Pardon the poor camera phone resolution. Math4Knitters podcast is playing in the background.

Here we are, three tired puppies. That’s me on the left, Janie Sparkles next to me on the couch, and Tank, an English bulldog who’s spending the weekend with us. Three hours of synchro practice this morning, brunch with Mr. Man (who took the photo) and his two friends, a whole lot of dog ruff-housing and subsequent vacuuming (thank you, Mr. Dyson). I was tuckered out.

You can’t see it very well, but right next to me is a Know Knits Go Mobile pouch. Before yesterday, I had never heard of it. Before yesterday, I had never owned a skein of Socks that Rock (in a fabulous gay-ass rainbow colorway). Last, before yesterday, I never owned fancy, handcrafted sock blockers!

In Friday’s mail, a box arrived from Ms. Scout. It’s a very early birthday surprise from her Scout’s Swag shop. I cannot thank her enough. Her kindness and generousity have been evident since we started emailing back in November. She’s one quality lady, and someday she’s going to find a little surprise in her mailbox (no promises when). She’s got me as a customer, but more importantly, a friend for life.

As a follow-up to my last post, I haven’t run out and bought the cashmere sweater to rip. It’s been crazier and crazier at work and I’ve got more than enough yarn in my life, not to mention three sweaters and one zipper behind. Besides, I hate spending money. But, I may swing by tomorrow to see if there are any more left.

For more doggy photo goodness, there are more in my photos and Dead Slow’s photos on flickr.com.

I just lost a much wittier version of this post, detail my weekend’s cooking with a side of shopping. I’m too tired to rewrite it all, so you’re just going to have to deal with the abridged version.

In addition to the carmelized goodness you see pictured, I roasted some leeks. Never has something so vegan melted in my mouth in such a buttery way. It makes me want to put olive oil, salt and pepper on everything in my life. Inspired by Mel I made a loaf of the no-knead bread to take to brunch this morning. Why I’m not baking every weekend is a mystery to me.

While I don’t believe in retail therapy and I hate spending money, I played my role in the economic drama and took away a cashmere sweater and some Japanese dungarees. Could I sound any more pretentious and gay? If you only knew me.

Sure, I could have made myself a sweater, but I couldn’t even buy half the yarn required for the price I paid. It was half-off and I had a gift certificate left over from the holidays. It helped that it’s from a friend’s new-ish company Loden Dager. (His day job is technical director for Marc by Marc Jacobs.) I love his work, and although machine-knit, the diagonal cabling is made from a similar increase/decrease pairing as the Jaywalker socks.

Speaking of which, I washed them and a bunch of other socks. Not having my own fancy oak and birch sock blokers a la Scout, I made my own Christina Crawford-inspired ones from these instructions.

Very little fiber object making happened, but I’m OK with that. I’m in the homestretch of the too-popular scarf (no link until it’s done, I’m so ashamed). I wound a ball of Lisa Souza sock yarn to dive into before STR starts arriving. Heck, I’m one glove and bunch of embroidery short of my own pair of Knucks. I have tomorrow night to knit… if I’m not hanging around the office.

What’s there to say about these round guys? I would never have thought that y’all would express so much interest in my off-handed remark about a root vegetable that my 1950s-minded man calls “poor people’s food.” (I don’t know when he got all high and mighty… and he loves a good baked potato. His favorite meal of jarred spaghetti sauce, angel hair and frozen meatballs doesn’t sound too high falutin to me.)

When I included my turnips in Sunday’s list of weekend productivity, it was partially about the dish, partially about me. Food-wise, roasting turnips was a simple process of peeling, quartering and chopping down to bite-sized pieces, 15 minutes of parboiling (putting them in boiling water), then tossing the drained chunks with oil, salt, pepper and rosemary. The oven was pre-heated to 375º and then I ignored them for 30-40 minutes. I wish I had put them in longer and raised the temperature to get them more brown, but I feared making them too mushy. Roasting, in general, is something that fascinates me. I don’t nearly roast enough. The magical combination of salt, oil and heat continues to delight and surprise me.

The flavor of a turnip is somewhere between the tang of a parsnip or a radish mixed with the consitency of a potato. The ones I cooked were purple-topped white fleshy bulbous roots with one or two golden turnips thrown in for good measure. They came from the Riverdog Farm organic veggie box I get each week at work. Beyond supporting locally-grown agriculture, I love not having to shop and trying out things that I wouldn’t normally buy.

On occasion, the box adds to my stress—if i’m not cooking from it and letting it go to waste. I hate throwing any of it away. Just the act of preparing food (regardless of the delicious results) grounds me in the same way as does knitting a few stitches. It connects me to my life, it brings me great joy to make yumminess, and I get to use my hands to start, prepare and complete a project.

Now, after 7pm and still at the office, I just popped a few leftovers in my mouth and they still get me. But not too much. I’m going to Kirala for my swim coach’s big 32nd. Perhaps next time I’ll “cut” the turnips with some potatoes and let ’em get all crispy. But that will have to wait… there ain’t no turnips in the box this week. I’ve got leeks, spinach, oranges and mei qing choi to deal with.

It’s that time, just before bed on Sunday when you’re ready to go to bed, but dread it at the same time. It was a rather productive weekend: reknitting the sock and starting on the toe decreases, a website redesign meeting for the swim team, not one, but two practices, roasted turnips, a new restaurant with an old friend, groceries and a visit to the dog park (followed by a long overdue bath).

But heading off to bed means the week starts anew: long days at work, the stress an ever-growing to-do list, not enough down time with my man. Luckily, I get to cuddle up next to the above mug and the guy who took the picture.

It’s not like I’ve been sitting here and picking my nose, ignoring my blog. I’ve been sitting at work picking my nose, not blogging. Don’t feel left out, I haven’t been writing over at Runagogo.com, nor have I been running!

Sure, work’s been busy, but when isn’t it? It’s the nature of busy-ness. The new month offers a chance for a new beginning. But, before I rush into the future, let’s look back at the first month of 2007.

I have tried a new restaurant, Sebo (or on Yelp.com) with my dear friend M. Great, fresh fish, but TINY nigiri! I won’t be running back anytime soon, unless it’s with my neighbor who’s gotten friendly with one of the chefs.

Speaking of food, I enjoyed some amazing eats on a business trip to New Orleans. Here’s breakfast from a po’ boy place down the street from our hotel. It wasn’t business as usual. In lieu of sending people abroad to work with Habitat for Humanity (like my 2005 trip to Poland), we’re going to send people to the Big Easy. In addition to the local H4H, we met with Common Ground Relief, Acorn and Emergency Communities. All are doing amazing work, and so needed. The magnitude of the devastation that remains 17+ months later cannot be described. If you can, donate, get your butt down there or find a way to help out. It’s more than a tragedy, it’s a national disgrace. Luckily, people are coming together to make things right. I hope to head back there, myself.

Knitting-wise, I’ve finished one of my Scout’s Swag socks, and I’m closing in on the toe of the second. Photos upon finishing. I started a scarf, but I’m not proud of that (a variation on a certain drop-stitch sensation that everyone and her mother did a year or two back—MdV, I’m so ashamed). I am proud of finishing and gifting the Knucks for my synchro team coach (Tsunami Tsynchro). She’s a knitter too, so she appreciates all the finishing required by that embroidery.

Speaking of said coach, Dr. S. (she’s a physicist) and I swung by Stash to say hello to Ms. Vickie Howell. Still cute as a button and rocking some killer shoes. I wish I could have stayed longer to chat… next time?

There’s a snoring puppy (who turned 3 today) and a snoring boyfriend next to me on the couch. I should go walk them before we head off to bed.

Thanks for your kind words during my absence.

It was one year ago today that Ms. Janie Sparkles joined our home. At the risk of overloading this blog with cuteness and dog photos, I promise to write more knitting content soon. I’m closing in on the toe of my first Scout’s Swag custom-dyed sock.

Inspired by Lime & Violet, I’m considering “running” my own Sock Marathon, knitting through my mileage of sock yarn. Compared to some of the stashes I’ve seen, I’m not even a high school cross-country sprinter with a measly 2 miles of yardage. I’d be happy to get through 4 pairs, plus the Socks that Rock club from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. (That’s 10 this year, don’t hold me to that.)

Work was a beast this week. In addition to my absence here, I’ve been quiet at Runagogo. Off to go do that and/or get a run in. After a week of no running, my foot’s feeling much better.

(Thanks to Peephole for the inspiring this post’s title. You look so fetching in that Hallowig!)

From me, C, and your granddaughter, pictured on the right, we wish you the best.

Today is my mother’s 64th birthday. I don’t believe she’s that old (neither can she!). You wouldn’t know it from her new-found enthusiasm for knitting, specifically socks.

What better gift to give a new knitter without access to a LYS than a sock club membership where she’ll experience many different brands and patterns? Today she received some Mega Boots Stretch and a pretty Ripple sock pattern. These combined with the couple of Yarn Harlot books and Cat Bordhi‘s 2 circ book she received for xmas, she’ll have plenty to keep her busy.

Don’t worry. My dad got her a gift certificate to Blue Moon Fiber Arts so she can experience some gorgeously colored gems. We’ll have her knitting on all kinds of yarn.

And, for my birthday, I’m thinking of sending her some of Scout’s Swag so she can make me a pair!

This was supposed to be a day off of work, but I’m heading in to the office in a few minutes to continue my first-week productive streak. I’ve spent the morning browsing through the amazing posts at Runagogo.com site, the knitting/running/moving 100 miles by April 1st madness dreamed up by the amazing Rachael of yarnagogo.com and tech-ified by the glamour geek Scout of scoutsswag.com.

I’m honored and proud to be included in this project as one of the “Gogo Grrls” with the role of being the cheerleader and fitness friend. I posted my first Rah-rah post. If you’re at all intrigued by the idea of covering 100 miles in the first 3 months of 2007, please join us! Want to know more, start here. You can run, walk, swim, skate, shimmy or whatever you like.

I hope this weekend, I’m hoping to post some images of my progress on the reknit sock in Scout’s yarn (it’s striping finally, not pooling like a a heat-sensor image from Predator) and my new skein of Lisa Souza Mars Quake! sock yarn. I also have a pair of Knucks with a bajillion ends to weave in for my swim coach.

I was a bad dog-father over this past week and a half. Although I was off work since 12/22 until today’s lethargic return, I didn’t take out Janie Sparkles on daily romping adventures. She was walked, mind you, just not given proper off-leash time.

So for the first day of the new year, I only had four goals:

• take Janie for a walk,
• go for a run,
• pay the bills
• and write in a paper journal.

Our visit to the gayest dog run (smack-dab in the Castro) was interrupted by a call from Bibby’s mommy who invited us to Chrissy Field. They were going to be there until sundown, so me and Ms. Sparkles hopped back into the car and returned home. I busted out a lumbering 3.1455 mile run and then we were off to pick up the man and hit the beach.

In addition to terrorizing Bibby every time her retrieved a ball from the water, my little girl stole tennis ball from a cute two-month old puppy. As you can see, she has a long way to go in the manners department.