2012 Week 2 Hodge Podge Post

First, gratuitous Baby Shot: 

Nap Time with Poppy Mark

Here are the new questions that Joyce came up with this week! Play along by posting your own answers, linking up with her website, then visiting other bloggers to see how they answered.

1. Lake Superior University has once again published a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen’s English in 2012 -amazing, baby bump, shared sacrifice, occupy, blowback, man cave, the new normal, pet parent, win the future, trickeration, ginormous, and thank you in advance. Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why? Go here to read more about how the words are chosen.

          I don't care for "the new normal", aren't we making a new one every day??  Maybe that's not such a good thing...

2. Are you easily embarrassed?

          In public, yes, in private, not so much.

3. What is your go-to snack?

           Sweets - cookies, cake, and pie!  I am a No Calorie Left Behind type of dessert person.  I cannot fathom that the chefs on Top Chef can't or don't like to make dessert!  Almost everyone I know, including guys learned to make desserts before they learned to cook anything else.

4. Have you ever been to Washington D.C.? If not do you have any desire to go? What site/attraction would you most want to see in that city? If you have been, what’s your favorite site/attraction?

           I have been a few times.  This is a very timely question, as my neice is getting ready to go in a couple of months.  I told her the tour and changing of the guards at Arlington National Cemetary is really moving.  I also think that every Human Being should be required to go to the Holocaust Museum.  It is vital that we realize there is true evil, how we didn't recognize it, and how to fight it.  I also really enjoyed the Ford Theater when I went with my DD.  It is really spooky and very historic - the museum is very well done.  We also enjoyed a great display of Norman Rockwell at the Smithsonian Art Museum.  The coolest part is most of these are free or very low cost things to do.

5. Sit ups-planks-lunges-squats…which do you hate the least?

          Probably squats, but I am always sore the next day.  I can't do sit-ups since my shoulder surgery and Planks are ridiculous - I have no core...lol.

6. What’s a small act of kindness you were shown that you’ve never forgotten?

          My entire group from work came to my Daddy's funeral when he past away.  The funeral was a bit of a drive from work about 45 min. but they all came - over 20.  I can't tell you how much that meant to me and most of them had never met my Daddy.  I was really devastated by his relatively quick death and it really made an impression on me.

I had always heard how people hate funerals and how they won't go but that day I learned an importatn life lesson.  The funeral is for the grieving and by going you are helping them grieve.  And that is a Very Important Thing.

7. Have you ever been a blood donor?

          Yes, I am "O" Positive, the Universal Donor so I try to give.

8. My Random Thought

Lace Top Stripe Socks

I started these when I wanted just a simple no-strenuous brain activity required knitting.  I really enjoy the Deborah Norville Serenity Sock Yarn in the "Chili" colorway.  It is 50% merino, 25% nylon, and 25% bamboo.  It is a warm sock like I have discovered using other bamboo sock yarns but the higher nylon content makes it not too slippery or splitty and clings to the foot, etc. well. 

I made these for me using the 2 Circular method with 1.5 Addi Turbos and 58 st for the foot (I have a narrow foot) and 60 for the heel and leg.  I used a simple Fleegle heel (I think I have this memorized now! yeah!) and topped it with a simple 6 row lace pattern that I reversed from the Socks A La Carte book.  I used Jeny's Surprising Stretchy Bind-off. 

I liked this colorway better on the skein than made up but I get a lot of compliments on the colorway so maybe it's just me.  Overall, a fun knit and a good fitting sock.