I love fireworks like a fat kid loves cake

My husband doesn't love fireworks, so I drove three hours to my grandfather's house to go to fireworks with people that love them. That my friends is dedication.

Tour de erin Day 3 (July 4)
Goals: work on socks, read Fallen Angels

goals= met (Yeah, they were easy)

Tour de erin Day 4 (July 5)
- rest day!
Yes, I realize it is too early to have a rest day, but I was in the car and had other things that I had to do so I sure did take one. I think you get two, right?

Tour de erin Day 5 (July 6)
goals: finish foot on sock
get one pattern repeat done on The Triad Scarf
get one repeat done (one owl) on Owl Baby Blanket (I'm making this up as I go.)
Finish Fallen Angels
Also, I need to get laundry done, the kitchen cleaned, and meals planned. Yup, I'm adding this to my goals for today, too. That is why it is Tour de erin. I do what I want.

I'm the smoothie master

After years of wishing I could make decent smoothies I finally found the right amount of "pour this and that in" to make it work.

This is embarrassing because I was once employed as a blender jockey. (I used to bartend at a Chi-Chi's- and that's pretty much what I did -- run blenders. Well, actually, I watched more VH1 than anything.)

Anyhow, I'm delighted that I finally get the idea of how to make a smoothie. I've had one daily for about a week now.

Tour de erin Day 2 goal:
- turn heel on flutterby sock
- rip out stupid ribbed baby blanket and instead cast on a cool baby blanket using the owl stitch pattern that is used on everything. Here's an example.

Tour de erin Day 1 goal:
- complete

I'm thinking that in order to really meet my summer goals I need to add reading in to the tour de erin. I supposed I could make reading goals on the week days, right? That way I won't have failed yet!

The Great Gatsby- Fitzgerald

It amazes me how many "classic" books there are that I never read in high school. This is one of them. I read it, for the first time 7 years ago, when I got my current teaching job. I had 2 days to read it before I started teaching. (That's a crazy story, but I think one that many teachers share.) I was also reading Great Expectations for the first time during this time period as well as rereading To Kill a Mockingbird. I had to teach all three of these books at the same time and it was fun, but stressful. Now that I have read them all I would be fine to do this, but then it was a lot of work. I didn't love Gatsby when I read it then-- imagine-- but in this second go 'round I really enjoyed it. I really like books where crazy, unexpected things happen. I also really like books where someone realizes the faults of everyone else, but doesn't feel the need to run it in their faces.

This book is basically about wealthy (or at least some that pretend to be wealthy) people that live their lives doing whatever the hell they want with little to no regard for anyone else. If that doesn't entice you to read it I don't know what will. Seriously, if I tell you any of the plot I feel like it ruins the book.

Tour de erin

Of course, the first day of Tour de erin I have decided to change things. All the rules previously set still apply, but I am adding one more caveat. Each day I will set a new, separate goal for that day.

Day 1:
Knit the entire leg of the flutterby sock. This is a super quick knit sock. I did nine repeats on the top of the first sock, and I timed myself this morning when I cast on the second sock (see. I'm following the rules I set out yesterday) for one repeat and it takes 23 minutes. *
As a side note I used to think I was a fast knitter, but watching videopodcasts and listening to audio podcasts have assured me that I am not as speedy as I thought. So, with not much on the docket for today I think I can finish this goal. Right now I have 5 repeats finished and we just put Felloship of the Ring in so I feel good about finishing the leg and even moving on to the heel.

Tour de erin might just be a success!!!

Tour de... something

If I was in to spinning I think I might get more excited about Tour de Fleece, but I don't spin. Last year I tried to make my own Tour de erin and I failed, completely. I'm going to try again this year for Tour de erin.

Tour de erin rules:
- Knit for two hours every day.
- Nothing can be cast on until something else is cast off.
- Second socks must be cast on the day that sock on is cast off.

I have a lot of things on the needles right now, and I have even MORE things that I want to knit so this makes a lot of sense to me!

The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier

I'm getting a new teaching load this upcoming fall and one of the things I am teaching is a remediation class. I am really excited about this class, and I am ever more excited because the previous teacher did a wonderful job of picking a great variety of books. This book is one of those. It is young adult fiction, but really related well to the students and has some "adult" things in it that I think they will enjoy reading about.

The Chocolate War is about a private school where the students are asked to sell chocolates to help the school raise money. (Yes, so far this sounds really lame and like a million other books, but it isn't.) There is a secret society in the school, mean teachers, students that really see what is going on, violence, talk of sex... it is an interesting read. If I told any more about the book I would give away what takes place so if you're interested in this sort of thing-- or have young adults that might be -- you should read it!