ok, i'm sorry to do this to the few non-lj people who read my journal, but i'm going friends-only. there's an anonymous commenter out there who has been asked to leave me alone and refuses. in order to avoid further problems, and to keep that person more in-the-dark about my life, this will henceforth be friends only. if you're interested in reading, comment and i'll probably add you.

in other news, my folks actually liked the dinner i made last night. thai spring rolls, chicken lettuce wraps, and singapore noodles. and coconut macaroons for dessert. (yes, i know macaroons aren't asian, but the ones i make are light and sweet and coconutty. i think it's a good compliment to a pan-asian dinner.) anyway, as a result of dinner, i may have discovered a new allergy: oysters. i used oyster sauce in the lettuce wrap filling and later had a rash all over my body. that was the only ingredient that i don't use regularly. i took benadryl and went to bed. i still have the rash today, but not as bad. it's weird, though... i mean, i eat mussels and clams with no problem. but, as joel said, they may be similar, but they're not the same. whatever. now i'm getting hungry - time for leftovers! (but not the lettuce wraps, of course.)

i'm SO doing this. thank you, yarn harlot.

(excerpt)
The 2006 Knitting Olympics

Eligibility: Any knitter who, embracing the "Citius, Alitius Fortius" ideal, would like to challenge themselves while embracing the Olympic spirit, and is just whacked enough to play along with me.

Concept: You must cast on a project during the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter Olympics (Feb 10)- and finish before the Olympic flame goes out (Feb 26). That's 16 days.

Rules:
1. The project must be a challenge for you to complete in 16 days.
2. There are no rules about what a challenge would be. Like the real Olympics, there are many areas to compete in. If you are a new knitter, then a garter stitch baby sweater might do...If you are experienced, well. I've already considered Torino. Use your own conscience.
3. While this is intended to be somewhat difficult (like the Olympics) it is not intended to ruin your life. Don't set yourself up for failure. (Olympic athletes may cry, but they do not whine pitifully, sob and threaten members of their family with pointed sticks because they haven't slept in five days. ) This is intended to (like the Olympics) require some measure of sacrifice, and be difficult, but it should be possible to attain.
4. No casting on before the flame is lit.
5. Finish before the flame goes out.
6. You may swatch before the games. (I consider this "training.")

Medals?
The Knitting Olympics has only a gold medal. (There is only do- or do not.) Finishers get a gold medal button for their blog, their name entered into a draw for a chance at a prize from me, and the joy of knowing that they are an Olympic level knitter, no matter how experienced they are. You are only competing against yourself. (Well. And the Olympic schedule.)

and i'm making this. now i just have to see if i have enough random yarn to do it in. (i found several extra balls of the fingering weight that i used for nancy's project - maybe i can use that. hmmmm.)

this video, which is an attempt to actually understand what the hell those jackasses in fallout boy are singing about.

it made me giggle. thanks, jordan.

i try not to use too many internet abbreviations in my posts and, mean girl that i am, i tend to laugh a little at people who do. so, in blythedoll today, i was thrilled to see the following exchange in the comments on a post:

first commenter: "ROFLMAO!!!! I looooove her hair, excellent!"
original poster: "Thanks. I dunno what 'ROFLMAO!!!!' means but I hope its not painful."

went to garden bowl with folks from hot topic for emilee's going away party. soooo fun. rock 'n bowl rules. and i got shoelaces that glowed under the blacklight. and mandie bought me bourbon. and then, after lots of the people left, some of us hung out in the bar and talked and drank beer and kamikazes courtesy of joshua. and joshua also bought us pizza. he's so cool. emilee was drunk off her ass and telling crazy-ass stories (she really has the most bizarre stories ever) and mandie was rocking out to the metal playing on the sound system. and joshua, heather and i were just laughing.

anyway, it was really, really nice. that was the first time i've gone out since i moved here 6 months ago. i've had coffee with a couple of people, but that was the first night out. i had fun. i hope i can go out with some of those folks again. the only trick is that managers aren't supposed to hang out with sales associates, so we'll see how that works. anyway.

time to drink lots of water so that i don't get a hangover.

i've finally convinced my mother that i should cook one night a week. hooray! i've been trying since i moved in. and i've cooked many, many times but only when mom was out or something. anyway, i'm cooking on tuesday and i'm trying to decide on a menu. i've got two possible menus on my mind (and in case you don't know my cooking, i do EVERYTHING from scratch. well, nearly everything. i wouldn't make the spring roll wrappers or anything nuts like that.):

simple southwest yumminess
chicken with southwest rub
chipotle mashed potatoes
some kind of sweeter vegetable to balance the heat - maple-glazed green beans, maybe?

asian tapas
pf chang's lettuce wraps (copycat recipe)
thai spring rolls
vegetable sushi? (if i can find my bamboo mats and my nori sheets)
singapore noodles?

i'm leaning asian, but it sounds like a lot of work. if i do that i'll have to budget it out and do things ahead of time. a lot of these things (dipping sauces, spring roll filling, etc.) can be started or completely made a day ahead or so, so i'll have to fiddle with that. hmmmm. time to survey the pantry.

so, for my birthday my parents offered to frame a print i've had for about 5 years. i love this print. it's a reproduction of a 1934 map of northwest michigan (LP, not UP). that's where i went to high school, that's where my grandparents live, i've spent a lot of my time up there through the years. i even applied for jobs up there at one point. for those of you unfamiliar with michigan, the area i'm talking about is in the little box on this picture:
( michigan )

i love that area. i'd live there again in a second. lots of woods, lots of water, even lots of farms and orchards. it's nice.
so here's most of the newly-framed print (i accidentally cut off the top. oops.)

( more print pics follow )

1. took some soma and it didn't do a damn thing to either relax my muscles or make me sleepy. bummer, dude.

2. watched house tonight. revspook7, you need to watch this show. you'll LOVE dr. house. freakin' hilarious. tuesdays at 9. you out of class then? if so, snag the tv. you won't be disappointed. he's like the sarcastic doc from scrubs, but more deadpan and a lot less cuddly.

3. my new tat's healing ok. pics in the next day or two, i promise.

4. i just went out to walk my dog and was surprised as hell to find snow blanketing the ground, falling from the sky, and just generally doing its thing. i went out in my slippers, expecting a snow-free surface on which to walk. i'm neither happy nor sad about it, just surprised.

5. finally saw memoirs of a geisha this afternoon. i really enjoyed it. then again, it's one of my favorite books, so they would have had to really fuck it up for me not to like it.

6. tomorrow i get to go to penzeys, aldi (about which there was a funny reference on tv earlier), whole foods, and to the frame shop to pick up the print my parents framed for me for my birthday. it will be a day of warm fuzzy goodness. if my parents behave themselves, that is.

ok. time to read and try to sleep.

so i got to hang out with michigan rachel (as opposed to kentucky rachel) tonight, which was super-cool. we went to dennys and smoked cigarettes and talked. i got in trouble for smoking cloves. ooops. it was really nice to get out of the house and to hang out with someone so cool. she has the craziest stories. anyway, it was neat. i hope we hang out again sometime.

i just found the prettiest lace pattern ever, and now i want to make it. in a rich, jewel-toned but heathered purple. someday, someday. i got a lace shawl pattern for christmas, which i should make first. where will i be wearing all of these lace shawls? i have no idea. i never wear things nice enough to justify such beautiful shawls. maybe if i get a real job again sometime i could wear them.

*yarn withdrawl*

oooh, and ginger has fleas. i have to get her flea meds tomorrow. my mom's having a freakin' heart attack about it. i'm not so worried. i think we're going to go take a bath now, to at least help get rid of the ones she's got. and just for fun, ( adorable pic of da ginger (in my mom's lap) )

i need to start a yarn fund for destitute knitters. i have about $20 to my name right now and i can't buy any yarn. er, crack. er, yarn. wait, which is worse? they seem about the same to me. *sigh* how will i ever be a designer without any yarn?

so, these articles have been popping up on punk_knitters lately and they're making me mad. so i'm just going to post them here and try not to say too much about them. the first article is by a pop-culture columnist in charlotte, NC who apparently thinks knitting is paramount to home-canning vegetables in a fallout shelter. the second is a follow-up by another writer, and the third is by the original author.

( this is the first article )

( follow-up by pissed off staff writer )

( follow-up by original author )

i'm as staunch a feminist as you're likely to find. that doesn't mean i'm not feminine, or that i don't enjoy traditionally feminine things. i do. i like wearing high heels and dresses. i like taking care of people. i like knitting and baking and sewing and embroidery. and i think all of those parts of me go together just fine. none of them are some crazy reaction to terrorism, or a desire to set women back. feminism is about choice, and i choose to engage in those activities. they make me happy. boots and spikes and motorcycles also make me happy. that just makes me well-rounded, not a bad feminist.

my weekend was fan-fucking-tastic. i had a wonderful time with joel, i went dancing twice and didn't collapse in pain, i hung out with miss rachel and some other friends, i had my hair cut, i got a tattoo... totally awesome. i finally felt like myself again. i was social, i was happy, i was with joel... it was great. i didn't want to come home. i really want to go back there. like, more permanently. i miss that life. anyway. it really couldn't have been better. when joel and i weren't out at main street or sumshee's we were watching anime and zombie movies and drinking beer and playing with the dogs. seriously... how much better can life get?

so, i'm apparently not used to having a digital camera, as i keep forgetting to take it places and to take pictures. i only ended up with two of them; both were taken after 7 long, sweaty hours at a club and then another hour or so getting food. we both look worn out. ( fun hair )

Who else is love?

pseudomonas me scripsit anno 2005

real update later. like, after work or something.

ok, i think there are only about 2 of you who care, but i'm going to be in town starting tomorrow afternoonish and leaving monday afternoon. i will most definitely be at main street friday night. and hopefully some other fun places, too. (mag bar? sumshees? who knows?) if you want to get together, gimme a call. abby and rachel - i've got your numbers and i'll give you each a call tomorrow so we can figure stuff out. if i don't call you, call me.

i am SOOOOO excited. everyone at work commented on how bouncy and cheerful i was tonight. i want to DANCE and DRINK and see JOEL and see my FRIENDS and hang out in my TOWN. i only wish i could afford a haircut - shan does such a good job with my head.

i am going to louisville TOMORROW and i couldn't be more fucking happy about it. i can't wait! besides, i might just kill my mother if i have to stay here any longer. i'm very glad that she's leaving for work in about 10 minutes.

in other news, according to the detroit free press, we've had only 14 minutes of sunshine since december 19th. that's less than 1 minute a day. go us.

oh, and just because i have a digital camera now and i can, i'm going to be posting alot of pics for a while. ( place settings from crate & barrel )

ok, so i've finally figured out how to share some of the neat tolkien images i've found. use my digital camera! duh.

( my two favorites )

( it would make a really cool full-back piece, but i can't afford it )

so, i'm ready for another one. there are two that are on my mind and have been for a while and i can't decide between them. the first is a triquetra, which i'd do in white on my right inner forearm to match the white labyrinth on my left. the second is a nerdy tolkien tattoo that i'd do big on my back. i really like the center illustration from tolkien's own cover of return of the king. however, i want to do a little more research on tolkien's illustrations before i commit completely to it. i definitely don't want someone else's interpretations of his ideas; he did enough sketching that i think i can settle happily on one of his pieces. as usual, though, i'd really like something fairly obscure or arcane.

anyway, in honor of my intellectual dilemma, i present another poll. as usual, i appreciate responses, but i don't just do what you all tell me to do. i just like having input when i make decisions. so any you could offer would be great!

Poll #644180 kristen's tattoos
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

which tattoo should kristen get next?

cut for those who read knitting and don't want to see it twice
( Read more... )