Tis’ the season!

Janie Sparkles looks a little frightened my modification of Knitty.com’s Jackyll and Hide in chunky yarn (Crystal Palace Iceland).

Maybe she’s just scared of the kerchief we’re forcing her to wear today?

Happy Halloween!

Just finished grafting the toe and weaving in the ends of the first Brancusi 2.0 sock. Sadly, I don’t have a picture to share with you, so you just have to trust me. Halfway there, hence the post title.

With more stitches and finer yarn, the pattern has changed a bit. The diamonds are isolated between twisted stitches columns. This is the third Brancusi I’ve knit, not counting the one and half “sketch” socks where I began playing with the pattern. As such (and with a little Cat Bordhi advice), in this one I was able to solve some of the tightness at the ankle.

All that remains is getting through the second one, just to make sure there’s enough yarn in the skein to enter in the Hill Country Yarns sock pattern contest. If there’s not, I’ll figure out a way to share the pattern with y’all.

Although I’m a few weeks out, I’m already looking forward to a much more stockinette sock. I’m thinking Cat’s Coriolis or perhaps Yarnissima’s Firestarter or Stephanie’s Earl Grey.

Maybe all three?

(and a very happy 40th to WonderMike! today’s the actual day.)

We’re making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner tonight in the dark. No, there hasn’t been a power outage. It’s Lights Out SF. Six tealights are burning on the coffeetable, next to a chunky make-it-yourself candle I make’ed years ago that’s burning for the first time. The only other light in the apartment is the dull glow of our computer screens as I’m typing and he’s on flickr.

Today was the surprise 40th birthday party for Michael, put on by his adorable and loving boyfriend Anthony. I assume someone will post pictures. Other than surprise Mr. Socktopus himself, a highlight was hanging out with Kate (who just heard about these new-fangled computers) and Tammy (of her own bad-ass tattoos fame). I have the feeling that these three (along with Elaine who couldn’t make it) could be my future BFF’s.

At least, that’s what I’m hoping.

I just worked out with a new trainer here. (You knew we had a gym here, right?) It was the first time I’ve exerted myself more than resisting a certain French bulldog’s tugging at the leash since Labor day. That was my last run. And I haven’t swum in, um, forever. So much for Run-a-go-go, eh?

A two or so mile warm-up on the treadmill and a series of stability ball squats and lunges and core stabalizations and planks and some bi- and triceps thrown in for good measure. I can only imagine how I’m going to feel tomorrow. A surefire way to make it hurt less would be to get out and go for a little 3-mile jaunt with the ol’ iPod at 7am. The stress of my workday usually keeps me from making time for a workout. But, as I’ve said before, these are the times I need it most. And tomorrow, I’ll need it mentally AND physically.

Think I can do it?

It’s October 15, 2007.

Blog about the environment. Do something for the earth.

Can you take one less car trip today? Ride your bike for a short trip instead of driving? Sorry for being redundant (yes, I mentioned it Friday!).

At 2milechallenge.com you can plug in your address and get a Google map that shows you what’s within 2 miles of your home. And the map opens with my office address (if you ever wondered where in Berkeley I work).

Feel free to share on your blog.

I’ve been reknitting the Brancusi sock on finer yarn, smaller needles and more stitches. It’s changed how the overall pattern looks, and for the better. I’ve since turned the heel and started decreasing for the toe after breakfast this morning.

This blurry photograph was taken on the plane to Vegas, two weeks ago. It was a 24-hour jaunt for work to go to Interbike to witness the launching of our latest program: 2 Mile Challenge.

What is it? It’s a challenge to ride your bike for trip under 2 miles: to coffee, to dinner, to the store or to a friend’s house. 40% of US urban trips are 2 miles or less; and 90% of those trips are driven in a car.

Learn more at www.2milechallenge.com/ride.

So, last night, I experienced the cutting edge… at an ATM machine.

I had to deposit some checks and, lo, and behold, there was a new-fangled ATM at my local Bank o’ America. It didn’t require envelopes, in fact, there were none. No, this new machinery takes the frustrating task of licking envelopes that sit out in public AND the challenge of addition has been abolished! Instead, it just sucks in each check as-is, I verify it, then it asks for another!

From what I read in their press releases, if I had had cash, these new “deposit image” ATMs can take a stack of up to 40 bills at once and count them for you. If only I carried that many Washington’s! As you can see, they then print digital images of the deposited checks on the receipt itself.

Does your bank have this? I head heard of Wells Fargo doing it, but until I used it, I didn’t get its magic! Is it me, or is this totally Jetsons?

Did you see the Knitty Surprise for this month? That’s my kind of knitting.

I may convert the pattern to use the excess amounts of chunky wool I have… who doesn’t need some Texas Chainsaw Massacre-inspired knits?

Proof that I am indeed alive. Had breakfast with Sean and Mr. Man this morning, followed by a hipster latte. It was nice to roll around on city streets in the morning.

Work has been such that I haven’t felt like writing, nor running, nor knitting. Luckily, I’m off to knit this afternoon and I’ll post pictures to prove it.

I was hoping to make this year my return to a healthy relationship with running. No longer content with just swimming, I wouldn’t mind getting out in the the fresh air and beating the pavement with my own two feet. Not that I want to return to mega-mileage races, I wouldn’t mind making it a natural part of my life.

All though I eek’ed in 100 miles (counting dog walks) in Round 1, I haven’t made it even halfway in either Round 2 or 3. Today starts the 4th round of Run-a-go-go, Rachael‘s fabulous idea (and Scout‘s blog-tastic community building and Adam‘s funky programming skillz). Wanna go 100 miles between today and December 31st?

In perfect timing, Threadless.com printed a lil’ bit of inspiration today. Sadly, it’s sold out in a Men’s M, so it’s gonna have to be a large for me. It’ll match the new ‘do. Even sadlier, I didn’t get outside today.

How come you can never get the runs when you want ’em?