Tuesday Has No Phones

I need help! Anyone with video-fu and/or download-fu, can you find a way to download the interview here for me? I've tried my usual methods and none of them have worked.

Please? Pleeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeee? *looks hopeful*

(As for why? What can I say? He may be a Republican, but for some reason I'm fascinated by the interview ;) )

So today was the annual picnic for my co-op complex. This is our third year doing it. Last year I missed out on due to a migraine from HELL. Like it had me bedridden ALL DAY from Hell.

It was a happy day for me to be able to join in on the festivities this time around. There were burgers, hotdogs, baked beans, salads, and baked goods and all kinds of stuff that I can't even remember. LOTS of food, in other words. I did my part to eat as much as I could. You know, to be neighborly.

It's a nice little event. The ages of folks who live here varies from young and starting out to 80+. Everyone who came brought something, making it a real "stone soup" sort of event.

This week is my dad's birthday, and the office is doing a "everybody bring in a dessert to share" day. I estimate by the end of the week I will be totally out of eggs and butter.

Aaaaaaaaand I think that's it, for updates on my end. It's summertime. There's food and people. You know how it is.

First of all, thanks to everybody who not only helped me met but surpass my goal for this Sunday's walk for the Bennett Cancer Center. You all ROCK!!!!

Second, if there was anybody out there who wanted to donate and hasn't yet, might I be able to tempt you to (anonymously) help my dad meet his goal? He's only five dollars off as of me writing this and I know it would totally make his day to go over.

I say anonymously so that way he doesn't know that it was his daughter behind the final stretch ;)

It would be totally awesome if that happened. My dad is one of the most amazing dads in the history of ever. But for some reason he doesn't realize just how awesome he is. Hitting (or passing) his goal would be a great thing to happen for him.

Thank you thank you thank you!!!

So yesterday after I did my Day of Listening post I then tackled a project that's been hanging over my head for a while: clearing crud off of my desktop computer. This took HOURS. Thank God for my laptop which helped distract me while I dealt with click, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait, click, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait, lather, rinse, repeat. I started around 2pm, took a brief break for dinner, and only got to a point of "Good enough to be done for now" at around midnight. Yeah.

Protip: If you are going to be in a situation of being stuck waiting for HOURS, TV Tropes is your friend. (No, I won't link. Then I won't see you guys again for days.) It's all about using that time-sucking power as a force for good, people.

So that's why I didn't get around to answering the questions yesterday, but I shall today! Especially since it's a nice way to pass the time as I sit here on the couch with a Luna draped across my wrists. (She says hi.)

( Answers thisaway )

Looooooooong day of visiting my Grams in rehab (fractured rib kind, not Lindsey Lohan kind) and dealing with related family drama. Also if anyone knows how to get AVG free version 8.0.136 to stop bugging me to restart my computer even after I've just restarted the damn thing That would be fabulous.

Now then, on to the news. ( As always, tags are your friends )

It's funny how I happened to do a week of journal entries that were made up of pictures during the same week that things happened that in no frakking way would I be able to write about. (Not health-related, but suffice it to say my week has been interesting. In the "interesting times" sense of interesting)

I realize that sounds like a tease but it ties in to how things happened this week that I really wish I could tell y'all about, but since I can't it goes to the next step of writing about my frustration at not being able to tell y'all something.

In news of things that are less vague, I must say that toe-up socks on two circulars is way better than cuff-down on DPNs. I haven't finished a sock yet but so far the process has felt easier and more reassuring. I do notice, though, that I feel the same kind of strain in my right hand that I do when I crochet. I suspect this is due to how I'm currently using two 16-inch #1s, and thus my arms are in a cramped position. I was wondering if having a not as small needle setup would help fix the issue. As for example, a setup like magic loop. Any comments/recommendations from those who have tried the various methods?

In still other news my grams is currently in the hospital. It's only serious in the sense that anything that sends an 80+ year old to the hospital is serious. Dad and I will be going to visit her tomorrow afternoon, so if I'm not around for email and such during the daytime tomorrow that is why.

My Older Brother works at Bear Sterns.

You can understand me watching the news rather avidly at the moment.

Spare some good thoughts in his (and his co-workers') direction?

Thanks.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! YAY SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AWESOME GAME! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

And my sympathies to those who were rooting for the team that lost.

Today was a pretty productive day. In addition to Super Bowl it was also my mom's birthday, so there was a combo get together there with much yummy goodness. Also I made a couple of king cakes, one for the party, one to bring into work tomorrow. They aren't huge but I'm expecting work folks to be all "...why is it colored like that?" and not large with the eating. So this way I get o try and if they like it I can make a bigger one next year.

This Tuesday is both Mardi Gras and Super Tuesday. If you're in a primary state like I am, get yer ass out and vote! Vote early if you can, as that helps give a good showing for your candidate. I'll be swinging by before work, as if ever I end up needing to stay late it tends to be on a Tuesday. So this way I don't have to panic about not being able to get my vote on.

And I'll be voting for Barak, thanks for asking. =)

Okay, this thing where I don't do the entire Xmas dinner is actually not bad. This may be the wave of the future.

Yesterday I helped teach Dad how to bake bread. We made foccacia for the Xmas dinner, and it's safe in my freezer right now. Today I made lasagna using a new recipe where everything was made from scratch, including the pasta (the leftover pieces of which I drizzled with olive oil, some fresh cracked pepper, and parmesan and had for lunch). I'm not 100% sure if I like this tomato sauce recipe, but on the upside there are seven different kinds of cheeses in the lasagna itself, so really the rest is extra. (And my house smells amazing, so hopefully that's a good sign for how it's going to taste).

Now I am relaxing before grabbing a shower, then heading over to my parents' for the traditional Xmas Eve pigout and first exchange of presents. I knitted gifts for Mom and Dad so hopefully they fit. Dad's I'm sure will be okay, but Mom's I'm worried about. Ah well. Only a few hours left before I know.

Tomorrow I'll be leaving around noon for my brother's, and a Xmas celebration that I will hopefully not have a migrane at the end of. *Thinks good thoughts*

Merry Xmas to all!

Dad's birthday went well. My cake was enjoyed, so yay for that.

Older Brother and P-sis came in time for cake having. Also giving of presents. Thanks to them Dad shall be going to Oxford next summer and enjoying a week's worth of classes.

I AM DYING OF JEALOUSY.

Though I'm also really happy for him. This is such an awesome gift for him on so many levels. I think we all got a little teary.

(Also happy birthday to flaming_muse and poisoninjest)