What does it say about me?

That when I see the Yahoo logo...

...and the skater girl goes skating and jumping and spinning across the pond...

...I will keep rolling over it to see what happens and end up kind of disappointed that she doesn't end up falling through a hole in the ice?  Hmm.

Holiday guilt.

If there is one thing that is universal, it's guilt.  Even more universal (if that's possible and for now let's assume it is) is holiday guilt.  This is what they should put in christmas stories that you hear by the fireside and in winter jingles that are supposed to perk you up but just end up being depressing when you hear them in November.

Today's guilty dilemma:  the donating of the blood.  I will always be thankful to my mother for dragging me along as a kid with her when, like the decent person she is, she donated her maximum four times a year.  It always surprises me that donating blood is still so sweepingly unpopular.  I remember in high school that it was the cool thing to do because you got an awesome sticker that had magical powers to make people be nice to you because you gave.  I don't know if it's the fact that you have to take a measly 30 minutes out of a busy schedule to go and give someone a pint of life or if it's something completely different.  But I do think that our lives (and society in general) is all about convenience (fast food, anyone?) and donating is often seen as too much of an inconvenience.

Well.  Imagine being the one injured and needing a transfusion.  Those things are just so inconvenient too.

Anyhoo, my holiday guilt right now is split.  See, I have this big list of knitted things to finish before the big G (Giftmas, or Christmas for all you still fooled into thinking all this commercial crap is done in the name of Jeebus).  And to get all of it done, I'm going to need my left arm. 

And therein lies the conflict.  If they take blood out of my left arm (because apparently that's the only one that works) I will fall even further behind.  Which is not good.  

But...I can always knit after the holidays (though dammit this was going to be the year I got stuff done) but if someone needs blood it's not like they can wait, ya know?  So yes.  I am going.  I only considered postponing for about 3 seconds.  But I still feel the guilt that I was willing, even for 3 seconds, to put fiber (some lovely fiber at that) above someone's bleeding ulcer/severed arm/ruptured spleen.

So when my family is making fun of me (don't you just love family...*grumblegrumble*) remind me to show them my HUGE AND AMAZINGLY UGLY BRUISE that I got while saving someone's life.

PS--Oh, and for today's knitting content...

Forgive the crappy Photo Booth picture but that's the back of the Misbehavin' vest.  ALMOST FREAKING DONE.  That finishing of objects thing I mentioned?  It might happen yet.  The blanket is on row 109 of 121 and if I don't make it all the way through the chart I won't be disappointed at all.  It shall be all blocked and pretty this Saturday (thanks to T for the use of her tub and carpet woot).  I still hate gloves with a passion previously unknown to man and beast, but they shall be done too.  Also, clogs will be officially done tomorrow! when T and I going a-felting.  Woot!

Totally reasonable? Or...

Overly optimistic and foolishly suicidal?  You decide.

There are 9 days left until Giftmas.  9.  That's it.  And while I am closer this year than any before to actually finishing everything on my list, that little voice of reason in my head is screaming hysterically, "What the hell were you thinking??? You'll never get everything done!!! Abort! Abort! Abort!  Assume the fetal position and begin with the desperate tears!"

Well.  That voice is mighty persuasive, let me tell you.  But my will (otherwise know as a ridiculous sense of determination) is strong and I shall persevere.

The List (with most recent (but not really all that recent) pictures):

Fibertrends Felted Clogs for Cousin 2 -- DONE!

Fibertrends Felted Clogs for Cousin 3 -- DONE!

Hannah Hat for Cousin 3 -- DONE!

Broadstreet-style Mitten/glove things for Cousin 1 -- not so done and make me feel stabbity.  Note to self:  quit it with the gloves.  You don't like them, so don't think that this time will be different.

[no picture...imagine a half-done lonely single glove in navy blue yarn]

Swirling Gauntlets for Cousin 2 -- not so done but rather fun

Hemlock Ring Blanket for the grandparents -- not so done but getting there.....sloooowwly.  I've figured out if I do two rows a day between now and Giftmas I can get it done.  Just realized that I didn't factor in the bind off.  *twitch*

Misbehavin' Vest for mom -- not so done and the pattern writer makes me feel stabbity.  You cannot write "as the spirit moves you" on a pattern and not expect me to take your name in vain.

Dr. G's Memory Vest for pops -- not so done and in fact barely started.  I've accepted that there is no way that I can get it done in time, especially with everything else.  But as the smaller stuff gets done, I can at least get started.

Brigid socks for aunt 1 and 2 -- not so done....and these are from last Giftmas.  Yes.  I suck.  I know and I've moved on from this.

And there are a couple of pairs of socks for the grandparents which were what they asked for with their Giftmas coupon from last year.  Yeah, not in a rush on either of these.  Oh well.

On the non-fiber front, I was really hoping to have a new job at the beginning of the year.  There is a certain degree of suck and awesome with the new job but overall it would have been a good move.  But I haven't heard from them since November when they said they were going to be hiring over the next 7 months.  Don't they know I have a schedule of my own and they must follow it?  Economy being what it is, it'd be a great opportunity to save money and work a somewhat more life-fulfilling job.  But I am grateful that I still have my job and am not unemployed and filing bankruptcy and living on the street and can still afford the essentials (read:  lovely yarn).

Back to the fiber.  It calls to me.  Did I mention that it tells me shameless lies?  It does.

From the Detroit Free Press...

Pardonnez-moi???

Anyone else sooo not ready for this???

"We've only just begun..."

Seriously.  Summer started yesterday, pretty much.

Right now it's 9:45 p.m.  And it's almost completely dark outside.  

What the freaking fuck.

It's like summer's already over.  Or something.

Okay I just depressed myself a lot.  On to happier things.

Come on, baby, light my fire...

I'm continuing the random titling from yesterday.  Go me.

Today was Stitch & Pitch downtown at the Indy Indians game.

There was no sunburning to speak of.  So, even though they lost to the Mud Hens, I'm counting today as a win.

There was much knitting.  I had the remains of the May Flowers yarn from ThankEwe that I used for my mom's mommy's day socks (which I totally forgot to photograph before gifting...whoops).  Tam was working on her second Augustus Gloop sock, to which I admit I'm kind of partial.  There was someone right behind us who was learning to knit and making some great progress, too.  (Hooray!  ¡Arriba la Knitting Revolución!)  We got some free stuff courtesy of Stitches & Scones.  Okay, it was novelty yarn.  But my sense of thrift (or what some might term an obsessive attraction to all things free or discounted) still has an appreciation for it.

Hmm what else to mention...perhaps...oh...just maybe...THE RED WINGS GAME 4 WIN?!?!?!?

WOOOOOO.

Seriously.  I can't wait for Game 5 (Monday at 8 on NBC).  Favorite and most nerve racking part of the game?  The 1min. and 28sec. that the Wings were down by 2 men.

That's right.  A freaking 5 on 3.

Wings only allowed 1 shot (with no score) during that power play and almost had a goal of their own.  I bow down to their hockey greatness.

Also, before I go to bed so that I can get up and go to work (boo work and its internet-less-ness), I found the Quit Now Challenge.  Pretty much you pledge to give up an addiction of your choice (or more than 1 if you're brave) for one month.  And since it's June that's only 30 days.  Well, 29 for me because I'm starting a day late.

Anyhoo, I'm going to give up/change behavior regarding the following.  Let's see how long I last.  Woot.

(ETA 7/1: This part deleted because I did, well, none of what I said I was going to and I don't want to shame myself.  That is all.)

That's all I've got for now.  I reserve the right to alter goals as I see fit, so there.

Time for bed.  Boo work.  Here's hoping we have power (okay, I might be kind of wishing we're still without power) and internet.  Dear god or god-like figure, please give me back the interwebs...the compulsive internetting mentioned above is only regarding internetting spent at home.  Work doesn't count, says I.