprang for his sleigh when I let him go free,
And over his shoulder he looked back at me.
I heard him explain as he sailed past the moon,
"Next year, start your knitting sometime around JUNE!"



Note: A fellow knitter shared this as written by a friend of hers (who wrote it to be shared), but I do not have the author's name.

Hallelujah!

Two reasons to rejoice -- first, the Messiah concert went very well this evening (huzzah!) and second, that's almost all I have to worry about until March! Of course, I have a couple smaller gigs with the CA consort and rehearsals start on the 29th for SC, but other than that (and church choir, naturally), I have a bit of a break! :D

Perhaps tomorrow I'll remember to charge my digital camera batteries so that I can post project pics...until then, goodnight!

TGIF

Man, I love Friday night. Several hours of knitting and quiet time after a hard week of work. Today, I'm even almost to tired to knit, though...

Oh well, plent y of time for knitting at rehearsal tomorrow. If you did not catch the Messiah performance on Tuesday, you still have a chance tomorrow night at 7:30 - NWHUMC! :D

Makin' progress

Well, my prototype for the commissioned project is almost done. I'm just adding the trim and then I have to work in the ends... It came out amazingly well for a first try, and this afternoon I'll meet with the person who is ordering it to see what changes may need to be made to the design.

She's back!

...add witty commentary here - 'cause my browser ate the post. Suffice it to day that the concert went well, I had a blast, and now I am so very happy to be off my feet! :)

2 hours to showtime...

Well, 2 hours to call, anyway. Yes, tonight is the night for Messiah! Rehearsal last night went well and I got most of the commissioned sample finished. I even met a couple other knitters (one is a cellist!).

If you're attending tonight, I'll be the soprano on the top row at the end. If you're not attending (and you're in town), well, why not? :)

Have fun all!

By the way...

The new Knitty is here!

Unfortunately, the pattern I submitted did not make it to this issue. Bit of a bummer, but that just means I'll try harder next time.

Monday, Monday

Yup, another Monday morning has rolled around. Of course, if we didn't have Mondays, Tuesday would be the bad day of the week, so I guess we shouldn't complain too much... :D

I did get a little good knitting time in this weekend, between the umpteen rehearsals I had to attend. Several more rows on both Tilt and the Big Kureyon scarf have been added, and today I need to start a commissioned piece so I can have it done by Christmas (gotta love last minute requests :) although it is okay if that is done after the holiday.

...and now, back to work, then rehearsal, then sleep, then work, then CONCERT!

Overheard, Part Deux

"You guys don't do d***. Nothing personal."
- another co-worker, speaking to other co-workers about redefining their job description

---

To be fair, I had intended to only do Overheard once in a while, maybe once a week or less. Twice in a day only happened this time due to the absolutely amazing argument taking place on the other side of my cube wall about what a particular job description really means. One fellow is trying to be extermely progressive and the rest of the group wants to avoid change. Granted, change is not always good...

Overheard

"So, hey, I just noticed...are you a cheerleader or something?"
- one co-worker to another upon noticing the pompons stuck up in a corner of her cube

---

Ok, I think this one takes some explanation.

Ever since I started reading In Passing, I've started paying more attention to the odd things people say.

A new person on the team gave the above gem this morning. It's funny for two reasons: 1. The pompons originally got stuck there as a slightly cynical poke at the "happy-joy-we-all-love-it-here" rallies that happen occasionally at our workplace, and 2. I know few people who are less like a stereotypical cheerleader. It's tech support, for goodness' sake. Well, maybe only you techies out there will get it, but it was pretty darn funny to me this morning.

Insert happy dance here...

It's First Thursday!!! I get to snick down to HCW for a bit before rehearsals...

...by the way - Handel's MESSIAH on December 9th at Riverbend! Tickets through ASO, if you're interested. :)

Overheard

Sometimes it is interesting what conversation you hear (or are involved in) at random moments.

"They should get soft after you suck on them a bit."
-my friend Rachel, eating stale mint Skittles at the mall

"They've got gravy in their bowl."
-a co-worker, explaining about priviledged youth

Do you have any favorites? :D

I owe, I owe...

...so back to work I go. Yes, it is Monday morning. Time to get our derriere out of bed and off to work, much as I hate to admit it. Ah, well, you can only have so many four day weekends before you start to get really bored. Oh, who am I kidding? :D

I did manage to get some good knitting time in this weekend, and I've done a few more rows on Tilt, in addition to more inches on the Big Kureyon scarf. Pics perhaps later, if I remember to plug in my digital camera battery.