Bittersweet

When it's not there, it's not there.

I really, really wanted to make this lovely bag, I really did. But, after finishing that bitch of a strap, and reading that was only half of it, I decided that this fling was over.

I consulted with my peeps on Ravelry, and they all said the same thing. FROG IT. Hey, I love the fact I won this prize from Virtual Yarns. AND - I love the 3-ply Hebridean wool, and the colour. I just really don't love the knitting part of it. And I cannot stomach the thought of knitting another stitch. So, I'll unravel it. And, to make that sour taste linger just a little longer - I'll be unravelling 2 strands of knitting, as the yarn was held doubled throughout. Whatever I end up making with this yarn better be damned good...

Hey, did I ever show you this?!

My Isobel of Mar? I'm pretty sure I did show you a pre-blocked version of it. Lorraine was kind enough to re-block it for me, as it really needed a good spin in her washing machine. AND - it does fit much better. I'm still looking for some nice buttons for it, and she'll be ready to wear out in the big world.

"Wow, Cousin Finnegan sent me an e-mail?!!"

And a picture, Gandalf!

"Life's so busy these days. I live in Nova Scotia now. By the ocean! I'm pretty sure those waves are out to get me though. They keep chasing me! Here I am, tired after a walk trying to figure them out. Moving rocks! I got some new toys! OK, so it's a pink turtle - so what?? My big cousin Atticus drinks water out of a flowery bowl. And he's no less a boy cat. This does NOT in any way make me any less of a boy dog either..."

This year will be the first year since 2005 that I haven't spent my birthday in St. Catharines with my sister and sister-in-law. They moved to Nova Scotia a month ago - which is a cool thing! I'll be able to visit them out there next year, and that will be a lot of fun! I'm pretty sure Finnegan will remember his Auntie Brigitte.

My birthday is this upcoming Wednesday, and I will admit to being a bit sad about it. But only because I remember the good times I had in years past, celebrating in St. Catharines. Not about my age though - I'll be 41, and proud of it!

Anyway - the good news is that they are all settling in nicely in Nova Scotia. They will be building their new home on the shores of the Atlantic. In the meantime, they are living in a little cottage, which is right next to the plot of land that the house is being built on. And to welcome them to the area, Maritime style - Hurricane Bill showed up on their doorstep. Can you imagine Atticus in a hurricane?! Oy...

"I'd sleep through it. Hey, can I go to Nova Scotia?!"

"I may surprise you. Maybe a hurricane would not bother me at all. I mean, c'mon. I'm not that bad..."

"Yeah you are!"

OK. Next week! I'll 'fess up to something I may have started working on that I should not necessarily have started working on because of all of the, uh, other things I have on the go...

Settling In

Wow, it's been awhile! I hadn't realized it's been 3 weeks since my last post.

We've been busy. Kind of. Moving, you know...

I would leave both doors open - the one from the old place, and the door to this new place - to see if the guys would wander down while I worked and moved stuff.

Atticus was tentative at first, but the bravest of the bunch.

As more and more things were moved down, they became a bit more curious.

Did I not say I would never, ever move apartments on my own again? Didn't I say that when I started looking into moving earlier this year?? Aren't I a fool. Well, I did have people help with the big things - but I moved 75% of my stuff by my stubborn self. Now I'm scratched, bruised, I dropped my upright vaccum on my toe, hit my head in the same place twice and my knees are swollen from going up and down stairs a gazillion times. But, I have pretty much everything moved out, save for a few bits.

Now, things are falling into place. The guys are perfectly comfortable in their new home.

Gandalf has his spot.

Atticus still manages to find the most bizarre spot to get comfortable.

And Mae explores her new surroundings.

I think it's a hit.

"Wow Gandalf, this place ROCKS! We're like, really close to the ground now!"

"Can you see Guido? Is he still coming 'round?"

"Yeah! He's across the street, and I can see him! Wow, he's a big cat Gandalf... Um, we may want to rethink our plan of psychological warfare against him..."

"Did you tell people how your knitting stuff was the first to get moved downstairs to the new place?"

Of course.

Although still a little messy. It all has a home.

See, throwing stuff in boxes and bags however they may fall may sound like a good idea at the time, but it does tend to make unpacking a bit...disorganized.

But, every day it looks a bit better.

"Here I come! I love all the space I have run around in at TOP SPEED in! Wheeeeeeeeeee!"

So, what can I say? All is well with the world. Um, make that their world. Happy cats, happy home!

And you know what else was going on here? In between all of the "packing" and moving and work - I paid a little someone a visit.

"...vaguely aware...of camera...really too...*yawn*...tired...to care..."

Finnegan! I went to visit him and his Moms last week. For a bittersweet visit... See, my sister and sister-in-law are packing up and leaving St. Catharines for Nova Scotia! Which is an excellent thing - my sister-in-law has a great new job at the IWK Hospital in Halifax. They have plans to build a new home outside of Halifax.

I went out for a last visit at their home in St. Catharines before they leave at the end of July. It was a great home, and I'll always have good memories of St. Catharines because of them. And Finnegan too, of course. I always felt so at home when I visited them - I was always welcome, and ALWAYS had a great time. Not to mention always well fed too! So, even though it's sad to see them go, I know that there will be a lot of good memories to be made in Nova Scotia, once I started visiting them when they're settled.

And I still have a lot of stuff to do here to keep me busy for awhile.

I want to also thank everyone for the well-wishes! Yup, it was a doozy of an infection alright. I have my (hopefully) last appointment tomorrow with my doctor to make sure it has completely cleared out of my system. I'm pretty sure the eardrum has healed on it's own (Debby, a perforated eardrum does heal on it's own, and pretty quickly too!), finally.

You know, it's been a busy year up to now, and I'm really hoping that I have a bit of calm and quiet for the next little while. And knitting. I haven't knit too much these last few weeks! Except socks, and few other stealth items.

Back to the business of unpacking!

Happy New Year!

Hey everybody! Happy 2009! Wow, it always amazes me how quickly the holiday season creeps up on you, then disappears like a bad first date. Did you make it to midnight? Did I make it to midnight? Um, I can't remember the last time I did! I sort of made it to 10:30pm...

Then, all of a sudden, it's January, and life returns to its normal self. I make no resolutions. I figure that if something is worth doing, it should probably be done when the thought pops into your head.

Of course, I can say things like - yeah, I resolve to swatch and finish what I start (HA! OK, finish in a timely manner...) - but things like exercise more, eat better, blah blah blah. You won't hear that from me. Yes, I've been rumbling about joining a gym, but that started late last year when I found out I get a corporate discount with a fitness club chain up here. Then the holidays suddenly showed up, and that quickly got shelved. We'll see.

And eating right? Well, I always give that my best shot. Even when I'm at my sister's, where I tend to eat...more... She is a good cook, but it's all good stuff so I never feel like I'm over indulging. Just over eating. Is that the same?

Taking a break from cooking. I'm pretty sure Finnegan has something to do with it.

Speaking of which!

"Hi. So I'm not a cat. I'm not my cousins. They're cute and stuff, for cats, but I rock. Just look at my face. Now, cuddle me. CUDDLE. ME!"

Finnegan has the cat "stare" down to an art form. You know the one - you're sure you can hear violins playing in the background as the eyes burn holes in you until you are convinced that yes, they will fall to pieces if you don't pick them up and pay loads of attention to them. Oh yes. He won out many times. Little funny face.

So, did you all get good stuff from the Santa Guy? I sure did! And, amongst all that good stuff (and there was A LOT of stuff for me!) was a copy of Folk Vests! Yay!

And there was the giving of gifties as well. My stealth knitting? Well, here is some of it!

A super-dooper mega long multi-coloured scarf for my sister-in-law! Trust me. It's long. I used a bunch of Mission Falls 1824 wool for this. The perfect yarn too - it has good bounce, will wash up nicely, and it makes for a nice, thick scarf. I'm thinking it was a hit! And, I have a request for another one. It didn't take as long as it looks - it worked out perfectly in front of the TV. One of things where all of a sudden you realize - whoops, this may be too long. Well, not really but you get what I mean.

And as for the Little Dudes. Well, as always they were very nicely looked after by their Auntie Raven.

"I'm sorta not impressed by you going away. I guess it's OK that you saw cousin Finnegan. But you're home now, so I'm sorta happy about that too. Hey, what's with the crate? We going somewhere?"

Usually the new year for the guys is ushered in not by Champagne and song, but by needles and butt-probes. Gandalf was the first, stuffed into his crate yesterday for a visit to the V-E-T. You'd never know it was a traumatic experience for him - he purred while being weighed (13.6 lbs. Atta boy.). And didn't flinch while being examined, probed, and vaccinated. And everyone went on and on about what a sweetie pie he was! Aw!

Next up should be interesting... Mae - who doesn't like it but puts up with it - and Atticus, at the same time. In all their years, I've never brought both in at the same time. But, Atticus is going to be getting some blood work done in preparation for some dental cleaning he needs, and it'll be simpler (simpler? Where am I coming up with simpler?!) to take them both in at the same time.

Now, Mae is no problem. Like I said, she doesn't like it, but she won't put up too much of a fuss.

Atticus? Hold on to your hats. He's a sweet and loving boy, but he can be crabby and crotchety in his middle age! He does NOT like it when he's not being in charge of the goings-on. Getting blood from him will require a few hands on deck, and thick skin. He is going to be one PISSED.OFF. kitty when they're done. But, it is for his own good. Not that he cares though.

Stay tuned. That's in a few weeks - I have time to plan my course of action.

"You know Atticus, it probably wasn't a good idea to hiss at Gandalf like that when he got home from the vet's."

"I know, I know... So, he really said that we both have to go in? At the same time?"

"Yup. Something about check ups, and blood work for you. Not sure."

"Oy. Well, maybe he's just being a jerk, and is just saying that to get back at me?"

"Um, I don't think so... *sigh* "

Good To Be Home!

Hi! I missed you guys! I realized just how much as I caught up on my blog reading.

Thanks to EVERYONE who wished me a happy 40th birthday! There were some who unfortunately didn't leave a return contact e-mail address - so to all of you, thank you! It's nice to be thought of so kindly.


I wuv my blog friends!


I had a great time visiting with my sister and sister-in-law, and of course - the little man Finnegan.

"Oh, Auntie Brigitte! Come back! I miss you! Look at me! Look at ME! LOOK AT ME!"

Finnegan is so funny.

Finnegan in the morning: OMGIT'SAUNTIEBRIGITTEIHAVEN'TSEENYOUINSOLONG! ILOVEYOUILOVEYOUILOVEYOU!

The Little Dudes in the morning: Hey. Hey. *whack whack* Hey. Nope, she's not getting up. HEY! HEY! Lady! We're HUNGRY! Hello?

Finnegan when you come through the door: OMGIT'SAUNTIEBRIGITTEIHAVEN'TSEENYOUINSOLONG! ILOVEYOUILOVEYOU! ILOVEYOU!

The Little Dudes when I come through the door: Oh. Hi. *yawn* *stretch* Nice day? Good. Oh look, it's almost 5pm. You know what that means.

Finegan when I'm knitting: Please Auntie Brigitte, may I sit on your lap? Please?

The Little Dudes when I'm knitting: Comin' through. Sittin' on your lap, move this thing. Hey! Did you POKE me with your needle??! Watch it. Sheesh...

OK. Maybe they're not that bad... Wait. Yes they are.

But they were happy to see me, and they were well looked after and spoiled by their Auntie Raven while I was away. Mae even allowed Raven to PICK HER UP. Amazing for the little Miss Shy Girl.

Aw Shucks!

Look what I received from both Lorraine and Michelle!

Awwww....!!

I'm supposed to nominate 4 fellow bloggers in return - but why stop at just 4?

Let's see... There's of course Lorraine and Michelle themselves - Lorraine is such a good friend, I know I'll always have a laugh (we have the same twisted humour...). Not to mention she's a really good cook. And such a cool Mom... And Michelle? Totally buy my Avon stuff from her if I lived in the US. And believe me. I'd be her best customer!

And then there's Carrie K., I love her wry sense of humour, and we ALWAYS have something to talk about (and talk, and talk and talk...), she's a great shoulder to lean on; and my lovely, wonderful friend Chris, whose blog brightens my day and who's there to support and encourage me no matter the issue (we're both gluten-intolerant. Oh, and computer geeks. As a matter of fact, our lives are parallel in so many ways, it's twilight zone-ish.); Anne for being my source of all things Jamieson's, as well as being a friend (how lucky is that?!!); Shannon for trying out new stuff and having *such* a cutie puppy; Tracey for her humour, her adorable kids, and for being a fellow redhead; Bridget for her hilarious stories and writing style (not to mention having the coolest name. In my humble...); Michele for being a super knitter (not to mention modest) with the most talkative, yet strangely inanimate, housemates; Carolyn for inspiring me to knit on with my Starmore projects, and being so passionate about hers (wow, go have a peek - she just picked up a 1st and 2nd prize at the Alaska State Fair!); Jewel for being...Jewel - always funny, always kind, and with great taste in colour (pink!) - and Mia of course; Nicole, who expands my mind and makes me smile with her thought-provoking posts, and an adorable kitty; Brenda for encouraging me that I will be a better sock knitter (one day), and for sharing some pretty yummy cocktail recipes... And last but not least - Marina. For being Marina - one heck of a traditional knitter, and someone I can e-mail and say - "what the hell!", and she'll know EXACTLY what I'm referring to.

WOW. You guys make my day! I'm very lucky.

I thought this would be a very fitting Memory Lane picture this time around. With my sister looking over, I'm about to blow out the candles on my Smarties birthday cake! I would be...2? By the looks of it. (Man, was I really that blonde?!!).

"Mom's home."

"Really? Get away from my butt."

"Well, I'm going to say hi to her. You guys just lie there like lumps."

No, really, they were happy to see me! And there was very little destruction while I was away, although Gandalf did discover my latest tomato hiding spot... What is it with that boy and tomatoes??

Have a great week everyone!

Whoa, Has It Been That Long?

Gee, I thought for sure I had posted last week! Phew... I need a break.


Isn't this lovely?!! No, it's not an early spring picture - I took this a week ago. It's hail, and it has effectively ended my tomato planting experiment (and pretty much the rest of my flowers). What the hail didn't claim, the squirrels have... At one point, there were nearly 30 tomatoes growing on the vine, in various sizes. I think I've had 2 maybe? Possibly 3, if the ripening one that was hanging on the vine when I left for work this morning is still there when I get home. Oh well.


I've had to cut it back so much that it's really looking rather homely. I've since had to hack off one of the "branches".


*sigh*


Wow, it's pretty slim pickings on the knitting front! I have done alot - but it makes for boring pictures. But Loreli is done!


...just not blocked or seamed.

And the Hearts Tunic has both a front and a back! I could show that, but it looks pretty much the same as the last picture...


And the Summer of Socks sock? Um. I ended up having to rip it out, and start all over as it just wasn't *working*. I couldn't get it to not look so droopy.


*Grumble*

Socks. I've decided to stick to plain ol' boring knit socks. It's about all I can manage right about now.

Look what I picked up!



No, not various kitty body parts (hee, look at Mae's little nose!).

It's some Socks That Rock sock yarn in a special-edition "Lettuce Knit" colourway! Nice colours, aren't they? Right up Lorraine's alley - earthy moss green, rust and cream colours.


Memory Lane

Can you see me? I'm seated on the middle camel, taking the picture. These are the dunes of Erg Chebi of the western Sahara desert in Morocco.

Camel rides? Not the most comfortable, but after awhile, you really don't notice it. Seems everything else around you pulls you in, and and your discomfort at being atop a crabby animal shrinks when you contemplate the vastness of the Sahara desert. And that you are standing at the western-most edges of this amazing marvel. A dropped stitch suddenly doesn't seem that big of a deal.

Have I mentioned before how much I love Morocco?!

...And What's Next?

A visit next week to visit Finnegan and his Moms!

"...zzzz...mmmph...wha'...?..."

For a special, milestone birthday! Lordy, Lordy, look who's...no longer going to be in her 30's (yes, that would be me!). Can I tell you though? Turning 40? ROCKS. I'm really, really looking forward to jumping feet first into this next phase of my life (corny? oh well...).

And besides, I love celebrating my birthday.


Who wouldn't?!

Dog Days

It was a lovely time in St. Catharines. The wisteria and lilacs were starting to bloom, and everything was green and refreshing. Nice after a long, long winter. And if you needed more proof that warmer weather was close at hand - a little surprise waiting for me on my sister's back deck.

A robin's nest with 4 squawking baby robins! If you look closely, you can see the fuzz on one of their little wee heads.

It's amazing how quickly they grew. In 4 days, the went from fuzzless little rubbery balls, to having wings and feathers, and being able to see their heads from the top of the nest. Mom and Dad birds spent their days catching worms and other...gross...stuff.

Yum.

Finnegan acting shameless. A small dog...a large cat...pretty much the same.

Here's Finnegan sleeping another one off. He's somehow managed to wedge his head under his favourite Sheepie (um, yes, that would be from me. Yes. It's a sheep.).

It may have rained, but that's OK. I had a great time, full of yummy eats and good laughs! It's great to get away and spend time with Finnegan and his Moms. And it's also nice to come home!

"Hey, you're back. Well woop-dee-do."

I was well received, despite the long-ish absence...

And while I was away - a little someone had a birthday!

Look at how tiny he was!

"Happy birthday to me...happy birthday to me...lalalalalalalala...and I look like one too..."

And as far as knitting... I did finish my first Mork sock, and got started on the second one. I also made good progress on my Twice as Nice t-shirt, however I'm growing less and less fond of the colour. Stay tuned for that one...

Finnegan is pooped out after my visit. You know, the life of cat and that of a dog - pretty similar in some ways.

Next post - I'll show off some gifties from Lorraine, as well as my flowers. And hopefully an FO. Hopefully...

One Day It's 2007...The Next It's 2008

Almost 2008...

"Wow, Gandalf was right! Lying like this ROCKS!" - Cousin Finnegan

It always amazes me at this time of year how quickly it all seems to go. I'm not one to make resolutions - life has it's own way of creeping up on you, and that's enough for me. If something's worth changing, it's worth changing at the time it comes up.

But still. Some knitterly things I'd like to do:

1. Finish my WIP's. In particular Western Seas. I'm not going to put a time limit on it. I just don't want to be writing next year at this time how I want to finish Western Seas in 2009. Sheesh! For shame! It's a Starmore, Brigitte.

2. Try something new. And I'm not talkin' Intarsia (ewww...). More like something I struggle with. Like top-down socks. Or another lace project *gulp*. I also have some really cool non-Fair Isle stranded projects in my stash, so maybe it'll be time to try another Norwegian?


3. Socks as non-commuting projects. Otherwise this lifetime will not have particularly warm feet. Not to mention the amount of time between knitting the second sock will be greatly diminished; preventing such boneheaded maneuvres such as the second one being knit A SIZE TOO SMALL. Just sayin'. I'd know.

And that's all I can think of. Stuff to ponder...


It was a happy time away! As always, we had a great time just hanging out, watching movies and eating ridiculous amounts of food. And I met some of my SIL's family! So here's a shout out to the Jay girls - Catherine, Victoria and Madeleine! Hey guys *waving*! The girls live in China with their parents, who are working there.


They're also in love with the little Dudes. Who can blame them?

There are 3 reasons the bed isn't made. See if you can spot them.

It's nice being away, but coming home is pretty special too.

There wasn't too much destruction or sulking when I got home. They were well looked after by their Auntie Raven, who took very good care of them. Gandalf did whine a bit on the evening I came home, probably just to remind me NOT to consider going away without Kitty Counsel approval.

Were the holidays good where you are? I hope so. I thought of all the great friends I've met this last year, and the friendships that continued. And, how much I've learned from you all! There is so much to be thankful for - and I'm happy to have met each and every one of you.

For me, I'm hoping that 2008 will be less stressful, and that I can enjoy more of it. I'll be honest - 2007 wasn't a banner year for me, but I always try to look at the good in it. And there were positive things, and I remind myself of that.

Things that made me happy in 2007:

1. A new job! Less money, but a new position!

2. Conrad Black going to jail!

3. Mulroney humiliated! ("I'm not calling you a liar Mr. Mulroney, but I want everyone here to know that I don't believe you.)

4. Amphora.

5. My Norwegian mitts.

6. Getting back into watching Coronation Street.

7. Gandalf turning 1! But still acting like a nincompoop kitten!

8. Successfully growing lavender in my deck garden.

9. I Can Has Cheezburger and The Daily Coyote.

10. The Little Dudes.


And there's more, I'm sure. So, what made you happy in 2007? Consider yourself tagged!

So, to my wonderful friends and family, I have only good wishes for 2008.

Cheers!

"And happy 2008 to everyone! I myself will probably be sleeping. I think Mom will be sleeping or watching "Das Boot". New Year's Eve is pretty much like any other night, only it's a bonus day off when it's during the week. Anyhoo. I'm rambling. So...what was I saying? Oh, right. Have a good and safe one everybody! MeOW! And a special purr and head-butt to my favourite Auntie Lorraine!"

It's That Time Of Year

"...hey wait...where you...gonna catc...catch you...wait a sec...stop going so...hey...hey...hey...stupid leaves...wait...a bird...gonna ca...gonna...catch...you...hey...oh I'm dizzy now."

It's that fun time of year when Gandalf and Atticus plaster themselves next to the windows, and try to make friends with the birds and falling leaves. Many a "bonk" against the window has been heard. Mae? Not so much. She figured it out after her first autumn.

It's also the time of year when I start my covert Christmans knitting, and my charity knitting for the Annex Cat Rescue, Gandalf's foster care organization. So even though it makes for fun and enjoyable knitting for me, it's not something I can post about. Well, the kitty knitting I can - and I will. Other stuff, um no. At least not until after Christmas!

(Wow, is it that time of year already?!)

But, I do work a few nights a week on my WIP's, and I'm happy to report that I'm finally up to Laleli's armhole steeks! I know I said that a few posts ago... (never report you're near something before actually getting there - you will grow extra thumbs and have a mushy brain just so that the Knitting High Priestess can put you in your place. Mere human. Don't toy with me.)

Look!

Pretty, pretty Laleli flowers! I love her. Once I've cast on the armhole steeks, I work for another 25 rounds or so and then I start decreasing for the v-neck.

Last year I picked up a kit for Alcea, from Anne at She Ewe Knits. Now, beautiful as the design is, the sizing is pretty bizarre - the smallest is a 36", and the next one up is something insane like 45", which is wider than my St. Brigid, and that's a bulky sweater. I bought the smallest size, thinking that I would figure out a way of increasing the width without compromising the overall design. I think I'm going to make a vest out of it, but I'm still not quite sure how. So, anyone have any ideas? I'm not too keen on a button up vest, I'd like to make it into a pull over v-neck type. Also - I'm wondering what going up a needle size would do to the overall design? I know, I know - "swatch".

Look what the mailman brought me!

Just the coolest sock bag! Sent in stealth-mode by sneaky Chris to replace the one I lost! She purchased it from Karen's Heavenly Creations on Etsy (click on the link at your own risk!), and let me tell you, it's heavenly all right! Nicely padded inside, tasseled drawstrings and very nicely made. Awww, thanks Chris! It's almost too nice to put into my back pack, but it's in there, with a new sock I should finish in oh, 2009 at the pace I knit my socks these days...

"I can get a date with Daisy? No? I see her on TV in all kinds of commercials. She's a cutey alright! What? I am so NOT stalking her, c'mon!" - Cousin Finnegan

This Post Brought To You By...

"Whoa! Oh, hey! Um, right this is kinda embarassing... Anyhoo. So, Mom's been feeling poorly these past few days. Something about her stomach. She's been keeping a "low profile", whatever that is. She seems pretty much higher than me, so I don't really know what a "low" profile is."

"Auntie Brigitte feels crummy! Aw, that sucks... But I ask you - does she have to get these ridiculous haircuts, and have someone ::cough::Mommy Susie::cough:: make funnies behind her head? Oh, probably NOT."

"Eeeeeeeeeee! Heeeee heeeeee! Eeeeeeee! Hangie thingie! Heeee heeeeeee! Ah nuts, I'm stuck..."

"Such. A. Dork. Anyway, Mom has been knitting, she finished the front of Grace, and one whole sleeve! But, speaking of dorky, she keeps forgetting she has to block that shawl, Kiri. I keep telling her it doesn't count as an FO until she does. She's spacey these days... Anyway. She also is upset with Delores because she's already run out of yarn. So, to make herself feel better (you know how it is), and because I told her that Fair Isle is the cure to most ills (I know, I rock), she started "Laleli". You know, from Virtual Yarns. It's a cardigan with purples and greens, but the picture on the site is all funky, so it's kinda hard to tell what the design is. Seems all flowery to me...oh, tulips! Anyway, where was I... Oh right, Grace. No. Was it Fair Isle? Oh. I'm tired now."

"I'm helping too! Look! I'm typing on the computer while Mom drinks coffee and multi-tasks with the camera! I'm a star! Mae tells me I'm space cadet all the time, and this proves it!"

Normal blogging will resume, once we're up from our nap!