Busy-ness

So, this week has been a bit crazy. Any time you throw in Christmas mid-week, it gets that way, but then throw in a short visit from out-of-town brother and small nephew, and voila! you get certified crazy. Friday morning, Charlie and Charlie flew in so that big Charlie could participate in the Alumni basketball game (ps - the even years finally won!) . So, Perry family spent most of the day with us, because Paul had the day off. Yay! All three nephews at once. I was in heaven.

Although, two nephews who are mobile and active, makes for some running around. And lots of photo taking.

Saturday morning saw us making pancakes and then off to the Natural History Museum. To see the dinos! And other various taxidermy's. Charlie had a great time, especially when he got to play paleontologist and dig up the bones, and then cover them back up.After we all took a nap, we had some play time, and then it was off to the Jones' house for dinner and dessert and little friendly gambling.

Sadly, very early this morning, the Charlie's headed back to NJ. It's always so bittersweet, the visits are always too short, even when they last a week or more. But little Charlie melted my heart when he came in to give me one last hug and kiss and to tell me that I'm always in his heart. I know, makes me cry too.

There has been some knitting, of course. I started a fair isle tam for Kaylee. It has since been destroyed. The yarn was absolutely terrible, and got worse when I attempted to rewind it in hopes it would get better. So no photos. But there is this:

The long awaited Notre Dame sweater. Yep, I finally started it. On Christmas night. And last night I finished the back. And a close up of the double seed stitch.

Love the yarn, the pattern's good so far. Can't wait to get it done and wear it. So, that's it for all my busy week. Things go back to normal on Thursday, when school starts again. Here's hoping that I can get into my training room this week - they were doing asbestos cleaning last week, and tearing up tile so that the area is ready for remodeling come March.

Merry Belated Christmas

Here's hoping that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I know I did. Lots of great gifts, and most importantly, a day spent with family. Here's some snapshots of the best bits.

So, after midnight Mass, and the second half of Baryshnikov's "Nutcracker" on PBS, we realized that Dad's stocking was somewhere packed away in the attic. Hmmm. Improvisation.

It's a referee's sock! How appropriate.

Ellie got a ski bunny outfit - she was very excited. So excited that she decided to model it - with props.
Here she is showing us what it'll look like when she falls.

And we of course, had to take plenty of the babies! It was Mason's and Joelle's first Christmas.

The reason to have a baby girl. So cute in the party dresses!

A tradition continues.

And then, after all the gifts were opened, I forced my family to do a fashion show of handknits.

Peggy's Toe Socks (aka CP 4)

Ellie in her new career as a hand model, with her Dashings (aka CP 2)

Mom in her gorgeous Clapotis scarf (aka CP 1)

And speaking of handknits, I had Christmas with friends on Sunday. Gave Bridget here headband and mittens. And Kaylee got lots of plates and utensils and cups (it was what was asked for - I included a book for fun, and made sure that Elmo made an appearance on cups and plates and forks, she loved all of it). As you can see, the knits were a huge hit.Please, no photos.

Annie, you're between me and my crack! Get out of my way! (crack = Elmo's tv special)

The Home Stretch

In response to my brother Tommy's comment on the last post: You should know that all Algier Family Christmas trees lean, a bit. It only leans a little, not nearly as bad as some in the past. This year's is an example of a good pick. Seriously, do we all need to be reminded of the Christmas tree that was wired into the wall? And it still managed to look like it was going to fall forward. A real tree has imperfections, that's what makes them so great. So back off pal!

I finished Bridget's Mittens (aka Project 3-modified) yesterday. I also managed to crank out a Calorimetry to match. Just have to attach a button and they can be wrapped.

Still chugging along on Project 4. It'll be done tomorrow most likely. Debating on whether or not to go forward with Project 5 - several comments by the recipient have me rethinking. We'll see.

Speaking of finishing - take a look at Wrapping Central.
And as for cookie baking, go have a look at Ellie's blog to see how I spent my evening yesterday. Let me tell you the story of the Green Christmas Tree cookie dough. We decided to double all the recipes. No problem. Let me say that Ellie does not have a mixer. "This one thing you must remember or nothing that follows will seem wondrous." (from "A Christmas Carol") So I start with the butter. All three sticks. Then add the sugar, 2 cups, and 2 eggs. Then the almond extract.

Then, I pause and try to remember how mom continues with her recipe. Does she add the green dye now? Or wait til later? Hmmm. Ellie and I conclude, it goes in at the end. So I begin to mix in the flour. All. Seven. Cups. By. Hand. After 5, I gave up on the spoon and started with hand kneading. By the time it's all in, we've decided that it's going to be tricky to get the food coloring in. Hmmm. Call mom. Mom says she adds the color before the flour. Mom would have been laughing if she hadn't been sick and feeling yucky. Can you hear her laughing? So, food dye kneading commences. And continues. And continues. And continues. And finally, after 20 minutes with both me and Ellie working on small chunks, it's green enough.

And then, we pull out the cookie press. Now, I won't mention the brand of the press, but they like to throw fancy smancy little parties where you feel compelled to spend more money than you should on kitchen supplies. The dough goes into the press. The press is properly operated (we checked the directions). No green Christmas trees come out. Repeat. Same effect. Grr. So the endeavor is abandoned. For another day, when a KitchenAid mixer is available to beat it into submission. And the cookie press from mom (circa 1972) can crank the little devils out.

The evil green tree dough is still in time out in the fridge right now, soon to be dealt with. So I leave you with the promised photos of my Christmas cards, hope everyone enjoys them!
P.S. I found some absolutely gorgeous yarn at KotS yesterday. So pretty! It's Cascade Pastaza. Like my favorite color ever.

O Tannenbaum

So what have I done since my last post? I decorated the Christmas tree. You'll remember what it looked like from the last post. Here it is after Phase One: The Lights.

And after Phase Two: The Ornaments.

And after Phase Three: The Tinsel.

Sorry for the not-so-fabulous photos. It is really hard to capture the essence of a Christmas tree. Some I tried with the "Fireworks" setting, some with "Night" and some with different daytime lighting. But none of them are able to do it justice. Oh well. And for any of you detail-oriented people, no, there is no star on the tree. I have yet to haul up the ladder to put it on. No mere step stool is enough for anyone in this house to reach the top.

I've also finished making my Christmas cards. Photos later this week when hopefully, most of them will have been received.

And I finished some Christmas knitting! Project 1 is done, needs to be taken off the blocking apparatus. Project 2 is done. Project 4 can now proceed because I have the measurements I need and foresee that it will speed along now. And I started Project 5, to go with Project 1. Also a quickie (at this stage in the game, it had better be). And as for the mittens. Here's where I'm at:

So, all in all, I think that I'm doing pretty well in the Christmas knitting department. Not stressed at all (yet). Most of my shopping is done as well. A few more things to work out, and it'll be great.

Goals this week: finish shopping, wrap presents, bake cookies, finish knitting.

Attack of the Behemoths

It is a long proven fact that I am short. I don't argue with the statement, 5'4" is considered short to almost the entire world. That said, things this week seem to be gigantic. Take for example, the Christmas tree.

I went and helped pick it out, but somehow it didn't appear to be this ginormous when it was out amongst all of it's brothers and sisters. Yikes. And as I've mentioned before, I get to decorate it. Double yikes. Here's a perspective picture, you know, in case you're not able to absorb the massiveness of this tree.

Lights and ornaments will go on tonight after work. And now on to happy news. Guess what this is:

Wrong, it's not just ice. It's ice from my brand new ice machine that is located in the training room that I am inhabiting for the winter season, and not ice from my beloved ice machine way far away in the ice rink training room. Now, to most of you, you won't understand why I'm so excited. Let my explain. Way back in September, early September, the old ice machine went on the fritz. Again. It did this last year too. And the volleyball team would complain that they couldn't get ice because it would randomly stop working. If you unplugged and replugged it in, it would work, a few times. And then it was kaput. So I called the maintenance team so they could look at it, and told my athletic director that a new machine might have to be ordered.

He, of course, didn't want to hear that, and said that the maintenance guys would be able to fix it. A few weeks later I finally got a hold of head maintenance man, and he explained that it could not be fixed within a reasonable price range (mind you, a new ice machine is in the budget for the new training room after they completely redo the gym, which is supposed to happen soon, so $700 for refrigerant for like a year isn't really reasonable). So he says that he told the AD that a new one was needed. A month later, I finally move into the training room, and have no new ice machine. So I track down the AD. And he says he didn't know that we had to get a new one. Groan.

So, finally, December 11, I have a working ice machine. It only took 3.5 months. And I no longer have to sludge through slush down to the rink every day to get ice for water and injuries. Yay. But, this is no ordinary ice machine. It's a monster of a machine.

See. Everything is humongous this week. It's over 6' tall. Wanna see the best part?

See that? It's got a spot to hold the ice scoop. So hopefully, my wonderful little angelic athletes will be able to resist just tossing the scoop into the depths of the machine, never to be seen again. Note the depth, and how full the ice is after running all day. Seems slow, but it's not.

And now for a bit of knitting. Thanks for hanging on this far. So, Christmas Project 3, after much internal debate, is now a St. Patty's Day surprise, and therefore, on hold for a little while. But I still needed a gift for it's intended recipient. So, I give you, the amended Christmas Project 3 (I can show some pics because giftee doesn't read this blog).

It's the Double Irish Chain mitten pattern from "Favorite Mittens" the fun book that Ellie brought back from Jersey for me a couple of visits ago. Love them, but I'm finding that I love all things Fair Isle, especially when I'm doing the knitting. I think it's just amazement that I can do it. Would've gotten more done last night, but I decided to work on my Christmas cards. I show pictures later, when people have received them, so as not to spoil the surprise.

You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch

My Grinchy socks are done! They're so cool looking. Absolutely not colors that I would pick or put together, but I love them anyway. They're the Spiral Eyelet Sock pattern I found on Ravelry. And they worked up so quick. I'm very glad that they're done - I was feeling very guilty about working on them when I should be knitting Christmas project 2, 3 and 4. So here they are.

As for the Christmas knitting, Project 2 is just over half done, Project 3 is about half done, and Project 4 was started tonight. Got a bunch done too - hope I can get it all done on time.

Got the Christmas tree yesterday. Very muddy. But it's a big, huge, real tree. It'll come inside and be decorated later this week.

Tonight, I got a very special surprise present from my Auntie Anne and Uncle John out in CA. A very pretty blue bag. Which held a very pretty little blue box with a white bow. And inside is a very pretty little blue suede bag. Which contained the very very pretty silver necklace. So a very big huge thank to my wonderful aunt and uncle. And I think that fulfills my quota for the word "very" for like, a week.

And that's it for me. (Very upset that my Steelers decided not to show up for the game today, so I won't talk about it.)

The CFMFF (aka what I was doing at 1 am)

Last night at approximately 00:45 hours, there was a breach of security. I was happily knitting away on the new Grinchy sock, my sentry (aka Maddie) diligently keeping guard on my lap (aka sleeping), when all of a sudden... he appeared. He, is Jacque Henri - notorious leader of the CFMFF (Cheeses for Meeses Freedom Fighters). For many years this villain has eluded capture and wreaked havoc wherever he goes. But fearless Maddie was on the case, and not about to back down.

A pursuit began. The cowardly rebel ran and hid several times, but was unable to shake his hunter (although Maddie was confused on several occasions and assumed that he was still in the last spot she had seen him). All around the family room, under furniture, behind bookcases, between bookcases and walls - but Maddie the brave did not give up. And then he made his mistake. He leaped (seriously, he hopped) out into the wide expanse of the open floor, and was captured with the employment of that oh so feared device, the clear blue cup.

Maddie kept watch during his short lived captivity. He was then sentenced to a life outside, where unfortunately for him, it had begun to snow. Farewell, dastardly rebel.P.S. No mice were injured during the writing of this blog.

P.P.S. Many apologies for my unintentional spoiler on TAR from last post. I do not have the convenience of Tivo, and after having missed the last 2 new episodes of Grey's Anatomy due to a missing VHS and the use of the VCR timer, I watched it live and did not think that everyone else hadn't done the same. From now on, there will be no more spoilage, I will refrain from mentioning it until at least Thursday of every week and I will include a notice from now on.

Getting There

Happy December. Can't believe it's December already. Where has the year gone? It's not yet feeling like Christmas to me. I'm playing the music, watching the sappy movies, it's just not there yet. Although, the 6+ inches of snow that they are predicting may help. But I'll get there.

I feel like I haven't been accomplishing anything with my various knitting projects, but then I took stock and realized I'm making some headway. Christmas Project 1 is 95% done - just needs sewing and blocking and it's done! Christmas Project 2 is 50% done! No pictures to prove any of this because recipients may or may not read this blog. After Christmas you'll see all.

I made a bunch of ornaments yesterday. They're just so cute. Ellie is requesting a garland of them to hang at the condo - I don't think that'll happen, maybe for next year.

I finished the first Grinchy sock last night during "The Amazing Race." And can I just say that this season is a really good one. I was getting worried after the last few seasons that the show had run its course, but this season is redeeming itself. Thank goodness those blondes are gone.I spent Saturday evening working on SotS. Not quite to the halfway point with clue 6. I'll get it done eventually. I've found that it's best to work on it while I'm watching sports. Started so well while the Indians were still playing, and then tapered off when they were done. And got going again while watching college football. And now that's done. Don't know what I'll do now.

So, up next on the needles - Christmas Projects 3 and 4, finish CP2, and then some Fair Isle mittens for me, and a hat for Kaylee. Yes, I am going to attempt another hat for Kaylee. Fingers crossed that it fits this time around.