It's a sweater!

Hand Knitted Goods Raffle for Charity!

2009-02-05T17:43:00.004-06:00

That's right. You know you've been eyeing my hand-knitted goods for a while now, and now is your chance to get your hands one (or in) them! This month I am raffling off two items:

A Hand-knitted stripey scarf made of a sillk/wool blend:
The scarf is about six feet long and encompasses pretty much every color in the spectrum.

And just in time for Valentine's Day, a beautiful set of Smittens, mittens you can hold hands with.

The mittens can be worn with your sweetie, or you can wear the outside mittens on your own. They're made with 100% merino wool and are sooo soft and beautiful!

Here's the rules. For each $10 you donate to my charity climb (click on the link to donate), you will get your name entered once into the raffle. If you donate over $100, I will double the number of entries you get. The raffle will cover all donations made in the month of February and I will draw at the end of the month. Don't worry if you don't win, I will have a drawing each month up until the climb with new hand-knitted goods as prizes. Give early, give often, and come away with some knitting!

YEEAAAHHHH BOYYYYEEEE!

2008-07-19T12:06:00.002-05:00

Public Enemy
Originally uploaded by Robert Loerzel

OMG. OMG. That's really all I can say. I can die a happy woman now. Last night I had the rare opportunity to see one of my all-time favorite groups perform -- a group I never thought I would ever get a chance to see.

Public Enemy was in the house last night at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago. Not only have they not played together in the States in years (YEARS!) but this was also the first, time they have played their iconic album (now celebrating its 20th anniversary) "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back," in its entirety, track for track, exactly. (They apparently have been playing this album in Canada and elsewhere to celebrate the anniversary, but in most concerts it appears the tracks are done out of order).

This was so rare an occurance that Chuck D tossed out a couple of pieces of trivia, such as the fact that the band hadn't played "Terminator X" since the famous DJ retired in 1998, and had never played, I think it was "Mind Terrorist" (or was it "Louder than a Bomb"?) in concert ever before this tour.

Amazing. Unbelievable. Even though both of these guys are pushing 50 they were jumping around the stage and rocking out like 1988 was yesterday. Totally not lipsynched - they brought it and delivered what I believe was the best PE show I could have asked for, despite some of the Pitchfork sound issues (not PE's fault).

Even though I was sad Terminator X wasn't present, DJ Lord did an amazing job on the turntables, and they had a great live drummer to back it up. Flavor Flav even rocked out a drum beat -- pretty good!

They went way over their time limit, busting into a general PE concert after finishing the album. Totally worth my money, and it caught my breath to finally get a chance to see them after having listened to their music for the 21 years of their existence - buying all their tapes and wearing them out.

By the way, I've got killer Flavor Flav moves that I've cultivated over the years. You can see them if you ask nicely. :)

My attempt at an "Onion" headline:

2008-06-26T15:35:00.004-05:00

Gun control supports express outrage at Supreme Court decision by shooting gun rights activists.

Irony at its best, I think. The alternative:

In midst of celebration of the Supreme Court's decision, gun rights activists shoot gun control supporters.

First mistake.

2008-06-03T17:34:00.003-05:00

I'm usually really good at buying yarn on the internet. So when I began searching for yarn for Peter's seamless hybrid sweater, I wasn't worried. However, I should have known that the curse of the sweater would come back to haunt me. See I started another sweater for him years ago, four years ago to be exact. I didn't like the yarn -- it was brown Rowan Cashsoft DK. Not that the feel of the yarn was bad, it was just that as I was knitting it up it didn't appear to be a color that I thought Peter would wear. I thought the Cashsoft was just too unsweater-like -- too soft and silky. But I wanted brown, so this time around I went with Knit Picks "Wool of the Andes," again, in chocolate. When I got it in the mail, I loved it, and so I stupidly threw away the invoice. Now I'm knitting it up and I don't love it at all, I don't even like it. I've realized what I was missing all along with this sweater -- heather. The yarn needs to be less solid. I guess that's what I was getting at before but could never really identify. I've made one last internet purchase, this time from WEBS, with some closeout Berroco Ultra Alpaca. We'll see if this color satisfies my needs, otherwise I think I'm going to pause with the internet shopping and go back to the yarn store so that I can feel, smell, and see the wool first-hand. Until then, know anyone who needs a boat load of chocolate Knit Picks?

Friday cuteness!

2008-05-30T16:57:00.002-05:00

Her Royal Cuteness (Red Panda @ DC / US National Zoo)
Originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon]

Collective *sigh*.

On a side note, Peter and I went to see the Kids in the Hall last night. They're touring a live show right now across the U.S., though I don't know when it ends. However, if they are coming to somewhere near you, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT! It was so great. I'm not as big of a fan as Peter, though I like them, but it was so funny and so great. They're still relevant and they've still got it!

Synopsis to come...

2008-05-29T09:37:00.002-05:00

Dusk
Originally uploaded by Faux pas

...but in the mean time, you can view all our Seattle photos (minus Peter's broken toe, which he made me delete) here. Enjoy!

It finally IS a sweater!

2008-05-28T11:22:00.002-05:00

My first sweater
Originally uploaded by Faux pas

This post is a little over a week late, but here it is: I finally finished my first sweater! It's the Hourglass Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, knitted in a beautiful green Cash Iroha -- totally worth what I paid for it on eBay.

I used the T-shirt hem method from the Nothing But a T-Shirt pattern, which is still available on Ravelry, but no longer on MagKnits. I knitted the small version, but I added a couple of inches to the body and the sleeves. I also added a few extra yoke decreases to make a narrower neckline.

I'm so in love with this sweater that I took it with me to Seattle this past weekend, despite the fact that it's not blocked yet. It was so warm and springy, perfect for the sea breeze there.

I'm so happy with this first sweater that sweaters no longer seem so daunting. Hence I've got two more on needles already. This jacket from Drops in what has to be my favorite yarn so far Mirasol Sulka, and a seamless hybrid sweater for Peter. I figured after six years together (anniversary next week) it's now safe to knit him a sweater :)

We're going back!!!

2008-05-22T16:32:00.001-05:00

Kerry Park 5 TTHDR
Originally uploaded by manleyaudio

Peter and I leave this evening for a fun-filled weekend in Seattle, including two nights of backpacking in Olympic National Park! I can't wait to introduce him to my new favorite city (sorry San Fran :)). Wish me luck in trying to convince him that the west coast is where we need to be!

Sorry, but I just can't get enough...

2008-05-15T13:15:00.001-05:00

... of sad panda. Awwwww.....

30 years ago today.

2008-05-12T09:10:00.002-05:00

You know, I really thought that 30 wouldn't phase me. I've been calling myself 30 for months now, even years - just rounding up when it was too taxing to try to remember my actual age. But then it comes and it says, "Here, have a few gray hairs and a slowing metabolism to go along with your adolescent acne that you'll never be free of," and it starts to bum you out a little. Not to mention the feelings of inadequacy because you're not exactly where you thought or hoped you'd be at 30.

Peter has been great though. He bought me some beautiful flowers (photo to come when I get it uploaded), chocolate and some great wine. We played games last night and he's cooking crab for me this evening. Plus he's put up with my weekend depression. A girl couldn't ask for more :)

Your Friday cuteness.

2008-05-09T15:09:00.001-05:00

Baby marmoset
Originally uploaded by floridapfe

Who knew they'd be so small when young, and yet still have so much fur?

The just-over-one-year mark

2008-05-06T07:05:00.002-05:00

New hair
Originally uploaded by Faux pas

Well, it's been just a little more than a year since I cut off more than a foot of my hair and donated it to Locks of Love. It has been such a life-changing experience having short hair. You would never believe how differently I'm treated with short hair, for better and sometimes for worse. It makes me want to write an article about it, maybe for Venus? That can come a little later. Right now I just want to vent at how long it's taking my hair to grow back. Here's a picture from a year ago.

Wow that was an ugly haircut. But anyway,d o you see the difference? A little? Besides the fact that I am apparently wearing the same shirt? That's the problem. There's little difference between the two. My hair grows so slow, despite the fact that I'm taking prenatal vitamins. Hopefully next year at this time it will at least be close to my shoulders. Halfway down my neck would be fine. I just need it to get long enough to tuck behind my ears, maybe put into some kind of ponytail... Grow, grow, grow.

I-go Crazy!

2008-05-05T11:39:00.003-05:00

So recently Peter and I joined the I-Go Car Sharing program. For $15 a month we get three free hours and each additional hour is approximately $8.50. This includes gas and insurance! There are three cars just down the street from us, and we've taken out the Prius the last two times. It is so nice, as we've been able to do our grocery shopping at several places at once, including my favorite, Trader Joe's. This is a big deal since it has been a year since our closest grocery store and the fruit market both closed, and we've been trucking it a half mile to the Jewel in the snow, sleet, rain... you get the idea. Plus we've been able to do other things, like finally go to the tailor and get all my pants and Peter's shirts done. Peter's going to take one of these cars to my concert next week, and we may even make an Ikea run soon.

The down side is this: I get super cranky when we're running errands with the I-Go car. Why? Well, you book it for a certain timeframe ahead of time, and so you are limited to the time you reserved. This becomes problematic when traffic is bad, or, in my case, when you have no idea how long a given errand is going to take. As a result, Peter and I have become super-shoppers, running like bats out of hell around the various grocery stores trying to fit in as much as possible in our alloted time. We've actually made a Trader Joe's run from the apartment and back in less than 20 minutes. Including shopping time. We're most efficient when we go to Stanley's, this amazing fruit market that sells super cheap produce. How cheap, you ask? Well, I recently got a case, that's right an entire CASE of strawberries for the low, low price of $.98. Anyway, on Saturday we were at Stanley's doing our crazy go-go-go shopping when the Top Gun theme song "Highway to the Danger Zone" came on the loud speakers. It was fitting, and I used it to keep me motivated as I counted out the number of lemons we needed for homemade lemonade from our most recent Everyday Food magazine (the best recipe magazine ever). By the way, that recipe right there? Great with some pureed strawberries :)

Long time...

2008-04-25T11:42:00.005-05:00

Wow. Sorry about not blogging for so long. I'll try to provide a quick summary of the last three months.

I took and passed the Illinois Bar Exam, thankfully. I ate a lot of marzipan while studying. I awarded myself a new pair of shoes, and Peter some new socks, after suffering through that. Peter and I went to see a taping of Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me!, the NPR news quiz, for Valentine's Day. I got to have my picture taken with Karl Castle, which is almost as good as getting his voice on my home answering machine.The girls and I flew to Miami to visit our friend Tiffany. It was wonderful and warm. I love being there with her.We also had Chris's baby shower. She's becoming a house!

I've been working hard trying to work out. Peter and I ran the Shamrock Shuffle at the end of March, an 8K. I realized I hate running. I still hate it, but it's definitely the hardest exercise for me, and so I get the most out of it. It was super cold and we got there too early, but it was okay, overall. I've since run a few times by the lake, which has been much nicer since the weather has finally turned.

We survived our first earthquake. I woke up when it happened thinking that we were having a tornado, but when I looked outside I noticed no wind. Peter and I decided it must be an earthquake. It lasted perhaps 20 seconds and shook the bed and moved the kitchen table out of place, but obviously no damage. It was actually pretty fun.

I'm also knitting more. I've started a Raverly account to keep track of my knitting and to keep me motivated. I'm doing a hat and booties set for Chris's baby. I frogged my sweater and reknitted it, and I'm back to where I was, getting ready to start the first sleeve. I've also tried to keep going on Peter's scarf, but it's slow progress.

Other than that, the cats are fine, the weather is warmer, and I'm almost 30 years old. I found my first gray hairs the other day, and I think my metabolism has taken a quick turn for the worse, but other than that I'm as healthy as a horse, so I can't complain. Well I can, but I won't.

Friday Cuteness

2008-02-08T08:54:00.001-06:00

Cute Tiger Moth Caterpillar
Originally uploaded by Vanessa Pike-Russell

Most people would not associate caterpillars (glorified worms) with cuteness. But this one - this one is cute. Enjoy!

Mt. Washington - 1, The North Conway 13 -0

2008-02-06T07:56:00.000-06:00

Well, we didn't make it to the top, but I feel like it was a success in that we actually made it to New Hampshire, after being stuck in the Chicago Airport for 8 hours due to snow, and then more ice and snow once we got to Manchester.
We started the climb at about 9 a.m., with lots of wind and snow. There were thirteen of us climbing - most knew only one other person there, so we were all getting to know each other, and everyone was super nice and friendly and helpful. Things were pretty calm below the tree line, though the route was very snowed under, which made for slow going (1-2 feet of snow with every step). Avalanche danger was high, but not for the route we were travelling. Once we got to the Lion's Head Trail, things got tricky. It's very steep in parts and requires some thinking. We were forced to front-point with the crampons and actually use our ice axes to ascend some icy steep rocky parts. I was more worried about how we'd get back down. Once above of the treeline things got considerably harder. The wind was sustained at between 70 and 80, with gusts above 100 mph. It was hard enough walking in 1-2 foot of snow with every step, but then add being pushed into drifts up to your hips and being knocked back 2 steps for every one, and it adds up to taking forever to even make it to the rock outcrop, the Lion's Head. Once there a couple of guys went on reconniasance to check out above, but were quickly knocked back. The winds on Saturday topped out at 118 mph. There was lots of blowing snow and ice chunks. It was crazy. Below are just a few pics, and a video (sorry it's sideways). I'll put up some more pics once other people start exchanging them. Sue took some great ones.

Four Days!

2008-01-29T09:22:00.001-06:00

Only four days left before I head up this beast with my friends Sue and Nancy. I've got all my gear packed, and my pack is superlight. Considering most of what is packed is going on my body, I think this climb won't be too bad :) The weather has warmed up quite a bit. What were lower than -50 windchills seem to have subsided. Today it's 32 degrees up there, which has to be an abnormality. The forecast so far for Saturday is snow/wind with a high of 18 and a low of 2. I can do that. Wish us luck!

Famous Cheerleaders in History!

2008-01-24T15:53:00.000-06:00

So I generally catch a lot of flack when people find out that I was a cheerleader in high school. Cheerleaders definitely get a bad rap, and while some of it is warranted, most of it is not. My high school cheerleading experience was great for may reasons, not the least of which was that we were the only team in the school to consistently go to, and win at, state finals. So, for all of you still scoffing at my former self, I present to you (insert "Pigs in Space" voice here):

FAMOUS CHEERLEADERS IN HIIISTORYYYYY!!!!

Some you may have been able to call, others, not so much, and while I hesitate to classify myself in any category that also holds President Bush, sometimes you've just got to suck it up.

If you still think global warming is a myth...

2008-01-08T12:35:00.001-06:00

2nd Tallest Lightning Rod in the World
Originally uploaded by Nick Suydam

Trying being in Chicago in January. Last Wednesday it was 6, count them, 6 degrees outside. By Monday it was 64. With thunderstorms.... and tornados. Did I mention it's January in Chicago? WTF? We're supposed to be getting violent snow storms, not thunderstorms. Even the buds on the neighbor's trees have come out too soon. When will we realize this is our fault and it is up to us to reverse this? We can't just leave this to our children because 1) that would be selfish, and 2) the changes are happening so fast that we'll still be alive when the worst goes down. Doesn't anyone realize this?

Sweater done and on!

2008-01-04T11:19:00.001-06:00

Mommy and Me
Originally uploaded by johnstom77

Here's Elliott in the sweater that I knitted him for Christmas (my first completed sweater ever).

Your Friday Cuteness!

2008-01-04T11:15:00.001-06:00

deep thoughts
Originally uploaded by A Pandographer (Cassie)

New Haircut!

2008-01-04T10:50:00.001-06:00

Well, it's that time again. Time to do something with this amorphous mop on my head in an attempt to continue the growing-out-but-not-too-awkward phase of my hair. Here's what I'm going for.

The problem with my hair right now is that the top is still too short to do much with it. I need to cut the mullet off the back of my head while I wait for the top to grow out. So I've decided to suck it up and cut the back short again in the mean time.

This is certainly taking a lot longer than I had expected when I first decided to do this. It's almost been a year since I donated my hair!

Best. Concert. Ever.

2008-01-03T15:03:00.001-06:00

Originally uploaded by Sue P

My friend John introduced me to Jon Brion, and I have to say, I'm hooked. Peter and I went to see him at the Harris Theatre on NYE, and despite the rowdy crowd (it was an open bar) the show rocked! Jon Brion is like Andrew Bird on crack - he goes from drums, to piano, to guitar, and records all the parts, looping them and then playing and singing on top. He also takes requests. Lots of requests. Obscure requests. And he enjoys audience participation, like the entire theatre singing Bohemian Rhapsody.

We liked the show so much we immediately went home and bought tickets for a second impromptu show at Martyr's for last night. He was even better in the more intimate setting, though some of the crowd (loud guy right next to me you know who you are) was still annoying. We had to leave after what was supposed to be the show (1 1/2 hours of straight playing - solo), which was unfortunate, as he played for another 2 1/2 hours I heard, and played some really amazing stuff, including an entire John Lennon tribute medley. He's also a musician's musician, calling random audience members on stage to fill in positions at the drums or bass or even vocals. And most of them are certainly up to the task, which is surprising (I exclude Nirvana dude - you suck). Anyway, if you're ever in Los Angeles and you notice he's playing a (becoming rarer) show at the Largo, you MUST go see it. Or check him out the next time he's in Chicago, which seems to be the only other place he plays outside of L.A. Lucky us!

Bacon, Cuteness, and NEW JOB!

2007-12-21T14:51:00.001-06:00

sad puppy
Originally uploaded by leahballia

Friday cuteness abounds in sad puppies!

This is hilarious. You must read it. Especially if you, like I, love bacon.

...and I GOT A NEW JOB for when my clerkship is over in September (fine print - I have to pass the quite-extensive FBI background check, but that shouldn't be a problem).

I will be working for the Department of Justice in Washington D.C.! I'll be in the Antitrust division as a criminal prosecutor. I'm really excited. Send me good wishes!

Friday Cuteness

2007-12-14T15:27:00.001-06:00

Super Ray
Originally uploaded by *MSM*

This, my friends, is Super Ray. Found on Flickr's "Explore."

BTW, I have exciting news... but you'll all have to wait until Monday to find out what it is... I'll post pictures of my knitting then, too.

Friday Cuteness... and whale name vote!

2007-11-30T10:22:00.000-06:00

This is the newest baby Beluga whale at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago. So cute.

In other news, help name the humpback whales travelling on the circuit, via Greenpeace! (hint, Mr. Splashy Pants, my favourite name, currently has a ginormous lead :))

Wednesday Cuteness

2007-11-21T16:41:00.001-06:00

Portrait of Mei
Originally uploaded by cassiemichellewright

Okay, so we're going home for the weekend, so I thought I'd post the Friday cuteness a couple of days early. Enjoy!

It's on!

2007-11-07T11:11:00.001-06:00

mtwashington11
Originally uploaded by stevesheriw

Yep, my next mountain adventure has been scheduled. Sue and I are flying to New Hampshire in February to climb Mt. Washington with our Rainier climbing buddy Nancy.

If you aren't familiar with Mt. Washington, it is an interesting mountain. Not too tall (something like 6000 feet) but it boasts record-setting weather. The observatory on the summit has recorded the lowest temperature on earth, as well as the highest wind speed. The weather on this mountain is more severe than on any mountain in the world, including Everest!

The good part is that it isn't always so severe, so we're hoping for some decent summiting weather, or at least weather that won't force us to turn back.

Now I just need to invest in some gear...

Odds and ends

2007-11-05T13:37:00.000-06:00

We just got back from my friend Kate's wedding that was this weekend in Indianapolis. It was a killer wedding, the most posh event I've ever been to. Peter had to wear a tux, and the menu was a pairing of filet mignon and Chilean sea bass (I know we are not supposed to eat endangered fish, and we never do when making that choice, but I have to tell you, this is one delicious fish that I will never eat again, but it was worth it.)

We also went to see Dan and Mandy's new baby, Jacob. He is SO adorable. And BIG! OMG is he big. He was the size of a 2 month old when born. He's four and a half months now and is growing out of 6 month clothing. He's already sitting up by himself, it's crazy!

Finally, as you may or may not know, the writer's guild has gone on strike. One more reason to love Jon Stewart? He's not only supporting his writers, but he's going to pay them for the next two weeks out of his own pocket. That's a great boss.

Okay, back to work.

Here it is, your Friday cuteness!

2007-11-02T08:51:00.001-05:00

Baby pandas put your baby to shame.

Drink Responsibly

2007-11-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

I am soooo glad that the Daily Show has finally gotten its archive back in business. Even Stephven (or Stevphen, depending on which way you want to put that) was my very favorite segment. This isn't exactly a clip from that, but its my favorite anyway. I love the way these two worked together.

Ah, it was good while it lasted!

2007-11-01T15:26:00.001-05:00

Stephen Colbert is unfortunately no longer running for president, as the South Carolina Democratic Party just voted to keep him off the ballot due to his lack of national viability. He won't try for the Republican Primary because you have to pay $35K to get on their ballot. I loved this line, though: "Opponents such as Howe argued Colbert would make a mockery of the political process." No, Mr. Howe, Colbert wasn't making a mockery out of the process, the process itself is a mockery, he's just pointing it out.

Rockford moving on!

2007-10-30T12:37:00.000-05:00

I know that this post is a little late, but I wanted to give a well-deserved shout out to my "little brother" Brogan. On Friday night, during a playoff game against Traverse City West, Brogan intercepted a pass on Traverse City's two-yard line and ran 98 yards for a touchdown. You can see the clip of his play here, (he's number 2, above) and read about the game here. Amazing. They've got a few more games to go before the finals, but after the great upset of Muskegon, they can do anything, even make it back to the Dome for the fourth year in a row!

Just a little Friday cuteness!

2007-10-26T10:48:00.000-05:00

Mini-pigs just born in England. Small as a teacup. As the Chicagoist noted, "it's the kind of cute that's a total punch in the ovary." Too right. Enjoy.

Back on the knitting wagon!

2007-10-19T09:07:00.000-05:00

So I originally was attempting to stick to one project, and one project only, until finished. That project would be my hourglass sweater, which I am SO in love with. However, when I went to the knitting store yesterday to get size 7 double points for the sleeves they were out, and I was forced to come up with some other knitting projects to occupy my time during my double cross-country jaunt on Monday and Tuesday for job interviews (I'm flying to Washington D.C. on Monday morning, flying from there back to Chicago and on to LA on Tuesday morning, and flying home from LA on Tuesday night.) So I got needles and yarn for three projects that I will be knitting alternately until my double points come in.

1) The Child's Placket Sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I'm doing it with Jaeger Merino DK in a chocolate which I had bought in mass quantity for a sweater that I was going to knit for Peter, but no longer am (it waited too long and isn't as stylish as it looked three years ago).

2) The Henry Scarf from the fall issue of Knitty. This is going to be Peter's christmas present (he already knows) to go with his nice winter dress coat that is a cholocate brown. I'm doing it in a tan heather alpaca yarn that comes from a women's cooperative in Bolivia.

3) The Foliage Hats, also from the fall Knitty. I have some extra Malabrigo lying around, so I wanted to try this cute fun pattern. They will also be Christmas presents for people who do not know, so I'm not disclosing their names.

I knit up a swatch and started the sweater last night. I expect it to go pretty quickly, which is good since it's for a baby, and they grow so fast. I'll post pictures of my progress.

Wish me luck on my interviews! I'll definitely need it!

Finally, the details!

2007-09-30T15:42:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I know you're all itching to hear the story behind my climb. Sorry it took so long :)
Let me start by saying what I've said to some of you already - this was by far the hardest thing I have ever done, both physically and psychologically. Now, originally when I would tell people that I was going to climb, the response that I overwhelming received was: "Yeah, my sister did that." or "My church group did that a couple of years ago." Every time I wanted to say, "Really? I highly doubt it," but I didn't want to sound like a jerk. I mean, it is likely these people went to Raininer, and even hiked around the park, or maybe hiked up toward the high camp. Maybe even made it over the snowfield to the high camp, which is totally do-able for the majority of reasonably-fit people. But what I think nobody realizes is that Rainier is not just some old mountain that you can day-hike up. I don't know if the pictures will do it justice, but hopefully you'll be able to get a sense of what it was like.
I arrived on the Thursday in Seattle. Sue arrived shortly after me, and we met two other people who were going to share a car with us, Nancy, a grad student from Conn., and Alex, who had just come off a 70-day NOLS course in the Yukon, and you could totally smell it! We drove to the bunkhouse and checked in ate dinner and tried to get some sleep. The next day we had climbing school. We hiked about an hour into a small snowfield. It was cloudy and chilly. We spent the day learning basic mountaineering skills like how to walk in crampons, roped up to one another, and how to self-arrest and team-arrest if one of us were to fall. That was the most fun part, at least in the safe confines of a cravasse-less snowfield. We'd go barrelling down the hill on our stomachs, or on our backs and then have to throw our ice axes into the snow and swing our bodies around and kick our crampons into the hill to stop the fall. By the end of the day I was getting really excited to get out there and climb. Most of us went and had dinner together at this little restaurant down the street, and then I spent some time in the outdoor hot tub. I was the only one there, it was pretty chilly outside, and the stars were amazing. Exactly how I want to retire, that's for sure.

On Saturday, we packed up and headed out, getting to the trailhead at about 10 a.m. The first part of the trail is suited for day-hiking, with some of it even asphalt - about four miles worth of steps. Then we arrived at the snowfield, which leads up to Camp Muir at 10,000, where we'd be staying for the evening. Even though we were on snow, it was quite warm and nice. We made it up to Camp Muir at about 3:30 in the afternoon. There we were told to repack everything in our packs so that when it was time to get up and go, we'd be ready to head out quickly. Then we ate and drank lots of water and they put us "to bed" around 6:15. Obviously I couldn't sleep a wink. I just lay there thinking about how hard this was going to be, and tried to rest. At about midnight, one of the girls in our group got up and was violently vomitting outside. At first we all thought it was altitude sickness and that she'd have to be rushed down right away, but it turned out to be food poisoning, and so she was left there in the hut while the rest of us left for the summit. Kind of awful, I know, but I guess that's really how things go in the mountaineering world. We started out for the summit at about 1:30 am. The moon was out, and it reflected beautifully off the glacier. We were roped up three to a guide, Sue and Nancy and I were together, which was great. We traversed over the mostly level Cowlitz glacier, then climbed the scree (loose rock) in the Cathedral gap, which is difficult in crampons. Then, because of the lateness of the season and the lack of snow, we did not climb the difficult and scary "Dissapointment Cleaver" but instead lost about 400 feet in elevation going around it and then reclimbing back up the Emmons glacier. We stopped every hour or so for a break and the first thing we did was slap on our parkas. The wind was awful, and besides the crazy angle of the incline (you can see how steep it is from this picture taken on the descent). I kept getting blown over into the side of the mountain. It was terribly hard on the legs, but they teach you techniques like pressure breathing (to help in the thin air) and rest-stepping, where you lock your supporting leg before taking your next step to give your resting leg a split-second of complete rest before placing weight on it. It doesn't seem like much, but over thousands of steps it really helps. We climbed what the guides were calling the "Hillary Step" named after this very difficult vertical section right at the end of the summiting of Everest. Ours was much shorter and more manageable. (See photo on right.) We saw the lights of Yakima and Seattle, and saw the sun rise through these clouds which was really eerie. We reached the summit about 8 a.m., making good time. The summit was really windy and cold, and kind of anti-climactic because it's not really a summit at all, but a giant crater - 3 miles square. We spent about an hour up there and then started down. I was terribly tired because I wasn't drinking enough water (I was too cold to drink more cold water) and my food was pretty frozen. We started down on shaky legs, but it warmed up quickly and the wind died down, and so we were stripping layers in no time. It was a whole different world on the descent. Going up was very zen-like, as all you could really see was the spot made by your headlamp in front of you, and so it was easy to just focus on that and keep going. But on the way down it was very clear how close we were at all times to death. One slip on an icy patch of snow or a wrong step into a crevasse and you were done for. We also had to be much more careful on the way down, concentrating on not tripping over ourselves on account of our fatigue. We made it back down to Camp Muir at about 1 p.m., and then boot-skiied down the snowfield. We finally made it off the mountain at about 4:30 p.m. I was so tired and my feet and knees were killing me because of all the steps down. I thought I'd lost toenails, but luckily I didn't. My boots were great, and I only had one blister! At that time, though, I thought I'd never do anything like it again, but when I woke up the next morning still being able to walk, I realized I really liked it. So I'm hoping to go back this next spring for a mountaineering skills course and another attempt at the summit. I met a bunch of great people who hopefully I will be able to see again and climb with. Nancy invited Sue and me out to do a winter attempt on Mt. Washington, which I'm really excited about. Plus, there were 18 people who all raised $3500 apiece for this great charity, and that was just on one climb! I'm happy to have been able to be part of something so great and for such a great cause.

Top of the world?

2007-09-05T11:19:00.001-05:00

IMG_1505.JPG
Originally uploaded by Faux pas

Well, not really, but top of the 21st tallest mountain in the world (by prominance)*? Yes. Top of the most difficult endurance climb in the lower 48 states? Yes, again. It was by far the hardest thing both physically and psychologically I've ever done in my life, but I'm so glad I did it, and when I stop being so sore, maybe I'll have developed the bug that will require me to purchase an entirely new set of different gear and get my butt up some more mountains. I'm thinking Anconcagua next. Anyone up for joining me?

More details to come...
*"Prominance" is the elevation of a summit relative to the highest point to which one must descend before reascending to a higher summit. While the size of mountains has generally been judged simply by their height above sea level, many mountaineers are now measuring the size of mountains by their elevation relative to the surrounding terrain. This also factors into the difficulty level of climbing a certain mountain, because of the amount of actual elevation gain involved.

The Cubbies

2007-08-30T04:29:00.001-05:00

DSC05720
Originally uploaded by ballparkjebusites

We went to the Cubs game last night against Milwaukee. It was my first Cubs game and I had a great time, even though we lost. The place was packed. When I originally bought the tickets Peter was a bit disappointed in the matchup, but now, since the Cubs have been going back and forth with Milwaukee for the lead in the division, it was a highly-energized game. The stadium was packed even though the weather was threatening and cool. We ate hot dogs with grilled onions "dragged through the garden" as they say here in Chi-town. Chicago definitely does have the best hot dogs.

We left after the 8th inning, as it was getting late and I had to get up so early this morning (note the post time - hee, hee). Cubs were down 6-1. All in all, a good time.

It's time!

2007-08-29T15:40:00.001-05:00

Mountain through the clouds
Originally uploaded by eyduck

I fly out tomorrow morning at 7 a.m., and arrive in Seattle at 9:30. Sue comes in around 10:00, and then we wait for another climber, Nancy to arrive around noon. We then drive to Ashford, WA, where we'll be staying at Whittaker's Bunkhouse. Peter Whittaker is also the owner of RMI, the guiding service that we'll be using for the climb.

Friday is a day of climbing school, where we'll learn to walk roped up without tripping over ourselves in our crampons. We'll also learn the art of the ice axe rescue. Saturday we climb to Camp Muir at about 10,000'. Then we rest during the afternoon and into the evening, beginning our ascent around midnight.

We should top out at about 8 a.m., lounge awhile, visit the other side of the crater to bag the "actual" peak of 14,410', and then it's another four or five hours back down. Sue, and I and Nancy will then be driving back to Seattle, where we'll drop Nancy off at a friend's house, and we'll be heading to a posh hotel and dinner, hot tub, and bed, in that order and quickly. We both fly out on Monday.

I'm excited, but nervous. Keep me in your thoughts this holiday weekend.

Last weekend

2007-08-28T16:28:00.001-05:00

Brogan's First Game
Originally uploaded by Faux pas

We went home last weekend so I could get in one last good hike up the ski hill. I put on about 45 lbs and did about two hours worth of climbing without stopping. I wasn't as sore as I thought I would be afterwards, nor as tired, so I think I'm finally ready.

We got to see little Elliott, he's so cute! I'd never held a baby so small before. I totally want one now. Peter's not so ready :)

We went to Peter's brother Brogan's first football game of the season on Saturday night. He plays Varsity (he has since he was a freshman practically). He's a junior now, playing both offense and defense. It was pretty fun. I'd been to a couple of his playoff games before, but hadn't been to a regular season high school football game since, well, since I was in high school, which was a long, long, time ago.

Baby Elliott is Here!

2007-08-22T12:07:00.001-05:00

on the way to the NICU
Originally uploaded by johnstom77

Our friends Matt and Melanie just had their first baby, an adorable little boy named Elliott Matthew Butts. He arrived a bit early, (about 10 days) after - get this - only 1/2 hour of labor. We could all be so lucky. Peter and I will be home this weekend to meet him. I've never held such a little baby before, I'm SO excited. Also, I finished another set of hat and booties for this little guy over the weekend.

Holy Shit!

2007-08-08T09:45:00.001-05:00

rainier space needle
Originally uploaded by davesbit

Seriously. From this angle, I feel like Rainier is coming down from the sky. That thing is a serious monster and I'm am now wholly terrified to think that in three short weeks, I will be climbing it. That seems unreal. I can't imagine flying into Seattle to see this and then start driving towards it. OMG!

What do you think?

2007-08-01T16:57:00.000-05:00

Okay, I can't help myself. This one is just crying out to be talked about. A sports reporter said the other day that Vick (the Falcon's quarterback arrested on dog-fighting charges) would be better off having raped a woman where he would have only likely suffered a four-game suspension. An outcry from a number of sources forced this reporter to apologize and he will no longer be reporting in this forum. But the point that he raised is interesting in a different context. Why is it that we, as a population, leap so quickly to chastise a man who has allegedly and brutally killed a number of dogs, but get very suspicious of women who allege that a sports figure in a similar position raped her? Do we value the life of pets over the safety and protection of women? Do we believe that most women lie about being raped in order to get fame/money, but dead dogs never lie (no pun intended)? While I whole-heartedly agree that Vick's conduct, if proven true, is heinous and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, I can't help but feel that, had he been accused of raping a woman, the public would have reacted the way it did, or he would have been suspended pending investigation. The point the reporter raised is a good one, if not for the reasons he raised it. It's worth discussing. So....discuss!

Countdown to car!

2007-07-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

So I've convinced Peter it is time to buy a car. Well, not immediately, but by the end of the year. We've (I've) sort of decided on the Honda Fit. It's got four doors, manual transmission, a iPod jack (very important for road trips), tons of leg and headroom, (even though it looks tiny) and best of all, all the seats do crazy things. (Check out the photos. You gotta love the one with the llama hanging out in the back seat.) The front seats go almost all the way back, making rest stop sleeping easier. The bottom of the back seats fold up, allowing you to put tall things in there. And, because of the front seat, back seat folding-combo, you can put things as long as 2.4 meters all the way through. Plus it gets 38 miles to the gallon and is within our price range. (We'd love to have a Prius, but its just a bit too pricy for us.) I'm really excited as not having a vehicle and having to rent all the time is really getting to me, personally and financially. While we rent cars in the winter for $12-18 a day, in the summer that jumps to $25-35. It's ridiculous. Go Fit!

Rania and Booties

2007-07-27T16:55:00.001-05:00

Rania and Booties
Originally uploaded by Faux pas

Two posts in one day? I'm CRAZY! I just got this picture in my inbox from my friend Eleanor. This is her adorable baby girl Rania wearing the first pair of baby booties I ever knit. I'm so glad they fit, and she looks so adorable in them. Really gets the maternal clock ticking. If I learn how to sew I can completely remove myself from the baby clothing market.

Seattle Skyline from Kerry Park

2007-07-27T16:48:00.001-05:00

Seattle Skyline from Kerry Park
Originally uploaded by phillipschip

See that? See that ginormous thing rising in the background of the Seattle skyline? THAT my friends, is what I will be climbing up just a month from now. And so, if your question is "do you need crampons?", the answer is "you bet your bottoms I do."

I'm excited, though a little nervous. We just had our conference call the other day. The good news? The scree (loose rock) at Dissapointment Cleaver is covered in snowpack, which means less chance of having to navigate falling rocks from above, or having to walk on them with crampons. The bad news? At this time of year crevasses open up which require ladders over them. Yes, I will be crossing a crevasse, measuring possibly hundreds of feet deep, on a horizontally-placed aluminum ladder. Luckily they put 2x4s over the rungs so its easier to cross with crampons.

And just by the way, this picture TOTALLY makes me want to move to Seattle.

July 4th Zoo Trip

2007-07-13T12:56:00.001-05:00

Grizzley
Originally uploaded by Faux pas

Peter and I went to the Brookfield Zoo on July 4th and I have to say it was WAY better than the Lincoln Park Zoo. (Obviously the draw to Lincoln Park is that it's free.) We played with stingrays for over an hour and got to feed them as well. One bit my finger, which didn't hurt, and they'll come up and suck on your hands. They're like water cats, rubbing up against your arms. We also saw lots of other animals, all the photos of which can be found on my Flickr page.

Oh, and also, I got spit on by a llama. Don't tell anyone.

More knitting!

2007-07-10T21:59:00.001-05:00

Baby hat and booties
Originally uploaded by Faux pas

"Post more often!" she said. "Less political content!" she said. "More knitting posts!" she said. So, for the one person who reads this blog, I give you, a knitting post.

Ignore the flash bulb, it was the only way to get a good sample of the beautiful color of this angora yarn that I used on these, my very first, baby booties. The set you see before you is going to a very special baby boy born in mid-June, and who is so big, he will not likelly fit into either the booties or the washable wool hat that's softer than his oh-so-soft baby's bottom.

These booties were my first attempt at double knitting, a technique I must say I like more than knitting small things in the round. Both patterns came from Joelle Hoverson's Last -Minute Knitted Gifts. The bootie pattern was a little confusing, but I eliminated one "turn," and it turned out fine.

Junk Mail

2007-05-17T19:31:00.000-05:00

So Peter's been getting a whole bunch of weird mail lately. It started out with three Disney DVD's. The next day he got a subscription to a scrapbooking book club. (Which, by the way, I find really weird. I mean, how many books about scrapbooking can there be?) This week he got a bunch of Marvel Comic memorabelia from Scholastic, and a subscription to children's books. At first we thought maybe it was a disgruntled defendant signing him up for things (while these things come to our address, our apartment number is notably missing). But it turns out that everything is already paid for, by an American Express card, which is not a card of ours. Peter's been continuously calling these companies and sending these things back, but we haven't found out whose card is being charged for all of this. It's totally weird. Even though we're not being charged or invoiced, we've decided to finally make the small investment of a shredder, just in case. I think what I find most funny about it all is that every one of the things sent are completely the opposite of our lives. Childrens books/movies and scrapbooking? Why couldn't someone send us the complete OED or pay off our student loans? Seriously.

Syria-who?

2007-05-04T16:27:00.000-05:00

Not much to say, tired from another week of training, Peter's sick (again) and I'm babysitting tonight, so hopefully I'll get a bit more knitting done. Per Christine, I will attempt to add more knitting content to the blog. But (On soapbox) I did want to say...

WTF? Did not the Bush administration just make a huge honking stinker of an issue of out of Nancy Pelosi's trip to Syria, stating that the visit sends the wrong message because Syria is a state sponsor of terror? And then, just over a month later, who's meeting with the Syrians but Condoleezza Rice? Now, there's no mention of this about face from the administration. They act as if it was just always planned. That's what really gets me about this administration. It's very 1983-ish, changing history to fit whatever it is they want to do now. "Mission accomplished"? "Slam-dunk"? "Greeted as liberators"? "No doubt that Iraq has weapons of mass destruction"? I could go on and on. (Off soapbox) Okay, have a good weekend.

New do!

2007-05-03T08:27:00.001-05:00

IMG_1231.JPG
Originally uploaded by Faux pas.

Well, I said I'd never do it, but I did. I chopped off all my wonderful blond hair and donated it to Locks of Love. I was inspired by Peter's sister-in-law, Katie, who had just done the same thing. I also wanted to know for sure that I did not like having short hair (I hadn't had my hair short since I was nine years old.) I can now say for certain that short hair isn't for me. Especially short, brown hair (there was a mess up on my first haircut and to fix the color they had to go about 3 shades darker than my natural color.) But luckily, hair grows back, and now, at least, one more child with cancer will get a nice wig.

Oh, Alberto...

2007-03-30T20:48:00.001-05:00

Heroic Secret Service Agent Takes Question Intended For Bush

Well, I think Gonzales is finally on his way out. It seems the White House is frantically scrambling all its talking points into a "support pyramid," which will then crumble, just like it did for Donald Rumsfeld. Oh, Rummy, those were the days. Your hand gestures, your deep philisophical discussions.

Interestingly, I heard this morning on NPR that Gonzales's chief of staff, Kyle Sampson, had only tried one criminal case in his whole career. Just who we need to determine what federal prosecutors should be booted for not doing their job (i.e. prosecuting Republican hacks).

I am really getting tired of having incompetent people in my government. I think they should have to take a test...I mean, I had to take one to get into law school, college, and to become a lawyer. Why shouldn't you have to take one to prove you can run the country?

What the world is coming to....

2007-03-28T08:12:00.000-05:00

I'm currently reading "The End of Poverty" by the renowned economist Jeffrey Sachs. It's a great book, explaining how, through very reasonable means, we can end extreme poverty in the world in our lifetime. (Extreme poverty being the kind of poverty where people are unable to survive on their means - hunger, lack of drinking water, death by diseases such as AIDS and malaria, lack of access to medical facilities, electricity, roads, good farming, etc.)

Now, I'm not here to preach on a pedestal like I'm some saint, I know most certainly that I am not, and I am just as much of a consumer American as a lot of other people. That said, however, I am appalled at this new craze with the book "The Secret" which Oprah so wrongly put on her reading list. I credit Oprah with getting a massive amount of Americans to read Steinbeck, and Garcia Marquez. So I am disappointed to find this book on the list, which is being read by every other person on my morning train.

The crux, it seems, is the notion of the "law of attraction." Meaning, think about the thing you want really hard, and it will then be attracted to you. In some ways this applies to a love interest, or other non-tangible items, but mostly it appears the examples are material goods - a BMW, a toy, etc. Great, just what we need, more people focusing more attention on themselves and thinking more about what they don't have and want and feel they need, instead of thinking about what they already have - like clean drinking water, electricity, and wonderful mass transit. The juxtaposition is amazing. The people I see reading this book do not appear to be lacking in the material goods department. They are business men and women on their way to at a minimum decent paying jobs downtown. I don't understand, in a world where there are so many needless deaths because of the failures of rich countries like ours, how people worry more about that new blackberry than worry about the death of another human being from something so curable, like hunger. If people read "The End of Poverty" at the same rate they are consuming this other crap, maybe we really could end extreme poverty by 2025. I could only hope.

Long time

2007-03-27T14:28:00.000-05:00

So I was on the elevator on Friday with an older gentleman and here is our conversation:

Him: Still raining out there.

Me: Yup, just in time for the weekend, too.

Him: Well, at least we're still above ground.

WTF? What the HELL does that MEAN? I've been trying all weekend to figure it out and the only thing I can figure is that he meant at least we're not dead. But I'm still not sure.

On a happy note, my boss just got married to a woman who he's known for 58 years. They were neighbors. His wife died 12 years ago and her husband recently passed. Combined they now have 13 kids and 38 grandkids. Nice to know it is still possible to find love so late in life.

This past weekend I started training again, after coming off hernia surgery. I went to yoga on Saturday (Bikrim, which I LOVE) and ran 3 1/2 miles along the lake on Sunday. I started riding my bike on Monday to work, but got a flat and had to ride back home on it and then take the train. I'm taking it in to the bike shop this weekend for a tuneup, which I should have done anyway. But I am proud that I put on a back fender all by myself and without a bike tool even (thank god for IKEA and their allen wrenches...) I couldn't do the front fender or the rear rack, however, because of complications with my bike (the front fender needs a hole in my frame near the wheel that is there on one side, but not the other, and the rear rack needs to reach two holes in the frame that are unreachable through or around the back brakes). I'm not that skilled. But hopefully I'll be riding to work starting sometime next week, and hopefully it warms up again for that...

New knitting

2007-03-03T14:22:00.001-06:00

Hats for Charity Auction
Originally uploaded by Faux pas.

I ALMOST forgot to photograph these (after my failure to photograph ANY of the knitting I did for Christmas, which included 6 hats, 2 scarves, a headband and a set of mittens). So here they are, my beauties. I knit these two hats for my alma matter law school's Public Interest Law Charity Auction. The proceeds from the auction go to fund students who dedicate their summers volunteering for public interest organizations, rather than sell their souls for $26,000 a summer to a big firm.

These hats were knit with Manos del Urugay yarn. The pattern on the left is a modification of a fair ilse pattern from the winter issue of Knitty.com, and the pattern on the right is my own design.

Danica Wrap

2007-01-06T11:14:00.001-06:00

Danica Wrap
Originally uploaded by Faux pas.

So I was a knitting fiend this fall, knitting five hats, two scarves, a headband and a pair of mittens for Christmas presents. However, in my fit to get them done and sent out, I failed to photograph anything.

So instead, I am invigorating my knitting blog by showing the wrap I knitted from the Danica scarf pattern from knitty.com. This project is what got me through studying for the bar, and the long plane ride to and from Peru.

New Year's Resolutions

2007-01-04T08:53:00.000-06:00

So, I have three resolutions for the new year:

(1) Join a sangha. I've inquired about mediation and services The Buddist Temple of Chicago. Zazen meditation on Sundays at 9 a.m. and services at 11. I'll let you know how it works out, as I'm going this Sunday, and hopefully dragging Peter with me.

(2) Start taking dance classes again. I have my first "ballet" class tonight at Joel Hall Dance Center. It is a class specifically for people my age who either haven't danced or used to dance and want to get back into shape. I'm hoping that this will progress into regular higher level dance classes after this 14-week intro.

(3)Be better at remembering people's birthdays. I am buying a small calendar in which I will put all birthdays. I realize that I don't need to change the calendar every year, because though the day of the week will change, the dates of the birthdays will stay the same.

So far so good. However, it's only day number 4 of the new year. But, judging how few people there were in my yoga class last night, I'm more on track with my resolutions than many others...

Oh, and by the way...

2006-12-12T10:54:00.001-06:00

I PASSED THE CALIFORNIA BAR!! I'm a lawyer now, for real. Scary.

My Machu Picchu Trip...

2006-12-12T10:53:00.001-06:00

Afternoon view
Originally uploaded by Faux pas.

...was wonderful. I spent a whole month in Cusco aprendido espanol, and then I did the four day Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. It was an unbelievable experience. You can see all my pictures here.

Sorry it took me so long to post!

...by the way, I GRADUATED.

2006-06-03T17:39:00.000-05:00

Me.
Originally uploaded by Faux pas.

About damn time, let me tell you.

Bienvenidos a Miami!

2006-06-03T17:21:00.000-05:00

Dinner in Key Largo
Originally uploaded by Faux pas.

The vacation to Miami was WONDERFUL. It's been 10 years since I'd had a vacation composed entirely of days on the beach, grilled dinners, and a day of snorkeling. While the weather was kind of cloudy (and rainy on the day of snorkling, so we didn't get pictures) we got tan, got salty, and got very relaxed. We also saw two eagle-spotted rays (both about 6 feet across) and a shark (Peter says it was a nurse shark, I think it was a reef shark). Peter got bitten by a little spider crab thing, and we ate sea food every chance we got. Now onto Bar/Bri. Ugh. 8 weeks to go.

Machu Picchu here I come!

2006-05-17T16:47:00.000-05:00

Yes, the post-Bar trip has been booked. I'll be spending three weeks studying Spanish at The Machu Picchu Spanish School in Cusco, Peru, and then I'll be doing the 4 day - 3 night Inca Trail trip with Andean Trails. It will be a bit of a whirlwind, seeing as I fly home from the bar exam on July 28th, go to my 10 year class reunion that evening, and fly out to Peru on the 29th. Then, the day after flying home, I'll be at my friend Sarah's wedding in Milwaukee! Crazy, but worth it. I can't wait.

Welkommen! Bien Venidos! Bon Jour! Ni Hao!

2006-05-16T14:59:00.000-05:00

Welcome to my very first independant blog. Since the guys over at Reidsrow Omnimedia have decided to shut the operation down, I've decided to forge ahead with my own blog filled with... well, I don't know yet. Probably some stuff on law, some stuff on studying for the California Bar Exam, some stuff on politics, knitting, my cats. Whatever the hell I feel like talking about, mainly. So, while I'm sure nobody will be reading this but me, at least it will be a good outlet. And if you are reading this, drop me a line for some self-esteem support, will you? Thanks, you can now carry on with your regularly scheduled web-surfing.