Nottingham Hat
2009 @ 7:40 am
I am knitting this up for Jason’s birthday in a couple of weeks. Don’t worry, he thinks it’s a pumpkin cozy. It’s the Nottingham Hat from Inner Child Crochet. To be honest, it looks better in the photo that in real life! I love the pattern and may make up a cable yoke sweater next. The cable is taken from the Sherwood Sweater on Knitty… remember this sweet sweater?
Pattern: Nottingham by Melissa Mall
Yarn: Queensland Collection Kathmandu Aran
Needles: size 8 Lantern Moon and Addi Turbo. Addis blow the Lantern Moon away on this yarn.
Rad Rav Link: greatwhitewong
Squeezing out the last bit of Summer
2009 @ 12:09 pm
This past weekend marked the last day that Playland, in Rye, NY, would be open for the season. Maia had been a couple of times with my parents, but never with another friend her age. So, we rallied our buddies and got up there this Saturday. It was a gorgeous day and there were just the right amount of people in the park. Maia and her buddy were both right at the height line for solo rides–they went on each one twice!
After watching my parents on The Whip, Maia decided she’d like to try the kiddie whip. So much fun!
Poor Cassie was nowhere near the height line, but she sure wished she was…
My dad took a great video of the historic Dragon Coaster (over 75 years old) and my folks decided to go on the big Whip… as previously mentioned. I believe this face is for Maia’s benefit…
We had a great, if exhausting, time. Can’t wait for next year, when I hope to take advantage of the half-off weekday rates.
On vacation!
2009 @ 7:31 am
photo credit: optimonk
And finallly… the sad mix
2009 @ 7:42 am
Every girl had one. Heck, every boy had one too…
I present, Jay’s Mix of depressing music I listened to when we broke up in 1996. We got back together in 1999 and I haven’t looked back!
A Side–these are merely songs I associated with Jason
Waterfalls (TLC… chosen because my bff thought the lyrics were “don’t got Jason Waterfalls” and sung it to him all the time
Time Baby III (Medicine. my signature mix song.)
In Your Eyes (Peter Gabriel’s 11 minute extended live version)
The Great Gig in the Sky (Pink Floyd)
Wish You Were Here (Floyd)
Comfortably Nub (Floyd)
Sometimes Always (Jesus and Mary Chain)
B Side–things take a turn for the worse
Price of Darkness (Indigo Girls)
Both Hands (ani difranco)
The Promise (Tracy Chapman. saddest song EVER WRITTEN)
The Edge (Michelle Malone)
With or Without You (U2-need I go on?)
Mystery (Indigo Girls)
No Sacrifice (Sinead O’Connor)
Near You Always (Jewel)
For You (Tracy Chapman)
now I want to cry…
Retro Sucks…
2009 @ 7:25 am
Apparently, my sister thought so…
A Side
Roots Radical (Rancid)
Flower (?)
Everlasting Love (u2)
Hallah/Never Said (liz Phair)
59 Chrystie Street (Beasties)
Better Man (Pearl Jam)
Little Bastard (Ass Ponies. Seriously)
Never Said (Liz Phair)
Stand By Me
Against the 70s (mike watt)
Hooked on a Feeling (you know, that song)
Glamor Boys (living colour)
Closer to Fine (Indigo Girls)
Bottom (?)
Footsteps (?)
B Side
Yellow Ledbetter (Pearl Jam)
?
Least Complicated (Indigo Girls)
Disconnected (?)
We Belong (Pat Benetar)
Surprise Song… no idea
and then I guess she lost interest!!!
The Mellow Mix….
2009 @ 7:09 am
Although I made this tape in college, this is a lot of what I used to listen to in high school… it wasn’t all geeky singy stuff 
A Side
Touch Me Fall (Indigo Girls)
Love +Anger (Kate Bush)
Salsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel)
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (Deep Blue Something) I think this was required listening in upstate NY.
Joey (Concrete Blonde)
Uncle John’s Band (Indigo Girls)
Revolution (Tracy Chapman)
Box of Rain (Grateful Dead)
Prince of Darkness (Indigo Girls)
Ironic (Alanis)
B Side
Dizz Knee Land (dada)
Head over Feet (Alanis)
Time Baby III (Medicine… from The Crow soundtrack. I loved that movie to death)
Far + Away (enya. mellow indeed)
Out of Habit (Ani Difranco)
Love Will Come to You (Indigo Girls)
Am I Wrong (Love Spit Love)
Name (Goo Goo Dolls)
Famous Last Words (Billy Joel)
Constant Craving (kd lang. note that i wrote Constant Carving)
Ariel (October Project)
We’re going on a road trip…
2009 @ 5:33 am
Jason just handed me a box of tapes and we’re considering bringing some to listen to on our long long drive. My car only has a tape deck (which actually works out great for the ipod), but this might be fun! I’m going to post these while we are away, cuz it might be fun!
CAR MIX. This is a mix I still think about. I made it when I was 17 and got got my license. These are songs you can sing really really loud.
A Side
25 or 6 to 4 (Chicago)
More than a Feeling (Boston)
Hazy Shade of Winter (Bangles)
Separate Ways (no idea)
Patience (GnR)
Man in Motion (from St. Elmo’s Fire)
Fame
Flashdance
High on You (?)
Sweet Dreams (Eurithmycs)
Glory of Love (Peter Cetera… i have loved this song since 3rd grade)
Can’t Fight this Feeling (REO)
B Side
You’re the Inspiration (Chicago)
Obladi, Oblada (Beatles)
Paradise (Meatloaf)
The Joker (Steve Miller Band)
California Dreamin’ (Mamas and the Papas)
All I Want (Toad the Wet Sprocket)
Orion in the Sky (Shawn Colvin)
Theses are Days (10,000 Maniacs)
Galileo (Indigo Girls)
Music and the Mirror (Chorus Line)
At the Ballet (Chorus Line)
SING (probably from Chorus Line)
What I did for Love (Chorus Line
Hi, I loved the 80’s, musicals, and power ballads.
Unfortch, the tape IS NOT IN THE CASE. I can only assume it was damaged years ago.
To come… and luckily, these are all from college when I gave up a bit on the 80’s-musicals-power ballads thing… at list when making mixes sober. And with tapes, it was a usually a sober experience
-Mellow Mix (9/95)
-Jay’s Mix (11/95) note that this is not a mix for Jay, but rather of depressing songs I listened to for at least two years after I broke up with him and he would take me back… until 1999.
-Kait’s Hometown-Homegirl Mix made by my sister. “This is a mix of songs played (and over played) in Mamaroneck, NY; Kait’s hometown, hence the name”. A woman a few words.
stay tuned!
placeholder…
2009 @ 4:35 pm
While I have more to offer than an picture of my old faucet, I am not sure it belongs here anymore. My time has become even more limited and it seems that if I do knit a stitch or two, I can’t bring myself to blog about it and post to Ravelry. I’m still deciding, so I leave you with this awesome picture of Maia. Taken with an iPhone using QuadCamera. Not by me. She will be three next month! Which just goes to show how long I’ve been trying my hardest to keep this going…
A meme
2008 @ 10:43 am
It’s been a while since I responded to one of these and this one seemed appropriate to now–I graduated college ten years ago and recently decided to head up there for my reunion. Mr. Sassypants will also attend since he graduated at the same time. But folks, it’s gonna be so strange! See, we were “together” for sophomore year, but spent the rest of our time at school being separate. Barely even friends. We know a lot of the same people, but had very different experiences in that tiny town. It will be interesting to check out our old haunts together. Bars at opposite ends of a two block Main Street. Actually, I wonder if we will even wind up bar crawling together–maybe we’ll separate into our groups? I guess that will depend on his crew showing up though… I digress.
1. Where was I 10 years ago.
Just graduated SUNY Geneseo and had already started my first low-paying job in nonprofit at the Westchester Arts Council. I learned a lot at this place in a bass ackwards sort of way. I was smoking a drinking my way through this summer to be sure. Most of my college buds lived on Long Island so I drove out there almost every weekend. When I stayed in town (Mamaroneck, NY) I ran with my friends Megan and Karen to local bars. My grandma gave me $1,000 towards a professional wardrobe for graduation and I shopped A LOT that summer. I don’t recall what I did for the fourth, but it probably involved missing the fireworks. That always happens to me.
2. Five things on today’s to-do list.
-Start NYFA grant for client
-Go to Abs class at the Y. We are new members.
-Hand address envelopes for Cassie’s birth announcement (yes, late)
-Groceries
-attempt to figure out sidecutter attachment for sewing machine.
3. Snacks I enjoy.
Brownies, plain yogurt with honey, Lundberg rice cakes with butter or cream cheese.
4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire.
Start my own foundation to support the arts and social change.
Get my kids better health insurance.
Set my parents up for retirement wherever they want and then make it easy for us to visit whenever we want.
Purchase Volvo S50 and a corner brownstone with one of those detached garages in a good public school zone (that’s right, i would still try hard for public ed).
5. Places I have lived.
New York (Mamaroneck, Geneseo, Manhattan, Brooklyn)
6. Jobs I have had.
babysitter, receptionist, sales clerk, telephone operator, development assistant, development director, foundation program officer, consultant.
7. Who would I like to know more about.
whoever. comment if you decide to go for it!
A day in the life
2008 @ 10:44 pm
I have enjoyed reading Heidi’s “day in the life” posts for the last few years–it’s probably because her daughter and Maia are the same age and have some shared experiences. I thought it would be funny to try one of my own. Yes, funny. Funny because even as I type this, I know that it’s going to be impossible to remember the whole day. So, we’ll see how it goes.
7:30 am: Cassie seems to be awake for “good” at this time. I am so out of it that I think it’s 6:30 when I look at my watch. I look at the clock and realize it’s close to 8. In that span of time, Cassie has spit up three times. In my bed. There has also been a diaper malfunction and there is a baby piddle puddle. In my bed. I hear Maia, Cassie seems to be asleep again, go get Maia.
8 am: Maia greets me, “I want daddy”. Naturally. “He is downstairs”. “I want to see him”. “okay, let’s change your diaper first”. She tells me its “just pee” a few times. Lucky me, it is Cassie still sleeping, we debate bringing her and decide not to even though Maia really really wants to. We go downstairs. I talk to Jennifer about the day’s plan to get our girls together post-nap. I call back 5 minutes later to discuss pre-school payment schedule.
9 am: Maia plays and I make coffee and call the health insurance company to contest yet another statement. Low point of my day, even though i think it will work out in my favor.
9:30 am: Maia jumps on daddy who, amazingly, does not wake up. Sidenote: sometimes when Jason comes home from work very late, like 4 am late, he passes out watching TV. She plays with her “topato” (computer), which is really a LeapPad, until I bribe her to the table with orange slices. Orange in slice format is VERY exciting. She also eats a couple of hard boiled eggs, but only the yellow part. Some white part is had with resistance. We have some silly conversations that I don’t really remember right now. The following phrases were uttered at least 5 times each: “what you doin’ mommy?” “where mommy?” “where daddy?” “where cassie?” “where joey?” “who dat mommy?” I tell her the plan for the day, which i thought would involve a trip to the shoe store. Maia would rather go to the park. She has started calling me Papa–what a weirdo. I down two cups of coffee.
10:15 am: Maia seems to be done with breakfast, but chooses to sit with me while I work out the class schedule for Brooklyn General. How nice to have company! We hear Cassie and agree that I should go get her. I am finding it works to ask Maia what we should do when Cassie cries. Turns out we usually agree There’s not really an averse reaction to things having to do with Cassie, i just like involving Maia in the process.
10:30 am: Feed Cassie while Maia watches (sort of) Ni Hao, Kai Lan. Great show, short episodes, positive themes, Mandarin skills. We have seen each episode 1,000,000,000,000 times. I still can only remember “green”. Maia can remember green, red, push, and a few other things.
11 am: Daddy is awake and is on a few calls that seem to involve the purchase of a forklift for $100. I am skeptical, but say nothing. I pass off Cassie to tackle the gross kitchen which was left the night before by me. I passed out with Cassie at 8:30. Sue me. Daddy does a diaper for Cassie.
11:30 am: Nurse Cassie.
11:45 am: I get to shower today–hooray! Maia and Daddy make lunch, Cassie fusses in the bouncy chair. I try on three shirts and finally settle one that has a pattern crazy enough to distract from my baby pooch, but that I can nurse in. Towel dry hair, put in ponytail/knot thing and throw on a headband from Renegade ‘07. That’s right, i didn’t even comb it. Pack diaper bag.
12:30: Bag is packed for our long walk to Brooklyn General that I have strategically planned for naptime. Cassie is falling asleep so I move her to the snuggly thingy that slides into the bottom of our fancy pants double decker stroller. Daddy converts stroller from two-toddler set up from the weekend (cousin visiting) to infant/toddle. See? told you it was fancy pants. Maia tries to go on the potty.
1 pm: We are on the road, yay! Ahead of schedule even, which turns out to be a bad thing. Cassie sleeps the whole way there (40 mins), but Maia never sleeps. Lots of exciting stuff to see: dogs, jackhammer, BIG trucks, buses, etc. Maia has “sprrrring cheese” (string cheese).
1:40: we are there, but Maia is awake. keep walking.
2:10: No napping. Head for Coffee Den to get a peanut butter and jelly on wheat, banana and iced coffee. Meet Catherine there, but don’t recognize her from behind. Hello. She only delivered my baby. Nearly DIE when the cost is only $6.45. I had $12 and was worried it wouldn’t be enough. We walk back to the shop and meet a bunch of friendly faces. Maia plays with some kids that are there and I watch/listen and enjoy my lunch. Cassie is still sleeping–I am somewhat amazed by this. Maia gets possessive when another child looks a HER baby sister and covers the stroller with a blanket. So freakin’ cute.
3:00: Maia’s playmate who DID nap, wakes up and they are getting along well–only minor sharing B.S. to deal with. Cassie wakes up, nurses and goes back to sleep. Wow. I wind some yarn.
3:30: I decide to walk Maia again and there is talk of going to the playground. Run into Stephanie and Camille, who are meeting us at the store. After 15 mins there is no napping and the sky look foreboding. Go back to shop and watch Camille, Paloma and Maia play. Lots of running and craziness. Also lots of hugging. Maia gets huggy when she’s tired, but Paloma is sick of it and needs her own space. I cast on for Earl Grey socks. Cannot believe I accomplished this.
4-something: Cassie wakes up and nurses. Maia getting crazier by the second, I begin to wonder if we are trapped at the store by weather. I call Jason to see what’s up with him–any chance he can rescue us? Fancy pants stroller is not devised for public transportation. he might be free at 6:30 so I decide we are eating dinner at the shop. yay pizza! There is crazy play going on, hugging that ends in injury (toddlers often knock each other over when they hug), “mine mine mine!!!!”, sneeze-ball (the very first game Maia and Paloma made up with each other), maia is tired and falls a lot (“i ok!”). Change diapers.
5 something: Pizza is procured and Stephanie and Camille take off. Cassie goes back to sleeping. There is intermittent conversation about how I will get home dry. Take the subway and hope someone pities me and helps me get stroller down and up the stairs? Leave the stroller at the shop and take the bus? Leave the stroller at Jennifer’s and take the other bus? Settle on the latter. Children are instructed to sit on butts or knees on the chairs to eat pizza. Small amount of pizza is consumed and also some chocolate milk. Gross combo, huh? Maia falls off the chair and announces “I all done”. i think she meant to say, “I ok”, but was so tired she mixed up the words. Either way, she nailed it in that she was totally DONE with being awake.
6:10: We leave the shop.
6:30-ish: Get to Jennifer’s and I decide to go for it. I pee at her place and grab some crackers for the ride. We make it about 5 blocks and run into a former student, Melissa, who just had an ADORABLE baby boy. On the small side like my babies Getting paranoid about rain and decide to walk fast.
6:45-ish: Crossing Gowanus Canal and feel drops. See lots of drops in canal. CRAP–this is the worst place for it to start raining. No shelter. Start to run. Get 1/4 mi and realize I am way way way out of shape, but maia really likes going fast. Walk again. Fast. We make it to the door with the first clap of thunder and I am the most wet, but it’s not that bad. Phew. Cassie waking up.
7 pm: Nurse Cassie. Maia searches for various toys, pets the cat and pulls out a book to read. Maia finally poops and we change her diaper.
7:30 pm: Maia requests water (with lemon juice like mommy) and we head upstairs to bed. Cassie is awake, but pretty quiet while we read books-nice! Change Cassie’s diaper. Once in the crib Maia asks for Cassie to sleep with her. This is nightly. I explain that some day Cassie will sleep in the room with her, but not until she’s bigger. She asks me to “sleep on Oda’s bed” (this is Lola’s bed and Lola is Maia’s paternal grandmother. really, it just came from her house and will someday be Maia’s bed). I tell her that Cassie and I will nap in there with her tomorrow. And we will. That works and Cassie and I say good night and leave the room.
8 pm: clean up a little bit downstairs and realize Cassie’s been asleep, like, all day. I pick her up and hold her for an hour or so and give her a little more to eat. Call my parents. Watch So You Think You Can Dance. Dance around a little with Cassie. Until cable box fritzes. Stupid thing.
9 pm: Cassie is clearly tired so I pop the pacifier in to help her relax. She falls asleep and I put her in the bouncy chair. She’s been making intermittent grunty noises, but is still asleep as I type.
11 pm: will probably fall asleep on couch until Jason gets home around 12. He says he’ll take the next feeding (for a couple of night Cassie’s been sleeping 5 hours at this first stretch). Yay sleep. Oh wait, I need to change my sheets. I am pretty confident that if I hadn’t decided to write this post, i wouldn’t remember that until too late.
11:15: Maia crying. She is overtired, but puts herself back to sleep.
All in all a pretty typical, fun day! I even got a little knitting and a little cleaning in. How about that
