Long time, no post for me! I can hardly believe that the post below (with the giant stocking) was over a month ago. Work went all-out-crazy and I've hardly had time to blow my nose since then. Luckily, I finished the stockings before it went too nutty. And stupid me didn't take a picture of the second, but imagine it like the first, with the colors reversed (his starts green and has a green heel/toe, hers red). The friend I made it for loved them, she said her husband told her they were exactly what he had envisioned. Yay!

Now work seems to have calmed down a touch, and I've been knitting a scarf for Ryan. I am using two different shades of green from Morehouse Merinos, using their two-strand weight because anything heavier makes too warm a scarf for my hot-blooded husband. No pictures yet. It's not exactly a surprise, since it's hard to hide the fact that I am knitting for him when the only time I have to knit is at home and he's always here. Still, I'd rather not post progress and made it any easier for him to see. It's cool though - I am striping the lighter and darker yarns randomly, using a 2x2 rib. It's very soft and I think once I block, it'll look fantastic.

Yesterday I made some peppermint bark, very similar to this stuff from Williams-Sonoma, which is a gajillion dollars a tin (though I see it is on sale for only three-quarters-of-a-gajillion). Sure, I could afford to buy it, but charging that much offends me when it is SO easy to make - first crush some candy canes in a ziplock bag. Melt some semisweet chocolate (I guess you could use milk, but I like semisweet), spread it out on a Silpat (you could use parchment but the Silpat is soooo nice). Chill it for a bit until it's firm, do the same thing with the white chocolate, and then sprinkle the candy on while it's still melty. I found it helped to press the candy bits in a bit with the palm of my hands so they'd adhere better. Chill it again, then trim off the excess with a chef's knife, and cut or break into pieces. I preferred cutting it into semi-irregular trinagles - it isn't quite brittle enough to break cleanly.

Speaking of brittle, I also made peanut brittle today. I used this recipe, taking into account the changes suggested by one of the reviewers. It's cooling now. Mmm, I just broke off a teeny piece and it's yummy!

All of this candy is to go in pretty decorative boxes which we will bring to Missouri and give to relatives as we go visiting for Christmas. I'm looking forward to seeing Ryan's Mom's side of the family. We're staying with Aunt Rosemary and Uncle Dwight, who are just the nicest people ever. We'll get them a "real" present in addition to yummy candy.

Thank you Wendy, Marney, Shetha, Lisa and Melissa for your suggestions on the stocking pattern! Turns out that yes, there was a bad bad typo in there, and the 17 stitches for the instep should've been 27. I did that, and it worked out just fine. It's not blocked and I still have ends to weave in, but check out my friend's big-ass stocking! If her husband gives her a woman-leg for Christmas, it'll fit in the stocking!



Now it's happily blocking in the livingroom. Ryan wanted to add something to the pic to show the scale, so that white rectangle is a standard-sized credit card (upside-down, so don't bother trying to get the numbers!)




Now I have to make her husband's, which will be the same except green at the top, heel and toe.

ARRRRGH!

Work hell has abated for a while, after my 72-billable-hours week. Now I am in Xmas stocking hell. Someone help meeee!!!

I am using this pattern, courtesy of the ever-fabulous Wendy via my comments. I'm not doing the applique stuff - just using it as a basic framework, and I'm doing it in stripes. I figured working flat would be easier for me than in the round, since I'm not a sock maker and don't feel like figuring out everything when I'm doing a project for someone else under a slight time crunch.

So, I'm merrily knitting along and have a nice looooong piece of knitting, when I get to the Divide for Heel section. Let me call your attention to the previous direction, and then to the Divide for Heel direction:

Dec Row: K1, SSK, k to last 3 sts, k2 tog, k1—59 sts. Cont to work in St st, rep dec row every 10th row 3 times—53 sts rem. Work even until piece measures 13-1/2" from turning ridge, ending with a WS row.

Divide for Heel
(RS) K13 and sl to holder for right half of heel; k17 and sl to 2nd holder for instep; k13 for left half of heel. Work on these 13 sts only.

OK, so if I have 53 stitches remaining (which I do), and I slip 13 of those to a holder, then another 17, that's 30 stitches slipped to a holder - which leaves 23 stitches remaining. But you'll see that the last piece of that says I have 13 stitches and I'm working on those 13 stitches only.

Um, what happened to the other 10 stitches? Yes, that's right - they're SITTING ON MY NEEDLE MAKING ME CRAZY! Am I crazy? Am I reading something wrong? Is there an egregious error in this pattern? How do I fix it? (Assuming the answer is not that I am crazy)

Heeeeeelp meeeeee wonderful knitting-blog-readers!!!

Merlin is doing much better. He's a good patient, easily taking medicine once it's ground up into his food. And he's good-natured, so that makes things easier, too. I feel bad that when we are sleeping or not at home, we have to keep him shut up in Ryan's office. He hasn't peed anywhere but the litter box since Thursday night, but we're not taking any chances until he's much better. And can have a bath. He's kinda icky right now.

I'm icky, too. I was at work from 2pm until 2am on Saturday. That made Sunday a blurry day. Now I'm back and waiting for a job to route to me so I can go. Hope it happens before 7. I also just found out I need to be back here at 8am for a conference call.

I'm tired of work.

Wow, what a week. As I write this, I'm sitting in my office, not exactly thrilled to be here on Saturday night, but resigned to it. I put in 60 hours before today, pretty much not leaving the office until 8, 9, 10, or midnight, depending which day you're talking about. Whee.

The worst was Thursday night, though. At 11pm, I called to check in with Ryan, and he told me Merlin - our fattest cat - had just started peeing all around the apartment, and it was bloody. He called our vet and they said they were still there (until midnight, apparently - good to know) and bring him on over. I met them there around midnight and we had to leave the poor boy overnight (the cat, not the husband!).

The next day they confirmed (via ultrasound and x-rays) that he has a mass of crystals in his bladder - Feline Urologic Syndrome. The blockage is bad, but not total, so they said it can be treated non-surgically. He stayed 2 nights there, and came home this afternoon with special food (Hill's S/D), an antibiotic, and a urethral relaxer. He's home with Ryan and is going to have to stay in Ryan's (rugless) office until he's back to normal a bit. They said it'll be about 6 weeks before he's fully better.

Poor Merlin. I feel bad that he's in such pain. Ryan said he'd seen him straining sometimes in the litter box, but I had never noticed it, and it wasn't until the past few days when he suddenly started exhibiting real symptoms. Poor little kitty. At least Ryan was home and able to catch it before it got even worse.

We did get a good excuse to replace our old, ripped up (by Merlin, who is too heavy to make it up on the bed cleanly and occasionally grabs on and falls anyway) down comforter. He peed just enough on it to make it unsalvageable. Actually, any pee on it is pretty much enough for me.

So, he's home with the kitty, I'm here at work, and no one is having any fun this Saturday. I hope tomorrow will be happier.

I was so excited about the Quiz sweater that I didn't get to tell you about my fantastic Saturday. First, we went up to the Dia:Beacon museum (which I mistyped as Dia:Bacon so many times that I now call it that). The museum is built in an old box-printing plant, so the space is just tremendous. Lots of white space, and lots of light.
 
I'd say it was about 50/50 interesting work and pretentious crap. I like the way it's organized. When you enter a gallery, there is a little box on the wall with 8.5 x 11" laminated cards discussing the artist and the work. Much of the work was actually more interesting to read about than to look at.  I did love some of it, including this hard-to-describe string sculpture by Fred SandBack. It looks like mirrors and solid space, but it's just friggin yarn (yay yarn!) Apparently, the artist committed suicide back in June of this year. Sad. His work was really interesting.

I think my favorite piece there was this really amazing piece made from painted metal scraps. The artist is John Chamberlain.


 
As you can see, it's tremendous and so colorful - one of the few colorful pieces in the museum! It's called Privet but it looks like seaweed floating up from the ocean bottom to me.
 
The thing about contemporary art is that a lot of it doesn't beckon you to stay and stare at it for hours, to study it. (Not that I often feel that urge anyway, but Ryan does quite often.) So, we were done in about an  hour and a half, and headed for some lunch. I had read on chowhound.com that there was a good restaurant called Cathryn's, in nearby Cold Spring. I had the most delicious gnocchi with gorgonzola-walnut sauce. So rich, so good.
 
After lunch, we wandered the quaint town a bit, but found it very yuppified, and thus too pricey for our desires. A few miles down the road, however, we discovered a cute yarn shop called Knittingsmith, and stopped in for a bit. The woman who runs the place was very friendly. I was wandering through the bookshelves and found my goal - Deb Stoller's Stitch'N Bitch!

As I was thumbing through it, my name caught my eye, which was awfully nice. It made me really miss the whole group. I haven't been to the NY Stitch'n Bitch in far far far too long. Once I moved to Brooklyn and we had a ridiculously cold winter filled with work and wedding-planning madness, I got out of the habit. I would like to start going to the new Brooklyn edition, but we're in the midst of an insane product launch at work so I don't know if that'll happen before Thanksgiving.
 
Continuing down the road, we realized we were just on the other side of the Bear Mountain Bridge from shopping nirvana, so we headed to Woodbury Common for some outlet shopping. We got there around 5, and had 4 lovely hours to spend. Holy crap, we discovered the evening is the best time to be there! The crowds are gone, it's much quieter, and you can actually get up close to the stuff you might want to buy. I got a shirt and a sweater at the BR outlet, as well as a cute-as-a-button pink sweater with an intarsia bunny face at Lucky Brand. and Ryan scored some great pants and a shirt at DKNY. We also got a really cute lasagna pan, platter with a cute fruit print, and a new bath mat at Williams-Sonoma, using only about $45 of a $140 merchandise credit.
 
You think this is over? No way, Jose! It's only 9pm and we're only an hour from home. What better time to go to Dave & Buster's? I hadn't been there since I met Ryan, and he'd never gone. Dinner, then we played lots of games. I beat 5 people at the Daytona racing game! We paddled down whitewater rapids, played basketball and skeeball, and got briefly obsessed with that game where you drop the coins down and hope they knock other coins over the edge so you get tickets. We're suckers for that shit. Dinner cost us only $25 and a $25 game card lasted us until half-past midnight, at which point we turned our tickets in for two D&B water bottles and a D&B thermal coffee mug. Ryan even got them to pour him a coke into his water bottle on the way out.

So, we saw some art, some pretty fall scenery, had a great lunch, discovered a new yarn store, bought a fantastic knitting book written by a fantastic person, went outlet shopping AND played hours of video games. How are we going to top that next weekend?!

I'm thinking I probably shouldn't be all that proud of this.



But I kind of am. Fun quiz, courtesy of Jackie. Go ahead and take it yourself

On the other hand, what I am immensely proud of is this.



I finished the knitting and seaming last night, and picked up the buttons today at M&J during lunch. (The best thing about my new office is its proximity to fabric and trimming shops.) I was even thinking ahead and picked up an extra button, which I will enclose for Lisa, for the inevitable moment when one pops off or breaks. I'm sure I'm not the only person who's even done that, but I felt pretty smart when it occurred to me.

Here's an odd note - Meredith, if you're reading this, I can't seem to get email through to you. I got the "your email is delayed" note from Verizon. But I really appreciate your offer of a stocking pattern and would love to see it if you can find it!

OK, a friend has asked me to make her a pair of Christmas stockings. She wants something like these - the striped one on the left. I've never made a stocking or a sock or anything like that, so I'm wondering how to proceed. Does anyone have a pattern? Or any advice on how to find a pattern? Is it easier than making socks? I am totally looking for advice, so please weigh in no matter how big or small your tip is!

Oh, and before you ask why she doesn't just buy that one for 19 bucks, she wants different colors, and she wants their names on them, and she wants them about a foot longer than that.

I'm back to working on the Quiz sweater. The sleeves are striped so they go just slightly more slowly than the rest did, but hardly a difference. The big question is whether I will be able to deliver the gift in person or just have to ship it up to Lisa. We're all so busy and holiday time just makes that worse.

Ryan and I have developed an amusing morning tradition. He's been working at a freelance gig a block away from my office for about a week now. Every morning, we come out of the subway, and into the Manhattan Mall, where there is a player piano. On Monday it was playing "Our Love is Here to Stay," and we got goofy and danced a few bars to it. It's continued every day, including some mean swing dancing from Ryan (I was laughing so hard I could barely follow) this morning. Then he goes off the the exit, and I walk a few feet over to the super-secret entrance to my office building, where the security guard is always amused. It's a very sweet way to start the day - I hope it lasts as long as his freelance gig does.

I think that along with my slowly-redeveloping discipline, I might be ready for a more ambitious knitting project than I have done in the past. Not that knitting four bridesmaid tops wasn't ambitious, but it's not like the pattern was difficult. Straight stockinette the whole way. I'm not much for wearing wildly patterned knits, but something with some pretty cables or lace ribs, or something like that would be nice. Time to start going through the books and magazines. I feel like I saw some stuff in last Fall's Interweave Knits that I wanted to try. Wish I could figure out where I put it!

I have been posting on a particular message board for a while, and watching it deteriorate into nastiness and accusations. A lot of it is aimed at a woman I became friends with in the real world (and whose wedding I went to back in May) and who sort of uses the boards as an outlet for her frustatation, and is thus often a real bitch online. She's been flamed (and worse) far beyond anything she deserves, and I finally got tired of watching it today. I deleted my membership, and I feel much better about it now. I was wasting too much time and mental energy on that crap. There were some nice women there, but experiencing that kind of nastiness day after day is just not worth the minimal payoff. It's amazing how absorbed you can get in that kind of community - I feel so free having deleted my membership!

Wow, talk about a busy weekend! Friday night we had a double date with Amy and Steve, and saw a fun show at the Upright Citizens Brigade. It was really funny, and nice to do something a little more interesting than seeing a movie (for only seven bucks, too!).

Saturday we went out to Leanne's house for a Fall party. Lots of kids, lots of food, lots of dessert. We ended up staying there quite late, going back for round two of the main courses a few hours after dessert. Then it was back to Brooklyn for another party at Bill and Andrea's. Andrea is my friend Cara's cousin, and they just got married a few weeks ago, with Andrea wearing my veil and headpiece as her "something borrowed." It was so nice to be able to lend them to someone - they deserved another trip down the aisle. She had some pictures, and they looked just beautiful on her. Now they're back home just in case I have an emergency wedding need.

Sunday we decided to take advantage of our extra hour and clean the apartment. I mean seriously clean. We did the bedroom, office, bathroom, kitchen and storage alcove before we collapsed. Tonight we'll finish off the livingroom and bask in the glow of our incredible cleanliness.

I'm hoping the cleaning kick has started me off on a better foot, lifestyle-wise. I've been very undisciplined and lazy for months. I recently started going to the gym again, which is helping me to feel better. But I need to be more conscientious at home, rather than sitting on my ass in front of computer, Xbox, television, etc. I think once I get back into a real routine, I will likely knit more, too.

So, back in May or June, I (and several other NY knitters) spoke with a woman doing an article for Newsday about knitting. I think she posted on the Stitch'n'Bitch list to find us. We had a lengthy phone interview, and she said the story would run on June 4th (it stuck in my mind because that was the day after my birthday and I wasn't sure how old I should say I was when she asked!)

Two weeks ago, I got a call from someone at Newsday asking for photos. I returned the call, leaving a voicemail, and never heard back from them again. Today, the article appeared in the paper. I was misquoted. Actually, more like she made up quotes based on what I said and attributed them to me.

I am pissed. I know, it's knitting, not world peace. But she made me sound like an idiot. She has me saying that I saw my bridesmaids outfits on In Style and decided to make them because of that. No, I told her I saw an In Style Weddings special in which I think the bride had made the girls' sweaters and I got the idea to make them tops from that, but those weren't even close to what I made. She also has me calling knitting needles "sticks," which is something I have never ever done. I use circs, for goodness' sake, most of the time. Not very "stick"y. She also might have wanted to check in since she knew I was now married to see if I changed my name or not (I haven't officially just yet, but I am using my husband's name socially whenever I can.)

All in all, it's sort of a letdown. I feel like I need to give those caveats to anyone I send the article to, and thus I haven't sent it to anyone. My dear friend Leanne is also quoted in the article - she hadn't read it when I spoke to her, so I don't know if she was misquoted, too. Also, the reporter totally missed the point that Deb started the S'n'B, and that that's why she had her book party there.

Bleah. I am disappointed. The woman who wrote it (who was doing it as a freelance job - she's not a staff reporter) was very nice, and the article reads well. The only problem is the facts aren't quite correct. Oh well. I guess "close enough" is close enough these days.

First off, Shetha pointed out what Ryan pointed out to me offline - the Quiz sweater is almost exactly the same colors as my blog. Funny! I do love the colors.

In other news, the ChicKami came clean, and I tried it on. Not bad! I think it grew a little when I washed it, but I'm thinking I might be able to remedy that someday with a quick wash and toss in the dryer for a bit - gotta check the yarn again but I think it said machine wash. Anyway, here it is!



Yes, I cut off my own head because my hair looked so scary and I had such a goofy expression in the picture. But I like the cami a lot, and can't wait to either go somewhere warm or for Spring to come so I can wear it!

Zipping right along on the Quiz sweater. I finished the front this morning, while I am home fasting for Yom Kippur.



Ryan gets home from his Mom's tonight, about an hour after I stuff my face at sundown. Yay!!

I was certainly industrious yesterday! After my very relaxing facial and shopping trip with Amy, I came home and did some knitting. First, I finished off the ChicKami, as Charlotte suggested. I discovered that I had somehow gotten a spot on it while I was knitting (that's what I hate about working with white!) so I hand-washed it and it's drying now. Pictures when it's dry and ready to be tried on.

Once I was done with that, I started the Quiz sweater for little Alex. I'm not doing it in black and white, though - especially after the disaster with the colors running on the Moo blanket. Instead, I'm doing it in lilac and lemongrass, which were the yarns I got free from Mission Falls to replace the Moo yarn (yes, I picked the colors with this sweater in mind). So far, I've finished the back.

Making baby clothes is awesome, because it's such instant gratification! I have a feeling I will finish this fairly quickly, with Ryan away and me being home tomorrow for Yom Kippur.

Brrr! I guess that nice warm autumn is over! I guess it's not actually that bad, but because we had such a crap-weather summer, I feel it more now that it's cold. I should start knitting myself something warm and squishy, since it seems unlikely that I will wear my 95%-finished (one strap to do) ChicKami anytime soon!

Work is a little crazy - we moved to our new office this week and it's been quite the adjustment. A good adjustment, as I can take a more convenient subway, and the space is much better, but it's still disorienting.

Ryan's away at his Mom's this weekend in Kentucky. She's been having a rough time so he went to spend the weekend and hopefully help her find her way out of it. I was just glad I didn't have to go, honestly. I miss him, but I'm doing girly things, including a facial at the Aveda Institute this morning, with a friend. I've never had a facial, so I am really looking forward to it. I think we're going to do some shopping afterwards, too. Whee!

When on earth am I going to remember to print that damn ChicKami pattern and bring it home? Probably November, when I can no longer wear the Kami! Grrrr!

Several people in my office got quite a chuckle out of this link, posted in my comments by Genia. Thanks for the laugh! I feel like purchasing a digicam and starting this trend in my new office.

By new office, I mean the new office my current company is moving to in just over a week. They're moving us in three waves, actually, and the 2nd wave goes this Friday. The Healthcare division is last. The cool thing is as long as everyone is packed by 5pm next Thursday, we get Friday off! I tell ya, I will be going around the place and packing random shit in boxes if I need to, to get that free day.

Doesn't look like Isabel is going to hit us too much. Probably just high surf and cruddy weather, but no true "excitement." I hope it doesn't cause too much damage for folks down South.

So I am 3/4 of the way through my ChicKami, and I would be finished with it except I lost the printout of the pattern on my way home from Miami, and I downloaded it at work, and keep forgetting to print it out when I am there. Grrr. I better remember to do it tomorrow, so maybe I can finish it and wear it this week while it seems to still be warm!

Ryan and I did some wandering around the neighborhood today. We stopped at Knitting Hands on Atlantic, and I was surprised to see the store somewhat in disarray. Not a terrible mess, but not nice and neat as I have seen it before. I feel bad. I think they are probably struggling. But they have never been helpful to me, and the one time I tried to special order something, they didn't even bother telling me it was backordered until I called long after it was due in. If a LYS can't provide the extra level of service over an online outlet, why should I frequent it?

Next project is to knit a sweater for Alex, my friend Lisa's son. I'm thinking about this cute little Quiz sweater from Mission Falls Wee Knits Too. But after the dye-running experience with the black and white, I won't be using those two colors. To compensate me for that problem, they sent me my choice of yarns, which were Lilac and Lemongrass. I'm thinking it could be cute to do the background Lilac, and the "?" and stripes in Lemongrass. Or is it too girly? He's totally unmistakeable as a boy, so that's not an issue, but I'm not 100% sure. I also have to see if Lisa likes the pattern, and she hasn't called me back yet to look at it. I'm so impatient - I would love to just get it started now!

I just haven't felt like posting lately. Been busy, and tired, and doing other things. But I didn't think I could let this day go by without saying something.

Two years later, the buzz around this anniversary is quieter, but it's still there. They say they haven't increased the threat level, but there was a cop outside my office last night, holding what looked like an M-16 rifle (I'm told the NYPD doesn't use those, but whatever it was, it was big and dangerous and meant to impress). You can't tell me that was a coincidence.

I'm pleased that I'm watching the Today show, and among all the coverage of the memorial downtown, I haven't seen any footage of planes flying into buildings, or burning towers. It seems more respectful to focus on the loss, rather than the visual sensationalism. I don't know if that will hold up, and maybe I just haven't seen it, but at least for the moment, they have gained some of my respect.

It's a beautiful day today - just like it was in 2001. My life has changed for the better in so many ways since then. I was unemployed, single, wondering if my boyfriend was truly serious about me and where my life was going. Today I am working full time at a company I like and earning enough to support myself and that boyfriend who has become my husband. I'm basically happy, though there are still so many loose ends.

But so many people's lives have changed for the worse. Those who lost loved ones on that day, and those who escaped with their lives but who may never fully get past the trauma they experienced. They are the people I will be thinking of today, and wishing well.

So, I'll tell you my Blackout '03 story:

I was sitting in my office, slacking off, thinking I should get something good done, when it got really quiet. The AC had gone off. Then the fan slowed down, and the lights went, and then the computers, all in quick succession. The fire alarm went off an instant later, and Mary Jo (my officemate) and I looked at each other, said something like "here we go," grabbed our bags, and headed for the fire exit, which was right across from our office. I am sort of ashamed to say that we didn't go to get anyone else and make sure they got out. Then again, we're not appointed Fire Wardens or Searchers, so our job is to get our own asses out so those folks don't have to search for us.

The bad news - I was wearing a white skirt, a cotton sleeveless sweater with a mock t-neck, and 2.5" chunky-heel slides (Aerosoles, so not as brutal as it could be, but still not walking shoes.)

The 15 flights down were not fun in those shoes, plus I have a fear of falling down concrete stairs like the fire stairs. Luckily, the emergency lighting was on, so it was quite bright in the stairwell. Of course, no one had any idea what was going on, but it was very calm and people just moved. When we hit the street, we headed towards what we thought was the designated meeting area, but we were totally wrong.

It didn't matter much because we ran into my upstairs neighbor, who works with us, John. He was looking for his wife, Amy, who works at a competing agency across the street. Their emergency meeting place was in the hotel right there, but she apparently forgot. No cell phone service, though I was able to see that I was getting voicemails, and I was texting Ryan, but it said it didn't go through (it did, and he got "u ok?" four times, hehehe, but couldn't reply!). Mary Jo left to go try and get to NJ, and John and I found Amy and set off downtown, on foot.

I just mapquested it, and it is 7 miles from my office to my apartment. In heely slides and 90-degree weather. Ick. My feet hurt so much and my clothes were almost totally soaked through halfway home. We also discovered that it takes 44 blocks to run out of conversation. Found some empty payphones and called our Mommies. My Mom was powerless, too, and had been out at Fortunoff buying us some placesettings with a store credit when it happened. Such sacrifice!

We bought water for a reasonable $1.50 a bottle, no price-gouging for us. I was pleased to see that. It was wild walking across the Manhattan Bridge. They closed off the inbound lanes, and it was just a sea of pedestrians. Like a tremendous March of Dimes, except no one was dressed for it. It was around then that I started really worrying about the fishtank - Ryan has a 55 gallon saltwater tank, and we've been told they can only go about 4-5 hours without filtration and aeration. I was really sad, almost crying, about the fishies.

Major stroke of luck in Brooklyn. We happened to walk down Livingston Street, and saw a lit-up ATM. This small bank had a generator, and the guys who worked there said it was the only ATM in the city and made "cha-ching" sounds, which was funny, in the situation. We each took out $200, just in case.

4 hours after we set out (the first hour was spent gathering and finding Amy), we walked up the steps to our apartments. Boy was I happy to see Ryan, who had been there for nearly 3 hours, since he was downtown when the whole thing started and just wandered on home. The fish were alive, and he had changed some of the water and was hand-aerating it in an effort to keep them alive. I stripped, showered, and soaked my feet. We sat in the car with the AC on for a while, listening to the news, then came in and ate feta cheese, olives, pickles, and chinese dumplings by candlelight. I have so many scented candles I think this should be called Aromatherapy Blackout '03!

We hit the car for a bit again around 10:30, then came in and went to sleep. I slept like a baby after that walk! We were awakened to still no power but loud garbage trucks around 7:30. We walked into the livingroom and found...LIVE FISHIES!! All of them! At 8, while we were gaping at the fish, suddenly the filter bubbled to life, and we both did a little happy dance. Yay electricity!

Cable and Internet didn't come back until about 2, while we were out getting Frappucinos. Good-luck Frappucinos, it appears! They say there may still be rolling blackouts, so we're trying to go easy on the power, but we need the AC to keep the fishtank cool and I just can't deal without the internet right now! I hope everyone else is faring well!

It's nice to have a project going that's for me, for a change! I'm making the ChicKami, using some yarn I picked up at a Smiley's yarn sale well over a year ago. The yarn is from Paton's and is called Leila - it's a 100% cotton thick-and-thin yarn that feels very nice and seems to be knitting up with a nice texture. It's white, and I'm thinking this will be a nice go-with-anything comfy summer top. Let's hope it stays warm enough for me to finish it.

This is the first garment other than a hat that I have knit in the round. It's cool to know I don't have any side seams to sew later, but it's such slower going because the rows are so much longer. I've probably got 3-4" done so far, though, and I started it on Saturday morning and haven't spent a ton of time on it. We'll see if this converts me to in-the-round stuff. I dunno. I don't terribly mind sewing things up - it's kind of fun to watch the garment take shape that way. But, I now have a sewing machine, so I can always get that satisfaction there, if necessary.

In other news, I have an evil migraine. They've definitely increased lately. "Lately" being the past few months. I've been taking Zomig, and usually have to take a second dose to knock the headache back, and today that doesn't even seem to be working. Ugh. May have to go for a neuro consult to see what's up there. Joy joy joy.

Still busy rewriting stuff at work, and putting out lots of fires. It's tough because I feel so unmotivated most days. Pharmaceutical advertising is not exactly a wonderfully creative field. I work in a place with wonderful people, and the job can be interesting and challenging, but most of the time I just wish I could do something else. Eventually, I will. But right now, it pays far too well for me to leave, given that Ryan is still getting his new career started.

But it makes me grumpy some days. Especially in the mornings.

I need to start a new project - something to knit. I have a lot of leftover purple silk and someday would like to make myself a tank top like I made for my bridesmiads, but I think if I do another one of those now, I will actually implode. I want to make something pretty and happy and just for me. I'm thinking about Bonne Marie's cute Chic Kami. I may just go and buy that pattern after I post this. I've got plenty of cotton yarn lying around the Ikea cabinet just begging to be made into something, and I think it'll make me feel better to do it.

Still alive, just kind of quiet. Been very busy actually working at work. Part of it has been cleaning up a mess made by another writer who totally plagiarized a clinical study and did a lame-ass job of it at that. Grrrr.

I need to get a project going but haven't had the opportunity to sit down and figure out what to make. I was going to do the whale blanket for Alex, Lisa's new son, but it turns out someone crocheted a baby blanket for him, so I don't feel like duplicating it. She said she'd love a sweater, so I guess I just need to find a cute pattern and see what she thinks of it. I wonder if I will ever make anything for myself again? So far, not motivated to do so, but I'm sure that will change.

Our photographer has about 45 of our wedding photos posted on his site if you want to take a look. Is it wrong to be so in love with one's own pictures? It's not so much the pictures of me, just the whole thing. It was such a wonderful day, and the pictures really capture it.

I can hardly believe it's August already. The summer took so long to arrive and now it's halfway over. It's bringing me down. It always goes too quickly. I'm hoping it stays warm long into the Fall this year.

I haven't posted in a while, which I suppose is fairly obvious. I guess I was resting on my wedding-photo laurels for a bit. And being busy trying to get up to speed at work. I came back to a new client, new boss, and a new medical condition to learn all about. It's like getting a new job except I never interviewed for it. Kind of overwhelming, and I really miss my old boss, who said she cried when she had to let me out of her group (the other group desperately needed me, apparently). We're working on getting me back in hers someday.

Other than that, it's been mostly just settling back into reality as Mrs. Wifey. This past Saturday we went returning/exchanging some gifts that were duplicates or just not really what we wanted. That was fun - store credits at Williams-Sonoma and Bed, Bath, and Beyond are never bad things! Sunday we went to the beach, which was beautiful, though the water felt colder than ever after being in Hawaii for so long!

I still want to make Lisa the baby blanket with the whale, but I haven't gotten the yarn yet. I will have to look online and get it ordered ASAP. We're headed up there this weekend, finally, to meet the baby. I can't wait!

We got our professional proofs back from the wedding, and they are supposed to be posted online soon, so I haven't posted scans of them. The photographer isn't going to post ALL of them, of course - just a selection, so you should feel lucky. My guess is we have around 1000 proofs to go through. Yipes! It was such a nice day, he said he was like a kid in a candy store, which is why there are so many.

I still can't get over how nice the bridesmaids looked. Every time I show someone a picture, they are so amazed that I made the tops. If I quit knitting today (not gonna happen, despite the lack of action on that front!) I would at least feel I had accomplished something truly impressive.

Thanks, Jo for the link to Photo Navy for some reliable and free photo hosting! I replaced the links in the post below, so you should be able to see pretty pictures now.

OK, so I re-published, and now I can see all the pics. Can you?

OK, very irritating. The photos all show up in the "edit post" dialog box, but not on the actual blog. I'm linking from ofoto images, so maybe it doesn't get along with the blogger template? Weird weird weird. Maybe I'll try and steal their resized versions and put them on my server space.

Are you ready for a nice long post? Brace yourself. ing day – which really was the happiest day of my life so far, all clichés aside.

THE “PREGAME”

I woke up at 6:30 and showered for my 7:00 hair appointment. This is a.m., in case you hadn’t guessed. Ryan stayed at a hotel the night before, and for various reasons, none of my bridesmaids stayed with me, which was actually what I preferred. I wanted to sleep, not gab, and it worked out really well. I probably fell asleep around midnight, and at least got something of a night’s sleep!

John, my hairdresser, showed up right on time and got to work. He is my regular hairdresser, so it was really nice just to chat while he worked. He was done within the hour, and told me he wished all his brides were as calm and collected as I was. It was great to have it just be the two of us, rather than having a small army of women running around the place. Everything came out perfect the first time, and he was even pretty proud of himself he said. Just as he finished, my parents and brother showed up to get me. We grabbed the dress and stuff and headed to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden and the Palm House to get dressed.

I had to walk through the Palm House (which is all glass) to get to the bridal room, and as I walked in, I saw sister-in-law Kristy had turned Ryan around to face away from the room so he wouldn’t see me (at the time I was wearing shorts, a denim shirt, sneakers, and veil – tres chic!) He later confessed that he caught a glimpse, but that it made no difference.

I was a little curious why it was nearly 9am and the florist wasn’t there and no one had seen Leanne, my pastry chef bridesmaid who made our cake and was going to be there at 8:30. As I was getting dressed, Leanne came in with a stricken look on her face, obviously on the verge of a total breakdown. I was actually relieved when she said it was the cake, and not her car or something worse.

As best we can figure, the problem was the carrot cake. Apparently, there’s a reason no one makes carrot wedding cake. Too dense. And it was so friggin humid the day before, that the cake was even moister. So, it fell on its way to the wedding, and she discovered it when she got there. She was completely devastated – she’s done over 50 wedding cakes and never had a mishap.

One wrong word from me and she would’ve been a pile of jelly. She said she could either try and fix it herself, or the Palm House staff could fix it with fresh flowers. I asked what she wanted to do, and she said she’d rather they do it, so I told her great idea, tell them to do it, and then told her I didn’t care, shit happens, and I’m just glad it was the cake and not her. She got teary anyway, and I hugged her and told her it was really OK, and it would be delicious. Also, I pointed out her fabulous her hair was, and that apparently it got all the gravity that day, rather than the cake (she’s the bridesmaid with the short dark curled hair in my pics). She was obviously still shakey, but managed to relax after a while.

It’s funny, but that problem, and my reaction, really were great for our friendship. She told me and wrote in my guestbook that she learned that day what a true friendship was all about. We’ve been friends since we were 8, so that’s saying a lot! I pointed out to her that every vendor has a problem at some point, and she was lucky that hers happened with me and not some psychobridezilla! She agreed.

Tears over, we finished getting dressed. The florist was late, so I went out to meet my groom (we were doing pics beforehand, as is traditional in a Jewish ceremony) by the lily pond. What a strange feeling – I almost felt shy, as I came out the door and walked towards him! He was smiling at me and just telling me how lovely I was, and then it all felt perfectly natural. He was so handsome in his tux! I was with him to buy it, but was kinda glad I hadn’t seen it since he had it tailored.

Flowers arrived after a few photos, and we, along with the wedding party (including parents) headed out to take photos around the gardens. The garden was open and a few people were already there, so we got some congratulations wishes from a bunch of people. I also found out later that my big boss, who lives around the corner and said she might swing by, caught some of our photo session on the esplanade. I wish I had seen her!

At one point there was a crowd of elderly women gathered watching, and our photographer, Joel, invited them to join us (actually, I learned last night that it was Ryan's idea!). What a cute picture that made! It gave us all a giggle, too.

The flowers look fine in the pics, but were not what I expected. Rather than cream sweetpeas, I had lavender ones with my pink peonies. The bridesmaids ended up with pink roses and some other wilty flowers (sort of like lisianthus), rather than sweetpeas. Ryan’s boutonniere was very droopy, but the other ones were nice perky calla lilies. I let go of my flower irritation almost instantly. They still looked pretty, and the bridesmaids held them close up to the blossom to hide the wilty ones. Dunno what happened, and haven’t had a chance to discuss with the florist, who is so sweet I hate to find out. I think they just got in over their heads and spent all the time on the wheatgrass centerpieces, which did look fabulous!

Am I really so far into this and not even at the ceremony yet? Yipes! Let’s hope it goes faster from here on in…

THE CEREMONY

Well, right before the ceremony, we signed our ketubah in the Palm House, and gave our hula girl tie to the rabbi (Each couple gives him a tie with their names on the back. When he gets up that day, he picks a tie and says a blessing for that couple, then at your wedding he puts on your tie. We got hula girls because of the Hawaiian honeymoon and ‘cause it was fun!). Did a brief rehearsal, and then headed out for the real thing.

It was fun standing behind the bushes watching the procession from behind. It was nice to have both my parents there, particularly. I was surprised to hear “Pachalbel’s Canon” for the procession, since we hadn’t chosen it. Oh well. Once they switched to “Prince of Denmark” it was my turn. As we rounded the bushes into the aisle, I started to tear up, but that was the last time. Then I just smiled and smiled.

Standing under the chuppah with everyone, I felt so much love, particularly from my sweet groom. I have to give us kudos for speaking our vows clearly, loudly, and with feeling. Neither of us cried at all. My Dad and his Mom were the criers, it turns out. And Leanne and Lisa, the BMs holding the chuppah, said they couldn’t look at each other or they were going to lose it. I cried at their weddings, and they didn’t, so it’s fitting that they should cry at mine!

Rabbi Al was fantastic, as were our 7 friends and relatives who each read the English translation of one of the 7 blessings that are part of the Jewish ceremony. When it was all over, Ryan broke the glass, and we had a really wonderful, natural kiss. Then it was off to yichud – the Jewish tradition of seclusion.

THE PAR-TAY!

Back in the bridal room, there was a try of all the tasty treats being served at the cocktail hour. We laughed and chowed and kissed, and remarked on how great we felt, and how the Jews have it all going on when it comes to weddings, because it was so nice to sit together and eat rather than have a receiving line! Eventually the rabbi told us we had to come out, so we joined the party.

The reception went far too fast. The band was amazing. All the older folks thanked us for having a real band with real music. They were worth every penny. After we were introduced they started with our song, “As Time Goes By.” Let me say, our friends and family are easily impressed. A few spins, a few dips, nothing rehearsed, and they thought we were Fred and Ginger!

Next came the hora, which was fun and exhausting. By the time we were lifted up on the chairs (another tradition) I was glad to just sit down, even if my set was bobbing and weaving in the air!

Our father-daughter dance was “Lullaby” by Billy Joel, and apparently everyone got choked up. Dad got a little choked up, but mostly we were talking about how much fun it all was! Ryan danced with his mother to “What a Wonderful World” which was also very sweet. Did I mention that she apparently got on board the train at the next-to-last stop and was now being nice to me? Relief.

Fun moments – dancing with Leanne (finally over the cake debacle) to “Stop – In the Name of Love” and basically putting on a little show for the whole crowd watching. Giving a toast to my Dad and including all the Dads who were there with us and maybe not with their kids that day (Father’s Day). Dancing with my sweet husband.

From the time the reception started, nothing went wrong. Nothing. It was amazing! Smooth as silk, and the most fun I’ve ever had.

THE DENOUMENT

When it was all over, we gathered our things and Ryan and I decided to take a little “victory lap” around the garden. That was the perfect plan. It gave us a half hour or so to just talk, relax, and transition from the party fun to the wedding night. People kept congratulating us and offering to take our picture. We smelled all the roses in the rose garden (OK, not all, but a lot) and came back feeling relaxed and pleased, though a bit sad it was over.

Mom, Dad and Larry (brother) waited for us, and drove us back to our apartment. My Dad helped us bring some stuff up (3rd floor walkup) and witnessed Ryan carrying me over the threshold. He told us yesterday that we missed seeing it, but he totally lost it in the stairwell after that. He’s so cute.

It was only 5:30, but boy were we exhausted! Ryan was about to keel over, but got a second wind, if you know what I mean. Yes, I gave him the flower of my virginity. OK, maybe not quite.

Around 7pm we opened up some of the 30 or so cards we received during the reception, and were pretty stunned at the amount of money people gave us! Some people were exceedingly generous! Eventually, although we ate plenty at the reception, we got hungry again and ordered Indian food. YUM! I think we hit the sack around 10pm, happy, tired, and very much married.

All in all, our wedding was simply wonderful. Even if I had been a guest, I would say it was the best I had ever been to. The weather was perfect - the day before it poured, and the day after it is/was chilly, but the day of was comfortably warm, sunny but not too sunny, and just lovely. The ceremony was beautiful and had touches of humor from the rabbi and the bride and groom. The reception was just an absolutely fantastic party. Amazing food, lots of dancing, and all we kept hearing was how beautiful and in love we looked. I Could not ask for anything more! Here are some of the nonprofessional photos we have so far - a few are digital (from my camera even) and a few are scanned from the great photos my cousin sent me. Most don’t need much explanation.

"Stop! In the Name of Love"

“Victory Lap”

A quick note as we leave paradise. We're in the Honolulu airport now, with a layover before our flight(s) home. What an amazing honeymoon we have had! I could not have imagined a more wonderful trip. There will be tons of photos and stories when I return and recover. I am SO glad I don't have to work until Monday!

Yes, I'm a Mrs. The day was beautiful, the things that went wrong didn't change a thing, and everyone looked absolutely their best. This is the only pic of me and my new husband so far, taken by a nice stranger as we took a "victory lap" around the gardens after the reception ended. More pics to come soon, though I am not sure if it will be before we leave for Hawaii tomorrow morning.

I know you're all wondering - the bridesmaids looked AMAZING. People were so stunned when they found out I knit the tops! I am very proud of that project. They all looked beautiful, 5 lbs. thinner (I swear) and happy, and said they were very comfortable. Yay!!!

I'll keep this brief. We had our not-rehearsal dinner tonight, and it was really fun, despite my impending sore throat/cold, and the lack of air conditioning at the restaurant on this muggy evening. Even Ryan's Mom seems to have boarded the wedding train, realizing there's no stopping it.

Right now I have to wind down so I can get some sleep. I think I'll pick up some of the mess that exploded in this place today. My last night as a single woman!

My colleagues are so sweet. Even though our team is slowly being broken up (at least and only temporarily, we hope), they all got together to take me to a nice 2-hour lunch today, to celebrate my last day at work as a single woman. They also gave me a very healthy gift certificate to Williams-Sonoma, and some cash on top of it that didn't make it into the gift certificate on time. It was very nice and I feel awfully loved.

I just cleaned off my desk. That was easy, since I was able to just toss a lot of client-related papers I will never need again. This is some good timing! It's 4:30 now, and I will probably leave fairly soon. I'm going to go down to Anthropologie and see if I can find a dress to wear to the dinner on Saturday night that isn't a rehearsal dinner because Jewish ceremonies don't include a rehearsal.''

I still need to find a good place to get a manicure on Saturday. Someplace in Cobble Hill or Brooklyn Heights would be better, since I don't want to have to come to Manhattan for that. Though the dinner is in Manhattan, so if I do it in the late afternoon, that'd be fine. Hmm. Actually, that would be the smartest thing, since the longer my nails are painted, the more they chip. And if I do it later on Saturday, then I can just go straight from manicure to dinner. OK, that's the tentative plan. I'm sure you enjoyed this excursion into the minutae of my nails.

I have to call Knitting Hands about that Tahki yarn for Alex's baby blanket. No news so far and I ordered it May 31st, told that it would be a week. OK, I just called (bet you didn't even notice I was gone - it's like magic, eh?). Everything I ordered is on backorder. Well, wouldn't it have been nice for them to friggin CALL ME and TELL ME? I asked them that and got no intelligible reply. I know Jackie had some problems with an order from them, too. I like to shop there, but I don't think I will ever order from them again. Now I can't get the fucking yarn before I go away and I can't start the baby blanket on my trip. Thanks a lot folks. I could've ordered it online and had it by now, but I wanted to patronize my LYS. Well, when my LYS can provide the materials I need when I need them, I will patronize them again. Grrr.

4 days. That's FOUR days, people.

Nothing to do at work. Literally nothing. I'm going to be assigned to a new client, but that won't happen until I return from my honeymoon. Who wants a brand-new writer 4 days before her wedding? No one! Tomorrow is actually my last day, and my team is taking me out to lunch, which is awfully sweet. Makes up for the incredible awkwardness today.

I ran out for some tasti-d-lite after lunch, and when i returned, I ran into one of the executive assistants in the elevator lobby. She said to come downstairs because they were having cake for this guy who is getting married on Sunday (I knew he was, we've chatted a few times). So, totally without thinking, I said "me too!" and went downstairs because I couldn't exactly get out of it. Of course, word spread to the HR people who organized it, and they felt really bad that they threw one person a party and not both of us. They apologized and said "we didn't even know...and Neil's been here so long..." and I was totally gracious and told them not to think about it for a second, I was just happy to be able to share the fun with someone.

Of course, it was really awkward and I wish I had just come back a few minutes later and avoided the whole scene. Or had the ability to shut my mouth when she said his wedding was Sunday. But really, it's a totally natural thing to say. On June 3rd, if someone said it was their birthday, I'd say "me too!" too. Anyway, I am more excited about the team lunch with people who really care about me than the corporate-sponsored party with a ton of people I've never met coming for free cake.

We got a tremendous box from Bloomingdale's today. Big enough to fit a baby in, if you weren't too careful about the cushioning (I don't know why, but I keep using that analogy - am I sick?). Inside was a lot of paper and... a pizza cutting wheel. Which was indeed on our registry. It took several minutes of confusion to discover the packing slip on the floor next to all the paper, telling us that the friend who sent it had also bought us the tart plate off our registry. This was funny on so many levels - the giant box for the tiny gift, the fact that at first we thought someone really got us a pizza cutter as a wedding gift, and, only to me, the knowledge that this particular (male) friend certainly picked the tart plate very intentionally. Hehehe.

Ryan's sister says not to sweat his mother, and that she will behave. Good.

I am disjointed today. Sorry.

I stopped by to see our florist today (right down the block, pass him on the way home) and got sent home with such a beautiful peony. I think I'll go snap a picture.



Doesn't quite do it justice. But that's what I am going to have in my bridal bouquet, along with cream sweetpeas (typo fixed after Alison pointed out that I wrote "sweatpeas" - eeew). My florist is also working on getting snowberries, which I requested, but he's not sure if that will work. I'm excited about the flowers. It's been so fun to work with them, and they have been really inspired by my ideas, they said. Lots of wheatgrass with pretty fleurs. You'll see later.

Oh my! I wonder if I can make this fabulous skirt between now and Sunday. It would be so cute in Hawaii! Damn!

Lots of wedding progress this weekend. I am marrying the most fabulous guy ever. He has been so helpful in the past weeks, since he's finished his thesis. He's made our adorable programs, neato menu cards, and has been running lots of errands and stuff. He even offered to go buy me the yarn for this skirt! I wonder if Knitting Hands has it?

Oh, who am I fooling? That is NOT going to happen!

I got what I felt was a very impersonal birthday card from Ryan's mother yesterday. It was a jokey card, and was just signed "love, Ryan's Mom." OK, she wrote love, but she didn't write "Dear Betsy," or any other words on the whole page. It made me sad. And it made me angry. It made Ryan sad. And me getting angry made him angry. Nothing good can come of this, unfortunately.

I also realized that talking about it makes me feel worse. I think I need to just put it out of my mind. I know too much about how she feels to make that easy, but if I dwell on it, I am only going to get angrier and more hurt. And that's not how I want to feel on my wedding day. Or any other day, for that matter. So, I am going to try and call a moratorium on talking about her, in hopes that it will just fade a bit in my mind.

I'm meeting my maid of honor today to give her the very last of the bridesmaid tops. Yay! I still can't believe I actually finished such a tremendous project. I can't wait to have pictures of everyone wearing them for you guys!

This weekend we have to figure out our seating plan and print our programs. They are so cute! Ryan is so handy at that sort of thing. OK, that's not a shock, considering he used to be an art director. But still, it's so nice that he's good at stuff like that. I do the writing, he does the art, and we each consult on the other's work. Kinda how we met and fell in love, now that I think of it.

I think I'll take that happy thought with me, as I go spend the day surfing the web and taking a looooong lunch.

Gee, this is just what every girl needs 10 days before her wedding. An impromptu meeting in the President/CEO's office that starts "I wish we were gathered her for Betsy's bridal shower, but we all know that's not the case..." Well, the client I have been working on since November has officially jumped ship to another agency.

It's a long ugly story that starts in September of last year when the senior account and creative people decided to break off and form their own agency. As soon as their noncompete was up (3 months I think at the time) they started working with our client. To make the long story short, it has been contentious for a while between our agency and the client, and even though the agency has a very strong relationship with the company, and several other of their brands are totally solid here, it wasn't working. So, we've all been walking on eggshells, and at least now it's over.

She reassured us that we have a generous termination clause with the client, a big push for new business, and plenty of work throughout the agency, so that at least for now, everyone is safe. Just yesterday, our big boss had reassured me (in response to me joking about doing something that would get me canned) that I wouldn't be let go on her watch. Let's hope that's true.

At this point, 10 days out, I can't be any more tightly wound than I already am, so I am hardly noticing the increase in blood pressure and heart rate. I suppose when the blood vessels start bursting, I'll take some notice.

Yesterday was a nice, peaceful birthday. And I got a wonderful present from my sweetheart!

Yes, that is the Canon PowerShot S230 3.2MP Digital ELPH Camera w/ 2x Optical Zoom. It's so cute, and so little - about the size of a pack of cigarettes. I actually just had to go fact-check that statement by finding a colleague who smokes. It is almost exactly the same size, just a few mm thicker. I will be so psyched to have it on my honeymoon! I've wanted a small digital camera like this for a while, but didn't actually expect to receive it. Yay Ryan! Yay me!

We're almost done with the wedding programs. I wrote them a while ago, and Ryan's been tweaking the layout. They are really adorable. Simple, but with a cute little twist. I'll try and get a picture sometime.

I'm on hold with the yarmulke people trying to fix the error in Ryan's last name. The "P" after the apostrophe should be upper case but came in lower case. Small error, but still an error. The woman I am talking to has an odd clipped accent that I can't place. She just said we should have the new ones Tuesday or Wednesday. OK, that's good.

Spoke to the photographer this morning. He wants us all to meet at the Garden by 9:15 the day of the wedding. Oy. I dread telling my bridesmaids that. Well, actually only my maid of honor, who has been whining about having to get there. Fuck off, it's your best friend's wedding, you can drag your sorry ass out of the house early for once, since you haven't done anything else to help with this thing.

Bitter much, Betsy?

I have been a lazy little blogger, haven't I? Resting on my bridesmaid top laurels, I suppose.

Now I'm just whoring for attention because it is my birthday! I just had a yummy cheesecake here at work, and tonight Ryan is taking me to Joe's Shanghai for soup dumplings. Yum!

Very excited to hear the good news about Shetha's new baby! He is just the most darling little pumpkin. Follow the links to the pics and you can see how cute Mom looks so soon after giving birth. Yay Shetha!

12 days and counting 'til the wedding. Ryan is finishing laying out our programs. I'm letting everyone know when/where the rehearsal (except there's no rehearsal since it's a Jewish wedding) dinner is. My dress is finally all done and will be picked up by my parents a day or two before the wedding. All but one bridesmaid has her tank top, and I will remedy that situation this week. Bridesmaids and groomsmen gifts are purchased, just need to be wrapped. The imprinted yarmulkes came with Ryan's last name misspelled (apparently they don't get a lot of Irish names with apostrophes!) but they said they can fix it no problem and get it to us in time since they are in Brooklyn, too.

A few other details remain, like picking readers for each of the seven blessings. Asked one person, need to ask six more. Dunno why we left this 'til the end. It's only a few sentences at most, and it's not like people need to memorize anything.

I ordered the yarn from Knitting Hands for the ocean-themed baby blanket for Lisa's new baby. They said it will be about a week. That means I can start it on my honeymoon, and it should be done in time for his christening at the end of August. Yay!

Well, I figured out the mitred corners. After I put the whole neck on a circular needle, I needed to put markers in each of the corners, which I realized, but which was not mentioned in the pattern. Once I figured that out, the whole thing was a piece of cake. Mmm, cake.

So, do you realize what this means?

I AM FINISHED!!!!

Yes, each top has been knitted, finished, and has a cute little label sewn in the back of the neck.

Since the last one is the closest to my size, here I am modeling it for you.





Here are three of the four - the fourth one is already safe at home with Leanne. I think it worked out nicely that all three bridesmaids wanted a v-neck, and the maid of honor wanted a square neck. (Also please note our groovy new Hawaiian-print bedding in this shot!)



And just because it's so cute, here's the label I sewed inside each one. (I got them from Charm Labels in case you want to order some yourself.)



Now what? Do I dare start on the cute ocean-themed baby blanket I am going to make for Lisa's new son? Aha, first I have to buy yarn. Looks like it's TV time for me tonight!

I'm having trouble with the stupid mitred corners on the neckband of the last bridesmaid top, which is a square neck. Urgh. I think I just need to pull out the 2 rows I did and try it again, being a bit more careful this time. If that doesn't work, be prepared for the cry for help!

Yesterday we brought Ryan's tux to be tailored, and then went to see the Matrix Reloaded. I enjoyed it, though some of the action scenes just felt a little gratuitous and I am just not buying the romance between the two emotionally bankrupt stars. Still, it was a thought-provoking and highly entertaining flick and I will certainly look forward to seeing the final part of the trilogy at Christmastime.

After that I went and had a trial of my wedding hair. Verdict is: guilty! OK, he did this loose curly updo that I thought was very pretty, and when I met Ryan afterwards (sans veil and headpiece) his whole body language and tone just said "eh." It was pretty awful. This is the guy who thinks I'm hot when I stick my hair up in a big clip, so for him to have such a lukewarm reaction to a professional 'do was stunning and devastating. Especially since it's my wedding hair. Normally I'm not that concerned (maybe because normally he thinks I'm gorgeous) but this really threw me into the dumps for the evening. Not sure what I'll do, but I have an appointment for a trim on Wednesday (same hairdresser) so I guess we will discuss then.

Still freezing here at 53 degrees. I can't believe this is Memorial Day weekend. We've had some pretty lame weather for this weekend other years, usually when I have beach plans, but this takes the cake. It really sucks. I think we're cleaning the house today, then tonight we've got dinner plans with some friends at a Brazilian rodizio restaurant - meat, meat, and then some more meat!

Whew, what a busy few days. I am finally settling down enough to post.

So, I woke up Sunday with plans to go out to Leanne's house for a late lunch and a yarn sale in Port Jefferson. I also woke up with a raging migraine, a sore throat, and a giant zit on my chin. Oh, and suspicions that this was really not a yarn sale, which I think I mentioned before. I felt so awful that I was dreading the possibility of it being a shower. Before I got in the shower, I actually told Ryan that if this was my bridal shower I would kill myself.

Well, when I walked in the door and everyone shouted "SURPRISE!" I didn't pull out the shotgun and off myself, but I did cry. I choked up on and off for the first hour. It was just overwhelming. Lisa and her mother drove down from Albany, leaving Lisa's hub alone with the newborn that they just adopted 2 weeks ago. They must've gotten up at 5am to be there. I was SO touched that they were there! I would've totally understood if she couldn't have made it, but it meant so much to me that she did. Most of my friends were there, and some of my cousins, particularly my cousin Jill, whose birthday it was. That was really sweet of her to be there even on her birthday. Ryan even surprised me by taking the train (since I had the car) and a cab there. Poor guy took almost 2 hours to get there, so the ladies voted to let him stay, which was really nice. My Dad was there, too, so he wasn't the only boy anymore.

The food was amazing. Leanne outdid herself with a full brunch buffet including finger sandwiches, poached salmon, cheese plate, mini quiches with shiitake mushrooms and swiss chard, and a nice salad. Then she put on a full dessert buffet! This AMAZING cake was the centerpiece.



Then there were all my favorites - candied orange peel, truffles, mini blueberry tarts, baby meringues with rasberries and blueberries, and some other things I didn't even get to try, I was so stuffed!!

Lots of presents, but hopefully not so many that everyone was bored to tears. We got some stuff that was on our registries, and some other cool stuff. One person gave us the really beautiful platter from our china set. And my cousin Barbara made us a "Mazel Tov" pillow with the glass inside it already for when Ryan breaks the glass at the ceremony. That was really sweet and touching.

After the party was over came the most amazing part, to me. Leanne tried on the purple top and the purple skirt, and it looked amazing! Really really good. I nearly fainted dead away with happiness. Check it out yourself!




All in all, the day started HORRIBLY and ended well. Now it's time to start writing "thank you" notes. Wheee!!

Thanks, Anne, Alison, Charlotte, Dawn, Kim, Kay, Ginger, and Yarnguy for your kind words, and your commiseration on my future-MIL issues. I hesitated to talk about them here because I didn't want Ryan to feel bad reading this but I think he'll understand I need to vent. And the more people who say nice things, the better I feel. I'm sure someday this will work out, and in the meantime, distance is a beautiful thing, as many of you have pointed out. And if she shows up to our wedding in black mourning clothes, it'll only reflect sadly on her.

I'm nearing the finish line with the bridesmaid tops! A few more inches and I'll be at the armhole of the last one. The first three were all the same size and v-neck, this one is a size smaller and a square neck. Wow, that square neck is so much easier to knit! No decreases to worry about every other row - just knit 17 stitches, throw 36 on a holder, knit another 17 all the way up to the shoulder. The back went very quickly once I got to the neck shaping.

It'll be such a joy to have finished all those tops in time. It turns out I will have enough yarn left over to make myself something, but I think I'll put that on the back burner for now. I am seeing purple varigated silk in my sleep at the moment. Plus I want to make something for Lisa's baby! I'm thinking of the baby blanket in last Spring/Summer's issue of Family Circle Easy Knitting. It's an ocean scene with fish and a whale, and red and white stripes in the sky. I really like intarsia, though I know others who hate it. I enjoy seeing the pictures develop as I knit, and I think it's particularly cute for baby things.

The only thing that's irking me about this pattern is that I looked up the selected yarn online, and the colors that are specified do not all look like the colors in the photo of the blanket. So far I haven't found anyplace that carries the yarn locally, so I have had to look at them online. If anyone has the magazine, take a look and let me know if you think these colors are "off." Maybe it's the monitor I am using here at work? The colors that look really off are the yellow (maize - 3546), green (pale slate - 3774), and color charts are here or here

I really enjoyed "The Producers" last night. Very funny, ridiculous, and over-the-top. Ryan enjoyed it, too, but his mother very clearly did not. Oh well. She's leaving for home this morning, with no resolution. Actually, there's far more animosity and bitterness than before. Screw political correctness, here's the salient points of the story.

Before this weekend, we got along fine, though I have sensed for a long time that she isn't ecstatic about Ryan and I. That died when she asked on Sunday afternoon whether we had a prenuptial agreement, and then proceeded to tell us that we need one. (Obviously to protect Ryan, not me.) Any chance I had of warming up to her died at that moment. There are so many levels of wrong with that conversation, I can't even begin to describe them all (and wouldn't need to, to a sane person.)

I feel really sorry for Ryan in all this. Sure, it's hard on me to know my future mother-in-law thinks her son is making a mistake by marrying me. But in the end, she's nothing to me other than his mother. I love my crazy mother and don't need another. It'd be great to have a good relationship with my husband's mother, but if I don't, she lives far away and it doesn't make much difference on a daily basis.

For him, though, this is his mother, and she's forcing him away by criticizing his choice to marry me. By being irrational, she's also putting him in the middle and making him choose whether to be loyal to her or to me. That's not fair. Even if I were a hateful bitch, she should respect that he loves me and not tell him that he is making the biggest mistake of his life by marrying me.

It's all very sad. None of us needs this additional stress 32 days before our wedding. I honestly never imagined it would come to this sort of nastiness.

I'm a little woozy at the moment after donating a pint of blood after lunch. Last time I did that (10 years ago) was a disaster, but today it went fine. I'd just prefer to be home on the sofa.

Unfortunately, I have to go out to the theater tonight. Ryan's mother is in town and we have tickets to see "The Producers" on Broadway. I'm looking forward to the show, but wish it weren't tonight!

The reason Ryan's mother is here is for his graduation, which was yesterday. Yes, my dear fiance has earned his Masters of Fine Arts! I'm so proud of him. I couldn't go to graduation, because it was in the middle of the day yesterday and I couldn't take a vacation day. But since he wasn't planning on going until his Mom said she wanted to go, he was OK with me not being there.

This visit from the future mother-in-law has not been all that pleasant. It appears that she is having the typical cliche issues about "losing" her "little boy." I will be politically correct and not go into details (she never reads this anyway, but just to be safe) but it is obvious that she is not in support of our marriage, and she has said a few things (some to both of us, some just to him) that have hurt me very deeply. It's pretty sad. But, she's wrong, and we're going to have a happy marriage and a wonderful life, whether she believes so or not.

Not much time to post, as I have to head out to my friend Kate's bachelorette party, but I had to get in a quickie update. I tried on the dress today and proceeded to hug the seamstress. She worked a miracle and the dress fits, and looks just as if it were made that way. I can hardly believe it! The relief is overwhelming. She also is going to make the bustle for the skirt exactly the way I wanted it - very smooth and not poufy. This woman is amazing!

OK, off to go have fun. At least I can drink happily, rather than drowning my sorrows!

Jeez, it's Friday morning and all I can think about is how nervous I am for my dress fitting tomorrow. I just can't shake the feeling that it will be a second disaster and I am going to be the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's very first nude bride.

Well, that would be a wedding to remember, wouldn't it? Good way to show off the workout results.

Quickie update - I have an appointment at 4pm on Saturday to try my dress on post-alteration. We'll see. I spoke with some sort of district manager today who said try it on Saturday, and if I am not happy, they will explore "alternative options." We'll see what happens, and cross your fingies in the meantime!

Also, it turns out the gift was NOT stolen. The Fedex guy delivered it, then returned a bit later because he decided it wasn't safe to have left it. Then he came back today. Wacky. You'll be pleased to know that I called Red Envelope back and had them re-charge my account. Maybe the good karma from that will balance out the dress nightmare.

I am so pissed off right now. My Mom's Mother's Day gift was stolen! The building we live in has eight apartments, and a locked lobby, but packages have been stolen before. I ordered something really cute from redenvelope.com, and the Fedex tracking says it was delivered, left without signature, yesterday afternoon. When we got home, there were three UPS packages, but no Fedex. I called redenvelope this morning and they credited my account, but they are out of the gift I ordered, so they can't get me a new one.

I am SO annoyed! I was so happy to have found just the right thing, without hauling my ass all around town. And now it's pretty much too late to order anything online without paying ridiculous overnight shipping costs, so I am going to have to haul the aforementioned ass ANYWAY.

GRRRRRRRRR!

The rest of yesterday went better than that, at least. I went with Diana, my maid of honor, to pick up her bridesmaid skirt. It was painless, and when we took it outside and looked at the color of the skirt with the color of the bridesmaid tank, it looked great! I had been sweating that a bit, since we had such a small swatch to go on, but at least that worked out well.

I also went and picked up my veil on the way back from lunch. I think if I were to work in the bridal industry, selling veils would be the best job. No one ever puts on a veil, says "eeeeeew, it makes me look so fat!" and bursts into tears. Generally, they put it on, look in the mirror, and say "wow, I look like a bride!" And that's exactly what I did.

No new news in the saga of my bridal gown. I'm trying not to think about it today. Not possible, but there's not much I can do. I spoke with the manager again and she told me she inquired about getting a new dress and it isn't possible. The big problem, I think, is that the style is not in their regular collection, and it is made in Spain. She's still trying to get it altered for Saturday, but I don't know if that's really going to happen. Wednesday was the original date (next Wednesday). I'm feeling better about it for the moment, just because I can't let myself feel that bad for that long. One way or another, we'll work it out. If they absolutely can't alter it and I have to get another dress, I'll live. I really don't want to do that (get another dress, I mean) but if I have to, I will.

My wedding band is still not quite right. I went yesterday and it's still .1mm thicker than my engagement ring. Yes, that's one-tenth of a millimeter. I don't know whether they are going to kill me or offer me a job there! But at least they gave me my engagement ring back this time, and I'm happy about that. It's all clean and sparkly, and they polished the band for me, too. I feel better at least, having it back.

I think I'm going to go with Diana today to pick up her bridesmaid skirt. I brought one of the completed tops with me, so we can be sure the color is OK. Please cross your fingers for that!

That photo of Alexander seems to not be happy on Ofoto, so I linked to a new one. It was so wonderful to talk to Lisa yesterday and hear the joy in her voice. I haven't heard that sound in so long. She's totally overwhelmed, but happy as could be.

I spoke with the manager at the bridal salon yesterday. She told me she was trying to find out what happened to my dress, and in the meantime was going to push the seamstress to have the alterations done by this Saturday, so I could try it on then and see how it is. I'm anxious about how the alterations will compromise the shape of the gown - particularly the boning, as a few commenters pointed out. Since I can't really do anything about it until the weekend anyway, I'm going to sit tight for the moment. As long as she has it Saturday, at least I can make an informed decision, rather than jump to a conclusion.

I think I'm going to write a letter to the president of the company that made the gown. I'm very frustrated with all the setbacks that have occurred with the gown, and I just feel like being a squeaky wheel. Considering how far in advance I ordered this gown, there should have been tons of time to deal with this crap, and now it's getting down to the wire, which was what I wanted to avoid in the first place.

In good news, I started bridesmaid top number four, and am about 6 inches into it. It's a size smaller than the others, so it's going a bit faster. I got the good news that the skirts came in 2 weeks earlier than they were expected to, and Lisa, at least, already has hers! I'm going to go with Diana sometime this week to pick up hers and see how the top works with it. Fingers will be crossed.

There's a lot of whine coming up here in a few moments. But first I will share some joyful news, since it is ultimately far more important than the whine. My best friend Lisa and her husband are on their way right now to pick up their new son! They have been trying to conceive and trying to adopt for nearly two years, and finally their efforts are being rewarded. Alexander Peter (last name omitted) was born late last week, and they got to meet him on Friday. He stayed with a foster family for the weekend and right now they are probably bundling him into a car seat.

I am so ecstatic over this news! I can hardly describe my joy at knowing that their deepest wish has been fulfilled. They are both such wonderful people and will be fantastic parents. I wish I could start knitting him a present right now, but that'll have to wait until post-wedding, I think. Anyway, little Alex is a very lucky boy and I can't wait to meet him! In the meantime, I can content myself with pictures such as this one.



If you want to linger on that happy feeling, go away now. The rest of this post is pure whine.

All along this planning route, there have been some minor setbacks, but nothing's really gotten me down. The rabbi canceling (we got a new one who we love), the guest list hassles (all finally sorted), the seeming impossibility of the jeweler to make my wedding band the right way...all within the realm of "it sucks but it'll get worked out." But this finally got to me.
 
Here's a refresher course on the dress: Found it in August, at a trunk show. The sample was my size, fit me perfectly - hem it, adjust the straps, and I could've gotten married that Tuesday. Loved it, ordered it, and they said it'd be in by January. January comes and goes, and they now tell me they order it to be in a reasonable number of weeks before the wedding, rather than a time period after you order it. So fine, it'll be in end of March. End of March comes, they tell me it's in. I come to visit it, and it turns out the computer said it's in, but it wasn't actually physically in the store. Urgh. Two hours (there and back) wasted in traffic. Turns out there was some dirt or something on the dress the factory was going to send, so they had to get or make a new one.
 
End of April, the dress is in. They tell me come for a fitting in mid-May but I decide that's too late so I make an appointment for Saturday. I go there, excited to see it after 9 months. I'm thinking it might need to be taken in a touch, since I've been working out and noticing some of my clothes are a bit looser these days. She puts it over my head and reaches for the closure at the waist, and ::ouch:: that's tight! She barely closes it and I feel like I am going to suffocate.
 
Then we try the bodice. There's about 3 inches of Betsy at the top that is just never going to fit in there - no WAY is that thing closing. And no WAY is it the same size as the sample I tried on. I keep my cool, they get the seamstress, she opens the lining and pronounces that there is enough seam allowance to let it out. Great. But why the fuck is my dress at least two sizes smaller than I ordered? The sample was a 6 - this would have to stretch to be a 2!
 
So, now, even though I KNOW it's the dress, and totally their fault, I feel like a giant cow. Which is ludicrous, I know - I am nowhere near it, but I feel it now. I am no longer excited about my dress, which I have adored from afar for an entire human gestational period. I feel like the alterations are going to be a compromise, and the dress will never look the way the sample did. I feel like why even fucking bother? At this point, 6 weeks away, I don't have a wearable dress OR a wearable wedding band (in case you missed that story, they made one that didn't match the band of my engagement ring because the diamonds were the wrong size, then they made a second in which the diamonds are OK but the band is thicker than my engagement ring, which they have had for 2 weeks in order to model the wedding band off of it. Argh).
 
I never expected to be one of those brides who cracks up and loses it 6 weeks before the wedding. I've been really calm, and really good up to now. Even with the pressure I've put on myself by knitting the bridesmaids tops (three down, one to go - and I saved the smallest size for last - it'll feel even faster!) Many of my friends and family have made comments to that effect. So in addition to being miserable, I am ashamed of my own feelings.  Great.

I will be calling the bridal salon manager later today to find out how the fuck they are going to explain the dress faux pas, and to make sure I am not paying for the alterations other than the hem, since that's all it was supposed to need. Then I'll carry on, but I don't know if I will be able to regain the excitement I once had. And that really sucks.

See? I told you there was a lot of whine here.

After kind of an irritating experience at work that kept me here until 7 for no good reason, I got home and found a tremendous Bloomingdale's box in our apartment! Somehow that lifted my spirits. Greedy little thing, ain't I? It was actually a very generous gift from a friend of my Dad's who I have only met once, and who can't make it to the wedding because he's speaking at a conference in London. He and his wife wrote us a lovely note and bought us the espresso maker and the blender we registered for! I was very taken aback at their generosity.

I would write a thank you note, but I appear to have lost the envelopes that came with them. Urgh. I have to go out and find some small envelopes today, as we've gotten a few gifts that I would like to acknowledge ASAP. At least I didn't lose the notes themselves. I think this time I actually did throw out the envelopes with some other stuff. At least they are easier to replace than the headpiece would have been.

Finished all the knitting on bridesmaid top number 3 last night! Just have to sew the side seams, weave in the ends, and it's on to number 4. Only thing is I am not sure what I did with the pattern for number 4. It's only slightly different - square neck instead of a v-neck, and a size smaller. But I would prefer to have the actual pattern, since I have no time or inclination to improvise on this one. Looks like I'll be tearing the place apart once again. Maybe I'll find the envelopes, too?

In fun news, I have my first dress fitting tomorrow! So excited to see it again! It's been since August, as you might recall. Mom's coming with me, and possibly Leanne. Diana can't make it. Something tells me that will be another "this is really going to happen" moment.

Spring is really here! And there are 46 days left. 46 days to finish the neckband and sew up bridesmaid tank number 3, and make number 4. 46 days to get my dress fitted, ceremony details straightened out, and figure out for sure who is and is not coming. 48 days until I am in Hawaii!

Contrary to popular belief, I am not freaking out. I am really busy and constantly thinking about what needs to be done, but I haven't panicked and don't think I will. As long as I stay on top of everything, it's manageable.

I am kind of sick of knitting that purple silk. And I am a little nervous that the color won't go with the skirts as well as I want it to. But I think I'm just being paranoid. The good news is I am actually interested in knitting after I finish these - making something for (gasp) myself! There's a yarn store out in Port Jefferson that Leanne frequents, and they are having a sale in two weeks, and I think I will be joining her out there for the sale and lunch. Should be nice.

It just occurred to me - I wonder if there really is a yarn sale? Or could this be a ploy to get me to a shower? I know there is one, I just don't know when. And if you know, you'd better not say anything. I want to be surprised. But I also enjoy trying to figure it out. :-)

I feel terribly dull. I work. I do wedding stuff. I knit (which right now falls into the wedding stuff category). Don't get me wrong, I am very excited about my wedding, and it's fun to do a lot of this stuff, but I do feel rather shallow lately. All my stories are wedding-related. This wasn't supposed to happen.

For example, what's on my mind this week? OK, for one, my dress. You know, my wedding dress. It was supposed to have been in a month ago, but there was something wrong with part of it when it shipped from the factory, so they had to re-make that. Then it was supposed to be in early this week, but no one has called and it isn't early anymore. Guess who I'll call later today?

The second thing taking up space is my band. You know, my wedding band. We went to pick that up yesterday, and there was a problem there, too. We ordered it to match my engagement ring - channel set princess cut diamonds halfway around the band. Basically, it's my engagement ring without the center stone. But when we went to pick it up, the diamonds did not match the size of the diamonds in the engagement ring, and the band itself was much thicker (not top-to-bottom thicker, but inside-to-outside thick if you know what I mean). So, they have to make a totally new ring. And to do it right, they had to take my engagement ring. I'm not worried about that - they are the people who made that ring in the first place. I just hate not having it and I hate having the hassle of having to have a second ring made.

What's on my to-do list? All sorts of stuff. Wedding stuff. Pick the menu for the rehearsal dinner (with no rehearsal, since Jewish weddings don't rehearse - though I will talk everyone through what's going to happen). Find something to wear to the rehearsal (yet not) dinner. Buy more Altoids for our favors (cute little round metal boxes with personalized labels and Altoids inside - Ryan stuffed most of them the other night but we were just slightly short, so back to BJs we go). Write "thank you" notes for gifts that have started arriving. Finish knitting 1.25 bridesmaid tops (almost done with number 3!). Finish writing, laying out and then print our programs (we need programs since many guests will have never been to a Jewish wedding). The list goes on. It's mostly little stuff, but it's still got to get done.

So with that filling my head, there's not as much space for other interesting talk. Intellectual talk. I swear, when this wedding is over, I am going to find the biggest, thickest, brainiest book I can find, read it cover-to-cover, and discuss it with anyone I can find!

I've been back at work since Wednesday, but have pretty much been feeling like crap the whole time. The fever and all are gone, but my stomach is still just "not right." Last night I had a piece of matzoh (I'm keeping Passover) with some cheese melted on top - one piece of matzoh - and 2 macaroons. Felt full and queasy all night. In the morning, I'm too queasy for real food. And I am so sick of sweet stuff, but non-sweet stuff makes me feel queasy when I think about it. It's very strange.

So since I am barely eating, I am barely getting anything else done. Can't go to the gym, and I'm a little on the dopey side, I think. Luckily, because of the holidays, it's been a mellow few days at work. Hardly done anything. Next week I will pay for that, but for this week it's a much-needed break.

In the knitting arena, I'm about 3" into the second side of the third bridesmaid top. Yes, the light at the end of this silken tunnel is starting to seep into my existence. Hallelujah!

We received what I think is actually an early shower gift yesterday. Ryan thinks it's a wedding gift, but I am pretty sure I know better. My cousin and her husband bought us the pasta machine (the old-fashioned kind) and creme brulee torch from our Bed, Bath and Beyond registry! I am such a dork - I got all excited that they got me stuff I wanted, and didn't even remember I had put it on the registry. I don't know when my shower ("if we decide to have one for you" wink wink nudge nudge) is, but it's fun to get gifts, even if I feel a little funny about everyone spending all this money on me.

We also got an Easter basket from Ryan's mother. Chocolate and the usual stuff, plus some odd additions. A condom, for one (for the wedding night? Our big first time? LOL!). And when I opened one of the plastic eggs, instead of candy, there was a cicada shell inside! I shrieked because it looked like a cockroach. Apparently, she thought it was a cute souvenir of the suburbs, not a freaky dead buglike thing. Kinda funny in retrospect, but it scared the crap outta me at the time!