Gotta Knit!

Sorting, Digging and Hauling

Another gorgeous day out in the garden.   The remodeling is still moving forward.   I've chosen this to be a remodeling project because we are gutting and moving and changing at least 80% of our backyard so I think it definitely falls into the major remodeling of a room (so to speak) category.

The Man was hauling mulch from a year ago so it was more like composted dirt to cover last week's veterans of the big move.   I was over in the corner playing what dug up bulb goes where.

 

Hauling bricks to line a path.

                                     

Then came the time The PLAN had to be consulted which we both find goes best with a beer and a glass of wine.

Finally once everything had been consulted, discussed and written the the digging up, measuring where to go, digging new holes and planting 8 Hydrangeas and one other plant started happening.

Now waiting for some chicken to be roasted and some squash to finish baking.

An Afternoon with Bacchus

The Man, myself, a few of our friends and most of Atlanta went to a wine festival yesterday.   That was the less crowded side.

We did find some good wines that I'll be going to the store to get bottles of.   We also ran into a Mad Housewife that got along great with The Man.  Which is good everyday wine by the way.

 

After a few hours sipping and sunning, I needed a break in the mist.

 

When we were all wined out it was off to be dined.   Ended up at a local restaurant with the absolutely weirdest waitress ever.   Now my friend is going to be a bit disappointed but there is just no way to describe the absolute bizarreness that ensued for the next hour and half.   Our waitress had to get our drink order at least 10 times and let me tell you it wasn't a difficult one.   She repeatedly grilled two of our group that did not want a glass of wine on to why.   Mind you we'd been drinking wine for three hours so enough already.   Then she kept coming back to ask if we wanted a bottle of wine.  By the 12th time I had to growl "NO, we do NOT want a bottle of wine."   Then there was the whole thing with one of ladies at the table.   When the waitress would put down a glass in front of her, my friend would go to reach for it and the waitress would promptly snatch it away from her and replace it down on the table.    When this same person finally got her tea order that I eventually had to order for her in order for her to actually have something to drink this was how it was served.

 

Lost count at around 50 how many times our waitress said "I'm sorry", she kept telling the tea friend she looked sad and was wanting to hug her.    I'm talking multiple, multiple times.   The whole experience was the most bizarre one I have ever had with someone giving me some type of customer service.   It finally got to the point The Man had to firmly tell her to leave us alone and "we would like to finish our conversation."    He toyed with the idea of asking the owner to give us another waiter but was concerned that would only escalate the personality issues with the waitress.   

It was all I could do not to go up to her when we were leaving and say "Honey, you need medication."

A Knitting One Night Stand

Have a feeling that if I pulled out all of my unfinished projects I would have at least six month's of knitting I could do.   But why do that when you can start another project?

Needed the thrill of new yarn. 

                                    The thrill of a new pattern.

                                                                    The thrill of Elizabeth Zimmerman!

 

Might not look like much but that is the Ear Flap parts of the Maltese Fisherman's hat.   If you look closely you just might spy that ever so modern stitch marker.    Joined in the round today at lunch and all I had was some bobby pins or paper clips.   A girl has gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

Turns out this isn't quite a one night stand project.   Well I suppose it could be if I could knit straight for an hour or 3-4 but it is giving me the thrill of something new before I go back to something old.

By the way I realized when I got home today that Fall has started.

Preview

Yesterday, I swung by what I am fondly calling New Knitch.  You know versus Old Knitch which is still where you need to go for all your knitting needs.    Well until 2 p.m. today that is.   Then you will be Knitchless until Thursday when they open back up in their new location.  Have to tell ya I had misgivings because I do love the old location.   But change is good and the new place is just as wonderful and actually better in it's own lovely way.   It's bright and sunny, parking in the back, Fire Station to the left so hunky guys in uniforms, my hair salon is next to them and in a household pinch Highland Hardware is across the street.    Wont even go into all the fabulous restaurants that are right there.

I'll be back on Thursday for the opening day.   Just so happens I'm taking an Aran sweater class with Brooklyntweed!  He is going to teach us the Elizabeth Zimmerman percentage system which I think is brilliant but I haven't attempted on my own.   To bad he isn't throwing in a photography session too.   Plotting in the back of my mind to use some mainly cotton with wool thrown in for give and memory yarn to reattempt making The Man a sweater.  

Make that making the sweater again for I did attempt to make him a sweater out of this yarn several years ago.   When I got one of the panels almost finished,  I finally heard him about the size of the monster.   It would have fit a linebacker.    A linebacker that needed desperately I might add to go on a diet.

Some London Spice

Now I haven't even begun to sort through all the photos of London.   I took 547 and well The Man however topped out at 800+.   Trust me his life was in danger on the last day for my patience only can last for so long when we are on a long walk but I'm having to stop every 15 feet for him snapping that camera.

I don't know about you but I've always had a thing for a man in uniform.   Suppose it was growing up being fascinated by the medals pinned on my father's uniform.  One of the things that both The Man and I wanted to see was the changing of the guards.  We went first to see the changing of the Horse Guards at this place.

 

He is the one that loudly stated "Get away from the arches!" when a gaggle of teenage girls stepped near the archway.   Made all of the small crowd jump since they had been basically ignoring us and at attention.  

Then the ceremony began!

then the guard from Buckingham Palace came over.

 

he surveyed them, blew his horn and left us.

The horn blowing must have signaled the tourist were behaving because not to long after that more guards from the Palace came on over.

 

they circled around

 

had the very long stare down.  This goes on forever it seems.

 

We then decided to dash quickly through St James Park over to Buckingham Palace to catch the band with the new guards showing up.    Do you have any idea how hard it is to look remotely dignified while fast walking through a park?   I even developed shin splints near the end of the dash.

Course I did stop briefly to check out the flowers.  Lovely park or it at least seemed that way in the blur.

 

The good news is we did make it to the Palace with a minute to spare to see the beginning of their Pomp.   It started with an Irish Wolf Hound!  

 

then came the band

 

followed by the Guards with Guns.

 

When all that was done, we were off Pub hunting for lunch.

Found a lovely Pub across from the Ministry of Justice.

 

to get me some Fish n Chips with a side of mushy peas. 

I'm Back

Got back Saturday evening and do you know just how long it takes to get your bags?   Not once but twice we had to wait on our luggage in the airport.  Getting through Immigration and Customs was a breeze but I'm still having nightmares about the luggage belt going round and round without our bags on them.

Have so much to tell you and show you.   The Man himself took 829 photos which are all on my computer.  Was positive it was more or at least felt that way when the last day I swear he was stopping about every 15 feet to take photos.

Once I got home I was off on another adventure.   Had family in town staying in our house so was able to spend a few hours with them before heading back to the airport on Sunday late afternoon.   While I was going one of my friends had big news and Knitch is moving.   For you Atlantans, Knitch is moving (I believe as I type) to the intersection of Virgina and N. Highland and will be across from George's.  This is happening so fast that it isn't even on the Knitch blog or website yet.

As for me, I have to trug off to work, try to make some semblance of sense and hopefully still be alert enough when I get home to unpack.   Oh and upload the rest of my photos.

Really should have taken today off!

The Day of 1,743 steps that had to be climbed and 8 miles of walking

Even though we have been using the Underground there is still gobs of walking to be done throughout London.

and then there are stairs everywhere.   

After climbing up to the very tippy top of Saint Paul's Cathedral and back down, we began to count steps, stairs and tiny stone steps.

we were higher than the pigeons by this point.

When we came down for air then there was the bridge to cross.

Not to be confused with THE other bridge that had to be crossed.

course that was after we got a little fortitude at The Anchor.   Pub that began in the early 1600's

A Packin We Will Go

For whatever reason we seem to be liking the pre-Fall vacations.  Last year was the beach.

This year I'm packing thin wool sweaters, layering clothes and my ever favorite knitted item that I live in from Fall through Winter and into Spring.  That Clapotis can do it all from being shawl, scarf, hat with a scarf, pillow and blanket.   Perfect for a long airplane ride.

The final packing step was what to bring to knit.   I have that strange affliction that many knitters get when they go on vacation.   It seems we think we can somehow knit more and faster.   Kept it down to only three projects.

 
Thinking I just might whip out an E.Z. Maltese Fishing Hat, finish a scarf I had started in Scotland or work on a Summer tank top.  No problem should have it all finish in 7 days, right?

For the curious as to where we are off to this should give you a decent hint. 

 

Went to a Wedding

  The wedding was this past Saturday and it involved two people I did not know.  Okay, so I met the groom once,  7 years ago for maybe 30 minutes when he was in our house.  The bride did a bang up job on the invitation so I was not quite expecting the wedding I attended which really wasn't the fault of the now married couple.  

Let's just say I felt like I was in a movie.   A strange movie.

1. People dressed in full 70's era including one guy in a mullet looking mustache.

2. Women with way to short dresses on with monster thighs, stomachs or butts.

3.  Women teetering on high platform shoes.

4.  Very scary woman with tight short bright green taffeta dress on that her big belly balance out her huge butt.  Only to be followed by matching green flip flops.   FLIP FLOPS!  Now I will give you the fact that I've got a thing about flip flops.   Long story short I abhor flip flops and in my single days have even been known to refuse going out on a date when a guy would attempt to wear them in the summer time.  But really flip flops at a wedding?

5.  Bad as in really bad tattoos.

6.  The one good tattoo had really icky weird pink ink which made me wonder if the bride's tattoo was running until I realized it was permanent.

7.  Scary tattoo on one of the groomsmen's throat with his Adam's apple bursting through.  Think it was trying to get away.

8. Bad catered food.   Just about everything was fried including a small ball of Mac N Cheese.  Now I am Southern but honestly fried Mac n Cheese?

9.  One of the male guest showed up in jeans and a button down shirt and then was complaining that all the other males there including kids were in suits.

10.  Then there was the bathroom!  Hunted high and low for it and finally had to go to the bartender.   Turns out the entrance was behind the dance floor where the DJ was.   Had to wait for the groom to finish his dance with Mom to go.  Two stalls and the handicap was taken so when I opened the door to the 1st stall I had to slide in sideways, move against the wall of the stall to be wedged between commode and stall wall to close and open the stall door.  When I was finished washing my hands, myself and the other lady had to open all drawers in the bathroom to try to find paper towels to dry our hands with.   Ended up I had to discretely dry my hands on the table cloth at our table.

11.  Two gold fish in bowls at all tables with two other vases with flowers.   Beautiful idea however our gold fish weren't moving so much and then I began to notice other gold fish slowing down.   Think they were dying as we celebrated.

12.  Last but not least,  I do have to mention the wedding cake icing was chewy.

Wee Bit of Monsooning

Remember my famous last words "Most people are starting to complain about all the rain but me, I am loving it. "?  Um yeah,   I take it all back.   Though it seemed like the weather had calmed down a bit it all let loose the weekend before last Monday.   Turns out it was of "Epic" portion.   Was trying to drive home from a professional class and one of the big main roads I was on had a police car in the middle of two lanes with lights on to block all traffic from going through a deceiving looking puddle that actually was a huge car swallowing lake in the middle of my side of the lane.  

Then Monday it rained like it has never rained before.   Remember that little stream in our backyard that I was so excited about discovering the weekend before?   That stream became a raging stream that I kid you not, in the pouring rain,  I was building a damn to block the flow away from where our French Drain dumps out into our yard.  

Course the damn building came after bailing and hauling water out of our basement for an hour until The Man could get home to help.   Nothing quite like a call from your wife and all she keeps saying is "Get Home Now!".   Actually the flood in our basement wasn't so bad by the rest of Atlanta's standards.   Just about 1/4  of the basement was flooded, the water was only over my feet and we only lost a few rugs.  So many people lost cars and many houses have been condemned.

Have to say this was the coolest photo of all that I saw.   This is an tunnel going under our subway system that is about 4 miles away from where I live.   For you Atlantans,   it is the Krog Street Tunnel.