Mona and Karine Tagged Me...

And they did this like a whole month ago, but this menopause thing is really kicking my ass, so I've been horribly remiss. At any rate, here goes:

4 places you've lived:
Lincoln, Nebraska
Omaha, Nebraska
NDG and
Lachine

Four Jobs You Have Had In Your Life:
Telemarketer (don't hate--it was inbound only!)
Bank Teller
Manicurist
Death Administrator (ask me about my urns...)

Four Movies You Could Watch Over and Over:
Liquid Sky
Imitation of Life
Blazing Saddles
Freaks

Four TV Shows You Love To Watch:
Trailer Park Boys (A fucking classic).
Law & Order (in all its incarnations)
Arrested Development (they always can the good stuff)
Forensic Files (I'm Just Gross--but you know this).

Four Places You Have Been On Vacation:
Georgetown, Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands
Rapid City, South Dakota (not my idea, I was 8)
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (don't even ask)
Mississauga, Ontario (how broke was I, anyway?)

Four Websites You Visit Daily:
Crunk & Disorderly
The Distorted View
Cheaptickets.com
The Nebraska State Patrol Sex Offender Registry

Four of Your Favorite Foods:
Marzipan
Bagels
Sushi
and
Prime-Freaking-Rib.

Four Places You Would Rather Be Right Now:
In parallel universe where I'd be In Charge.
On a beach, just coolin'.
The Voyageur bus terminus, checking out the freaks
Anywhere but here.

Bloggers You Are Tagging:
Susan (once she gets her blog happening).
Anny (because everyone should check out her really cute doggies)
Jennifer (because she truly deserves a break right about now)

Time for mindless quiz results, continued...

You are

What Rejected Crayon Are You?

deawn -- [adjective]: Benevolent to a fault 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

S.O.S. or The Joy of Living In A Red State With A Bunch of Rednecks.

It all started Sunday evening, when I had yet another one of those aggravating experiences. An aggravating experience that had to take place while my blood sugar was low and my tolerance for intolerance was high. You see, Mother and I were headed out to have a little dinner at Kobe Japanese Steakhouse. (Hey, I was desperate. This is Omaha, and there aren't that many Japanese restaurants). Unbeknownst to Mother and Yours Truly, we quickly discovered that despite other people coming and going (some with doggy bags), they don't serve Negroes. (As Bette Midler said in The Rose, "That's just fine, because we don't eat 'em...). Hey, maybe they have a Jim Crow policy. Or maybe it's just another West Omaha thang. Still hungry, after being told we'd have a lengthy wait (although there was no one waiting, and there were only two of us), I did an abrupt about face and left, instructing Mother I'd pull up to the curb to pick her up. I could have stayed and argued, but the food isn't worth it. Why not simply go to another place that is wiling to take our money? So we did. It was totally déclassé (i.e. trashy), but at least they didn't trump up some transparent reasons to run us out.

"Los Nebraskans"

Annoyed but resigned to the ignorance of the local farm trash, I attended a local SnB at a yarn store with whom I've done business for some time. In fact, others all over North America may have as well, because they have a thriving online business. The owners are pleasant and very friendly. One of them had even invited me to come knit with them, November last. So, imagine my surprise and dismay at discovering how decidedly "icky" the small group of knitters were...one actually apologizing to the owner out loud, in front of everyone, for having invited "other people". (What a wonderful way to make me feel welcome!) The bitch did not appear to be kidding. At all. (Oh wow, you mean this shit is restricted? Why didn't you just say so! (I could've assembled an angry mob and we could just come back later to fire-bomb the joint!) Or maybe it's just personal. (We don't really know each other--she's a clerk at a bookstore café where I knit). In all seriousness, I realize that ill-timed comment wasn't the opinion of the owners, because if it were, I'd do no business with them, at all. Ever. However that, combined with the decidedly chilly reception I got from most of the regulars communicated one message loud and clear:

these assholes aren't good enough to knit with Me.

That's basically the attitude I hold toward anyone who wants to act a fool in my presence. And if they don't like it? They can simply bite me.

Can you dig it? (I knew that you could)...

One more thing...Click Here. Check out the picture at the bottom of the page. It's real, I swear. I couldn't possibly make this shit up.

A Very Overdue Update

As many of you know, I’ve been sweating it out here in God’s Country since December 20th. While my posts have been few and far between, my life away from the virtual world has been very busy indeed. I’ve managed to find places to knit publicly on nearly every day of the week, save Wednesdays, which I devote to my volunteer efforts at the VNAM.

Because Omahell isn’t that huge, the local knitting community is rather tiny, as well—and we run into one another despite our best efforts not to. Fortunately, two especially kind souls have turned me on to all kind of activities in the local knitting scene, and I would be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge them publically right now. Therefore, I wish to thank Lorna and Mary for introducing me to other knitters, decaf chai, and 40% off yarn sales. What’s more, they both have been most welcoming, and that in itself is truly appreciated. I thank you both.

Next, I’d like to give a shout out to the hook and needle corps that regularly make an appearance at Mangelsen’s, String of Purls, and Personal Threads. Donna, I can’t thank you enough for your inspiration, free passes to your gym, and gift of gab that helps me to get through mindless, endless rows of stockinette stitch! Dr. Jennifer from Albany—thanks a million for commiserating with me on the bad drivers all across the U-S-of-A. And I can’t forget the Titanium Rose, who is a wonderful source of knowledge about all manner of medications; it’s a real comfort to a true hypochondriac like Yours Truly…

Of course there are more, and I’ll have to get to them when I get around to posting again. I’d do it now, I can’t focus enough for all that right now.. Suffice it to say, all the connections I’ve made with knitters has worked miracles in terms of inspiring me to knit more than dishrags and scarves. At present, I’m working on a sweater which I’m determined to complete before the end of the month. Ideally, I’d like to have it done prior to February 18, but being efficient just isn’t like me, at all. So whatever. Anyway, I’ve completed a plethora of Christmas gifts, including hats, mitts, shrugs, wraps, bags, and whatever else, in the past year. I really ought to have cramps in my hands from all this, but for some strange reason, I don’t. Who knew?

Meanwhile, I can’t wait until Jillian Moreno and Amy Singer’s “Big Girl Knits” is ready for prime-time. This whole reworking of teeny-weeny patterns with a calculator and improvised gauging techniques is somewhat tiresome, to say nothing of unpredictable. I hope to post photos of the FO I’ve been photographing before they went to their new homes.

But not now… I’m busy procrastinating.

Aloha,
- d.