New Toys

Frankie inspects talks to the computer "for me, right?"

I broke, and got an iPad. It's crazy!!! I'm looking forward to some great apps, like this one which allows for better blog posts!

Happy Halloween!

Pumpkin Pile (Vertorama), originally uploaded by Panorama Paul.

Moving on up...

to the new blog..... It's all the same stuff just a new look and a new name but imported all the old posts, www.eclaireis.blogspot.com.
see you there!

HOME

Home and hanging in there. I'm going okay but rather sleepy. I have about 270 pictures from the trip, so I'm going to use this to say... NEW BLOG TIME! I love blogger but my new blog is very cool, links soon!

London Bound

So Hub and I are London bound this weekend, for just the weekend. I know this is silly but its our starter Europe trip. We didn't want to commit to a huge trip until we got the feel of things. Maybe europe won't agree with us (HA, yeah right) but we figured we'd feel things out first. We've got a bunch planned so far, the museum, a concert (oh that's Eric Clapton), and my person favorite a big trip to iKnit London. After hours pouring over the tube maps and the interactive map of london I managed to plan most of our trip via the underground, and scout out some super yummy noms. The big thing, knitting. All that time just sitting. It's a long flight people, nine hours!

Granted I'm going to sleep mostly there and I'm not afraid of a little niquil either, but the way back is a day flight and I'm going to have to find a way to keep busy. Now I can't get a straight answer about knitting needles on flights leaving Hethrow. They're web site says nothing about, no sharpish pointish sticks with yarn on them but I've heard from some people that they're banded. Alas what's a girl to do. In come the socks. Almost to the heel they can be knitting and finished on the "over there" flight. Then I'll start a whole new project on the flight back. The needles detached from the cord and stored with the pens in my messager bag, the cord wrapped up in my knit-kit. A big ball of yarn and a pattern all ready for the 9 and half hour haul back to the states. We'll see how things go.

BTW: Have you seen this thing about Cheesu, the cheeto that looks like Jesus! Its almost as good as the Nun Bun. Oh and this little guy was hanging on my window screen for about a half an hour.

BREAD!

So after knit night on wednesday, I picked up a book that I've been oogling for some time now. I just couldn't wait anymore, since Hub was going through two loafs of bread a week.
I was busy for most of the rest of the week, between big birthday parties and my neighbor graduating from college!!! Which mind you is super cool. It was Saturday morning before I could get started on the bread.

It's not a starter or a sourdough, it a super wet dough that you just take hunks off of when you want to make some bread. If you've read Kitchen Confidential, then you'll understand why I'm calling it "the bitch".

My first attempt looked promising....
But it turned out looking like an alien loaf!
Alien loaf or not it was super yummy,
Then the second loaf was picture perfect!
I've already used up the first batch, bought a better bucket for the bitch and have tried another kind of bread. It grows on you!

Man-esia

So the other night while Hub and I were getting ready for bed (we've been watching the first two season of "How I met your mother" for the last month or so) I asked him about when he was going to clean up the stuff that litters his side of the bed. He looked at me with that "HUH?" look. "BUT, its a low wide shelf!" "NO, it's the floor". Just a few days before, the last of his month-o-vacation, I had assigned two things. The light in the bathroom which has been broken since we bought the house, and to clean up the million and a half books on his night stand. Well both are still not done, but he just forgot. The diagnosis for this just up and plum forgetting, a serious case of manesia. Symptoms include, complete and udder forgetfulness of things which were complete important to you, forgetting of dates, why things happened, why things need to happen, forgetting to tell someone else something important, where things where put, what time something is going to happen at, with whom these things are going to happen with, whether or not it's clean or dirty, forgetting to remove wet things from a dry place. These are just a short list of symptoms of Manesia and they vary from man to man. For some a simple list with important tasks helps, other need electro shock therapy to help them remember. It's un curable but treatment does help. It is not contagious to females but when two or more men are within a six foot radius of each other they're individual forms of manesia converge into one, and as a group things like time and bodily functions are forgotten. Just continue to monitor them so that breathing continues and that they don't loose any eyebrows.

New Computer

Well it's here and it's great!

I'll be back

I promise, I've got tons of pictures to share, projects and what not. The new computer is on the way my hard drive will be open!

End To End

Pattern: Marialis End-to-End Scarf
Needles: US 3 options fixed
Yarn: Sundara Sock Yarn, Deadly Nightshade
Made For: ME!
Started: Jan 1st
Finished: Feb 25th



When I got this yarn in the mail I just couldn't bring myself to make socks out of it. The lovely way the color changes and that oh so perfect twist.



So far it has become one of my most favorite scarves even if it did feel like took a life time to knit.

Tasty..

I love Orangina, but I never drink it. It's for a few reasons. Mainly because it's hard to find in C-ville but also because it very sugary. I know I've kinda forgotten about my blog, but my hardrive is 'bout full and I can't risk adding more pic until I can move some stuff around. In April I should be getting a new computer, all new bits and pieces. Spot the Younger has been with me for 4 years and its about time to replace the little bugger. I've got it all picked out just gotta wait a few more weeks. So I talked to a friend whom I haven't heard from in like 4 years. Lots has changed in those four years since I got this thing. Like he's married and has a kid, crazy. He's going over seas in a few monthes really for the first time, we're just finishing our second full deployment. Hopefully we'll get out to see them sometime before he heads out. I don't really know where time goes sometime.

BTW: We BBQ'd tonight and made cedar smoked Salmon and some grilled Sea Bass. Also I whipped up some white truffle mac and cheese to go with. Yum YUM. I really have been knitting too I promise!

Just A Taste

All the regions have their special season. In the Northwest it's our late summers which cross into fall The days are as long and warm as they are going to get, and breeze off the sound is cool. By the time baseball calls it quits we're thrown into the short rainy days again. After four years I have come to love and long for a Tennessee spring. After an all but to short fall, we have winter with the ever changing cold to mild weather. Today the mini cooper told me it was 66 degrees! The wind is mild, the sun shining and the need for spring is very deep.

I picked these flowers up almost two weeks ago, during the snow storm. I had driven the Hub down to Nashville for his flight back to the 'stan in the snow. I wanted to do some grocery shopping while I was down there, so I went to my favorite place.... Trader Joes! They had loads of lovely flowers all waiting to go home.

I've been working away on my End to End scarf in Sundara Sock deadly nightshade,

I love knitting this pattern almost as much as I love this yarn.

Before Christmas I spent some time with my sewing machine and made this little box bag




If you'd like to make one of your own check out this Tutorial at Drago[knit]fly.

Oh and one more picture....

That's what I look like with straight hair!

Hit the Ground Running

So I'm back from my vacation from the rest of the world. It was great. It started with a surprise early flight that got the hub into Nashville at 10 am rather than 5pm. There was a trip to seattle that included a dog bite and some oysters. Two BBQ's, indian food, a 1 TB drive, and the admission that I should be able to have a dog. We gained a tread mill too. It all ended with a drive in the snow to Nashville and a trip to Trader Joes for me. The Hub has just under 45 days left to go before I get him back for good and rather than contemplate the nature of snow and slippers I can just get him to take the trash out for me.
Hub was luck enough to catch the first flight out of Atlanta and made it to Nashville a whole day early. This was nice and not so nice because I had drive to work and wasn't even inside the door when he called to tell me. Mind you I just could run out the door and start to Nashvegas I had to change, really I was wearing a sweater, jeans and pair of hiking boots. We BBQ'ed that weekend and then went to the Acorn with Evan and Amanda. Took off for Seattle on Thursday wear we enjoyed a really great dinner at Salty's on Alki. The in-laws made us want to jump out the window and their super food posessive dog bit my food for trying to move him while I cleared the table. For the next few days all Hub could say was, grrrrrr. I've managed to be sick for almost two weeks, since I have a new germ in the house. Personally I think I have a sinus infection but going to the doctor is a real case of last resort.

This Just In......

I'm interrupting my regularly scheduled life to take 18 days off from everything! The hub is in this time zone, this country, this indoor plumbing, beer drinking, real clothes wearing world again. Though only for a short time. We will be in Seattle for a few days and the rest of the time we're here.

A Very Merry Christmas!

Randolph The Butt-Nosed Reindeer and I would like to wish everyone a Happy Christmas!

Pay it forward

Alissa recently asked everyone to pay it forward. Please do this people. Please go out and help people that may not even look like they need help. The simplest thing means more than you can even understand.

Deck the Halls

So I'm not really decking the halls these day, not the upstairs one or the basement hall. I've been stupid busy at work and at home with the up coming holidays. Last weekend I put up the plastic tree and all the various christmas stuff. All week long I've typed, knitted and puttered along.

PATTERN: A Stork's Nest Scarf by Nancy Bush From Jan/Feb Piecework
START: Oh you don't want to know
FINISH: DEC. 7, 2008
YARN: Knitpicks Showdow Vineyard
FOR: ME!

I loved knitting this scarf. The pattern repeats three times then shifts. Its soooo easy to memorize and can actually be worked while you're at work. The yarn is warm and squishy. I would like to have some blocking wires to help get the pattern to show better.

After spending the week in Florida, ugh, my neighbor brought me back a gift. It was kinda a Homer Simpson gift. FISH. A giant bag of Grouper, with the stipulation that I cook for the weekly get-together.

A thick layer of sweet onions then lay the fish over it. Slather the fish in an equal mix of mayo and mustard. Lots of salt and pepper, more onions, think sliced lemon and parsley. All wrapped up in foil and baked at 350 until it was flaky. mmm de-lish.

My co-workers boys have been rounding up the eggs and selling them for $2.oo a dozen....

Toast and eggie!

Making the taste buds happy

The other day I got a random email from a friend I had not seen in about 2 years. It seems to happen like this for me, people I know and rarely see pop out of the wood work. Case in point, thanxgiving. Well its been a while since I saw this person so of course I'll drop everything, which really wasn't anything, to drive to Nashville on a weeknight for dinner. Kevin (we sorta went to high school together, and he was kinda in my wedding) was done with work early and called his girlfriend, "I think I'll drive up to Clarksville, and we'll have dinner there." he says, she asks "where does Claire want to go to dinner." "some place called Margot" "STAY IN NASHVILLE!". Yes Kevin, keep her she's a wise women. I really did wanted to see Kevin, but given the chance to have dinner at Margot, that was really what I wanted to do. I had the tri-tip with an onion bread pudding and Kev had the Spegetti and meatballs. We ended the night with heavenly hot chocolate topped with homemade mashmellows. It was worth the 140 miles of driving I did in one day, but this is how we operate. Kevin once drove from Atlanta and back in one day just to have dinner and ice cream with us.

In knitting news the Storks Nest Scarf is off the needles and the 'lil clap is moving right along. I've ordered some "snowman fixin' " to make the little felted fellows from KnitPicks for a co-worker who is a self proclaimed "snowman ho". I hope that they arrive soon.

Turkey Overload

Very Happy Belated Turkey Day! We had a great turkey weekend here, despite being one short. This is the Hub's favorite holiday (its a toss up with Fourth of July but that's because we can blow stuff up if you could some how get turkeys to go BOOM at the end of the night than T-day would be the hands down holiday winner) and this is first actual missed one. He's been super lucky to deploy minutes after and arrive seconds before the big day in the past but he missed this one. We had not plans to fly home or anything but I conned some friends in to visiting instead. Both Ian and Josh flew in as planned! It was like a little college reunion. We all picked up were we left off. For Food we trucked across the street with fried turkey, stuffing and yummy acorn squash in tow to the biggest thanksgiving blow out party I've ever seen. Two turkeys, and about 9 pies. The food was great, the weather not too bad and the fun was through the roof. Even my new knitting friend Peggy made a guest appearance. Now the boys are back on planes back the their posts and I have more messes to clean up than I though. I keep avoiding them too.

Nice Job Clarksville

So the leads on the Mini Cooper's battery come off from time to time. This happened when I replaced the battery and its the right battery but not the outrageously expensive BMW battery. Thus it doesn't quite fit. Well long story short there I was.... (up to my waist in mud, oh wait thats not my story) its dark and really really cold in the middle of a crowded parking lot. DB's battery goes, pffft and I gotta get out pop the hood and get the leads to re-connect. NO ONE, not a one, Not one freshly returned solider, not one crusty old man, not one stupid fuzzy boot wearing girl, asked if I needed help. HOLY SHIT PEOPLE. Where is our sense of humanity. I had no problem fixing it my self but damn, what if I couldn't fix it, what if was super preggers, what if, what if, what if!!!! Nice Job stupid Clarksville.