I'm not sure why I waited so long to file, but I finally did ours this morning. Truthfully I completed them on Sunday, but I didn't click the "file now" button until this morning. I'm not one of those people who bitches about paying taxes, because lets be honest.. they do have a purpose. I am sickened by how tax dollars are used however. Faith based programs? Corporate welfare? War? Rendition and torture?

I'm not going to go into a political rant here. Its tax day, I felt like hearing some Beatles, and as you know - When I have nothing to post, I rely on youtube.

P.S. George W? That silly rebate we'll be getting soon? Its a lot of money. And surely my kids would love a Wii. But we, like most American families, are up to our eyeballs in debt. Heat, gasoline and food costs are way up. Just about every industry's jobs are at risk. No, my kids will live without the Wii.. or rather we're saving our pennies for one. On principle, that "rebate" is paying off debt.

P.P.S. It still blows my mind that despite you being a total failure at every thing in your life, people still voted for you. Hell, at least 27% of Americans still think you've done a good job. If you ask me, they're all on crack - or they just don't care, because dontcha know.. the rapture is coming any day now. Pfffft!

OK.. mini rant over (sorry!).. I did finish the Hedgerow socks on Saturday. ONE WEEK! I haven't taken pictures though, since the battery in my camera is dead, and the crappy rechargeable one I use as a backup is now charging. I started another pair, just 4x2 rib in some bright cheery Kroy Socks yarn. I'm just about to the heel now, but I don't see this pair going too fast. The kids are on Spring Break this week and I'm one busy mama.

I'm in a crappy mood today. Lack of sleep. Allergies. And to top it off, its raining.

I did want to share this little bit though, even though 90% of those who read my blog are knitters, and thusly are likely to have listened to Brenda Dayne's most recent podcast and know about Ingrid Michaelson. Honestly I was hooked in the first thirty seconds. Knit Hat? Binghamton? Must. Learn. More. And I'm happy that I love the rest of her music too.. even the Grey's Anatomy stuff.

But this song? It just makes me happy, despite its moderately sad theme. It makes me want to dance.. and smile. Even on a cold rainy day - So things are looking up!

It was shot in Ithaca just a few weeks ago. Its a bummer that I didn't learn of Ingrid until after she toured through here.

In any case.. Upstate Represent!

Started on Saturday morning (April 5th), I was at the toe decreases by the next evening. I'm not sure what is up with all this speedy knitting. Slick yarn? Easy stitch patterns? Anyway.. these are the Hedgerow Socks from Knitters Review, being worked in sKNITches Kettle Drum, colorway: Cherry Bark. I love 'em.. especially the heel.

Busy day today.. I'll be riding with Connor's speech therapist this afternoon to his yearly CPSE review. Bleh. I'm not worried about services being discontinued, since he very clearly evaluates in - if anything speech and OT will be expanded. But we're all pushing for extending services, primarily, placement in an integrated classroom. Since we failed with this placement last year, I'm expecting the worst this year. However, we are armed with more information, better evaluations and extended goals. And.. we're trying to get a referral for Connor to see a developmental pediatrician for further evaluation. In any case.. I'm dreading this meeting.

I was still feeling rather crappy yesterday, so I played hookie from the monthly spinning guild meeting (sorry guys!) and spent some time out in the warm sunshine with Richard and the kids. This represents four of my favorites, but several more are uploaded on flickr (I upgraded to FlickrPro! Woo!) Also.. to the family members who keep visiting looking for the pictures of Grammy's 80th birthday party, many of them are up there too. I have another folder to work through and upload (be patient!)

Edited to add:

Before anyone looks at the flickr album and inquires as to why Connor is sporting several band-aids on his face, let me just say that while there was an altercation between he and Dylan which involved the throwing of a molded plastic Godzilla character.. he was not seriously injured. He is however going through "that stage" all children go through where band-aids are not only more soothing than a boo boo kiss, but are somehow also a fashion statement. I assure you under those two bandages are teensy scrapes.

We are making progress though... today only the Sandy band-aid on his forehead remains, the one on the nose has fallen off and is long forgotten.

Because these were a very. quick. knit.

Pattern: Dragonfly Socks by Cavyshops

Yarn: Seacoast Panda ( 60% superwash merino, 30% bamboo, 10% nylon) in "Glacier", purchased at The Loopy Ewe.

Needles: Magic looped on Addi Turbo 32" US1 needles.

Started on Saturday March 29th, 2008 in the car on the way to Pennsylvania. Finished Thursday April 3, 2008 (ZOOM! My needles are on fire!) In the last image, you may notice an "oops". One extra yarn over - not sure how that happened, but I didn't catch it until I was about 20 rows past. There was no way I was picking back to fix it.

I really liked this pattern, mostly because it went so fast. I did do some minor mods like replacing the PSSO (pass slipped stitch over) in the gusset decreases with SSK (slip slip knit) And I also knit one round after picking up the gusset stitches, specifically to knit those picked up stitches through the back loops before starting decreases.

And for as much as I normally complain endlessly about pooly yarn, I love how these turned out. They're like wearing Monet on my feet.

.. or a meme and how it relates to the sniffles?

Nan tagged me for a meme over the weekend, but while I expected to complete it earlier this week, I was hit hard with some sort of viral nastiness. So, since my week thus far as been nothing but viral nastiness, I bring you my meme..

Write your own six word memoir. Post it on your blog, including an illustration if you’d like. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to the original post if possible so that it can be tracked as it travels across the blogosphere. Tag at least five more blogs with links. Leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

• Nyquil
• Sniffling - Sneezing
• coughing - Aching
• Stuffyhead - Fever
• So You Can Rest - or not.

So now I'm tagging, hmm.. Cass, Loren, Beth, Daisy, and KaKi. And yes I know I cheated.. I used way more than six words.

If I weren't so sick this week, perhaps my meme would look different. But being this sick has its benefits. I'm nearly finished with a pair of socks that I started to knit on the way to PA on Saturday. And I finished The Kite Runner (not as good as A Thousand Splendid Suns, but only slightly so).

I know lots of family have been visiting hoping for our pictures of Grammy's 80th birthday party from last weekend, but I haven't gotten around to downsizing them from their original 20+meg size yet. Viral nastiness leaves little patience/energy for sitting at a computer futzing in Photoshop. But I am hoping that Richard will set aside some time before the weekend to show me how to do them as a batch.. all 150 of them so I can upload them to Flickr. I even have some video - my favorite is Danny and Jay playing Guitar Hero (who knew Danny could rock like that?) But the funniest one is the one where I zoom in on the "meter" and watch it quickly plunge to red while they try to do Slayer on "easy mode" - it was hilarious! For an idea of how hard this song is, here is a video of someone playing it on expert mode (omg!) And by the way, I must buy Guitar Hero, as soon as financially possible - I'm addicted.

Richard sent me this one in email.. enjoy

Only Krissy and Nan guessed, but five were still left last night. And I expected some more guesses by this morning. Nope. So I let it sit all day. Not a one. I mean lots of y'all were looking at it according to my stats...

So were they that hard? Not that it matters, I'm just curious

Now the answers from the movies no one dared to guess, or guessed incorrectly..

“It may sound like I’m complaining, but I’m not. After all, with Your help, I’m starving to death.“ This would be Tevye in "Fiddler On The Roof", talking to God.

“Everybody in this family needs to just calm down and eat some fruit or something.” I chose this line because "Vamanos Children!" was far too easy. Of course, this is from "Signs", totally cheesy when compared to other works by M Night Shyamalan, butI love it. If its on TV, I have to sit and watch. If theres nothing on TV, I'll put in the dvd. Not sure why I love it so much.. but I do.

“I am making a horseth asseth of myselfeth.” That no one got this one, shocks me a little! Elliot Garfield - my favorite leading man! "Goodbye Girl"! Geeeez! < wink >

“Because you thought I was *cocky*, I’m now on a permanent *acid trip*?” This would be Nick Cage to Don Cheadle in "Family Man"

"This is politics at its finest" Robert DeNiro as Conrad (or Connie) in "Wag The Dog"

So, no pictures today. I took some.. of the snow (what is up with THAT Mother Nature?) But I'm far too lazy to open Photoshop.