Wait, let me finish this last row...

Pieces of Me Mosaic

2008-08-14T12:25:00.001-07:00

Pieces of Me Mosaic
Originally uploaded by CalamityJane78

Found this meme on PilgrimGirl's blog, so I thought I'd give it a whirl. If you want to play too, type your answer to each of the questions below into a Flickr search. Using only the first page, choose your favorite image, then copy and paste each of the URL’s into the mosaic maker (3 columns, 4 rows, located at bighugelabs.com/flickr/mosaic.php). Leave a comment if you play, so I can have a peek.

1. What is your first name? (Marissa - it means "star of the sea")
2. What is your favorite food? (sushi)
3. What high school did you attend? (Redwood)
4. What is your favorite color? (blue)
5. Who is your celebrity crush? (Jonathan Rhys Meyers)
6. Favorite drink? (gin and tonic)
7. Dream vacation? (New Zealand)
8. Favorite dessert? (chocolate ice cream)
9. What do you want to be when you grow up? (author)
10. What do you love most in life? (love - bonus that this is shown on a beach)
11. One word to describe you. (compassionate)
12. Your Flickr name. (CalamityJane78)

This is a great list.

2007-07-17T13:50:00.000-07:00

As a young woman (ahem, nearly 29...) who is relatively actively looking for a future husband, I get a kick out of other young single women's blogs. One that I have bookmarked is Charming, But Single.

She's a sassy southern woman with a lot of the same experiences with men/girlfriends/bars, etc that I do, so I really relate to her daily posts. I wish I could remember where I discovered her. She's great!

Every so often, I come across a post that I have to share with friends.

One of my favorites was "Professionalism is the key to attracting decent suitors", where she writes a thank you note to a date based on the fact that first dates always feel like job interviews. I loved it, because how often have I felt the same way? A lot.

My most recent favorite was today's: "The Five Things I Should Know By the End of Our Date".

After having been on two really boring dates with someone who was SO wrong for me, I really related to this one.

Thanks Charming, But Single!

(I hope she doesn't think I'm plagiarizing...I just love her!)

Anyway, go read her blog. You'll laugh, you'll cry. You'll want to go open a bottle of wine with her.

Buy My Yarn!!

2007-06-18T16:34:00.000-07:00

I have several skeins of the FABULOUS Cascade 220 yarn. Check 'em out on eBay!

It's Friday!

2007-04-20T13:36:00.000-07:00

...and the dam has broken...

Months and months of hard work in the commercial real estate industry have finally paid off with not one, but two, fat commission checks! Yippee!! It's really amazing how money can cause so much distraction and stress. It will feel amazing to actually cut checks and pay bills. In full.

Now back to our regularly scheduled programming...

The Purl Girl in a vintage (1960) silk dress with white glass beads custom made in Hong Kong.
Photo circa 2001, taken in Oregon with a lovely Marine I met in Hawaii while partying in Waikiki one Spring.
(There is half a chance that I'm sucking my gut in and wearing some kind of armored girdle. )

I was going through some photo albums last night to see how I've changed in the past few years. As I'm nearing 29 this year (in October, send gifts), I'm feeling and looking much different than when I was a sweet innocent 22 year old. (actually, I think I'm more innocent now than when I was 22 - I was pretty much a party girl!)

I've been fighting some personal battles lately, and one of them has been my weight. I've gained about 25 lbs since this photo was taken and although I don't feel like I look TERRIBLE, I don't feel like I look great. I live in a pretty image and health conscious part of California, where the majority of the population is extremely active (I live on one of the most popular road cycling routes in the Bay Area), and while I actively sail, I don't actively do much else.

Plenty of excuses why I don't - I'm too busy with work, I'm too tired from work, I need to buy a helmet for my bike (my friend's dog ate mine), I don't feel like it, It's too early, It's too late, I don't have air in my tires, I don't have time, etc etc etc. You name it, I've thought of it, and excused myself from doing any kind of exercise or care for myself.

I've been seeing a therapist weekly for about 2 months now, and it's been great. One of the most important things I learned last week was that if I sit around and wait for someone to come and take care of me, he's never going to show up. I need to take care of myself and then if I meet someone, I'm in a better place to love him.

"I need you because I love you" not "I love you because I need you."

So, knowing that I had these nice commission checks coming, I joined a gym near my office. Today was my first spin class. It was AWESOME! I rocked out to the music, zoned out to the beat, and kicked my own ass. It felt AMAZING. I grinned like an idiot the whole time. I tried not to compare myself to the beautiful girl next to me with the long legs, tanned skin, and such a tiny figure that her bike shorts gapped at the waist. There's no way I can compare myself to her - genetics play a huge part, age, and the fact that this was my first class, and this is probably her one hundred and first class.

I showered at the gym, smiling, so proud of myself for taking the first step in taking good care of myself. I deserve it, dammit, and there's no reason why I can't wear that beautiful green dress to my best friend's rehearsal dinner in September.

After the gym, I stopped at the local market and picked up some sushi and seaweed salad. While perusing the drink aisle, I didn't even want the Diet Coke I usually reach for - I reached for a nice rosey green tea. After spending all that energy (8 activity points from Weight Watchers, thankyouverymuch), there was no way I was going to put any crap in my body. I treated myself to a small dark chocolate square (3 points), and didn't eat the second one that I bought.

I feel wonderful.

In other news, I have sworn off dating until I get a better handle on my body and on my emotions. I need to take really excellent care of myself right now, and that means hitting the gym, eating better, not drinking so much, and clean my house so that it's nice and clean for me - not because I am having someone over.

This is going to be a great summer - filled with friends and sailing. I'm racing every Friday night on a small (24 ft) boat with my new friends, and racing every other Sunday on a tiny (14 ft) boat til the end of the sumer. My skin will be tanned, my laugh lines will increase, and my psyche will be healthy.

And, if I meet a lovely guy who wants to be a part of all of that - great! But he has to be worth it.

(Thank you French Toast Girl & O Magazine for the image.)

Weekend at the Hiltons

2007-03-02T16:57:00.000-08:00

Is it just me, or does this look like a "Weekend at Bernies"-esque version of when Paris goes skiing?

Cuz damn, I didn't know she was dead!

A Heart Warming Story, or how I ended up in my panties at 3 am with cops in my backyard on Valentine's Day.

2007-02-15T12:37:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day started like any other for a single girl. I was triumphant in my public pooh-poohing of the holiday as a commercial, Hallmark holiday designed to sell cards, chocolates, and flowers at a 40% markup over the usual 40% markup. I, of course, figured I'd feel differently about the holiday if I had a boyfriend, or even a date.

As it turned out, a good friend of mine (we'll call him MC Flatbread) whom I'd never really hung out with outside of the yacht club (we're both avid sailors) ended up coming over for dinner. I had a big question mark in my head about what this meant. Mostly it was a convenient night for both of us, so I wasn't too worried about the whole "Valentiney-ness" of the evening, and prepared a fabulous dinner of cracked crab and caesar salad. We opened (and drank) two bottles of fabulous wine from Goosecross Cellars (the Viognier is divine, as is the Chardonnay). It was wonderful to get to know Flatbread outside of the yacht club, and as it turned out he's quite a multi faceted individual and we had a great time.

He ended up leaving at 3:00 in the morning! Keep in mind, dear readers, that this wasn't really a date. There was no kissing, there were candles, and I did have my feet tucked under his leg at some point during the evening. It was just a nice way to spend Valentine's Day with a friend and neighbor.

So, I have a mild heat on (and the way I feel today as I write this, I have a feeling that it may have been more than just a mild heat), and it's 3:10 am, and he's just left. I am toasting a piece of the garlic bread that I made, and as it pops in the toaster, Tess (my dog) barks. I thought she was barking at the sound of the toaster, so I look down at her and shush her. Please picture in your minds, dear readers, me, standing in my studio apartment that is all windows (great view of Golden Gate) in my underwear eating toast. Got that lovely (scary) picture??

I look up, through the sliding glass door and there are two men with flashlights in my very private patio.

Thanks to the buzz I'm rockin', I'm not alarmed. Thanks to my motion sensor lights, I can clearly see that they are police officers.

Now I'm alarmed. And in my panties.

The thought actually crosses my mind that cops are used to seeing people in various states of dress (but keep in mind that we're not in a trailer park in Bumfuck, Arkansas, and this is not being filmed for Cops), so calmly, I put on the jeans I just shed and go outside.

I live in a garden apartment with two other units upstairs in a Quaint Seaside Town.

"Guys?" No response, and they're about 3 feet away from me.

"Hello? Officers??"

They turn to me, and I ask them politely if anything is wrong. Apparently, they mistook me for the woman that actually did place the 911 call and I clarified that there are two other women who live in the building.

"Yes, we received a 911 call reporting a prowler on the premises."

"A prowler?" I ask, bewildered. "I had a friend over for dinner and he just left. Did you receive this call about 10 minutes ago?"

Silence, punctuated by a very dramatic eye roll. A little too dramatic for the Quaint Seaside Town PD, if you ask me.

"Yes. We did." They march past me, clearly annoyed that they had been roused from their compelling game of dominoes or CHiPs reruns at 3:00 in the morning. They radioed in that it was a multi-family residence, and that one of the tenant's boyfriend had just left. BOYFRIEND? I considered correcting him, but then thought better of it.

I felt terrible that my poor neighbor had been awakened by my friend leaving at 3:00 in the morning. We're guessing that he used the wrong gate and found himself in her front yard, rather than on the way to his car. I'm just relieved that the Quaint Seaside Town PD did not run into him getting into his car with a bottle of wine in him!

So, that was my Valentine's Day - one of the more unique ones, for sure.

In other news, I cruised over to on Crazy Aunt Purl and Crochet Dude's recommendation and found this DEEE-FREAKING-LICIOUS handpainted Misti Alpaca.

Not that I need a good reason to buy Misti Alpaca, but the reason you'll find here will make your heart melt! Go! Shop!!

I can't wait to take it on my trip to Italy and knit myself a very cozy scarf to wear with my darling Roman Romeo when I see him on the 26th!!

Oh?

Have we not discussed my Roman Romeo?

Hm...I may have to fill you in on the deets to keep you with something while I'm gone til the 1st.

Stay tuned.

Much Love,
MJM

My dog would kill me in my sleep...

2007-01-27T11:34:00.000-08:00

...if I made her wear something like this:

"Don't you love me anymore?"

Strange Messages I Have Received...

2007-01-16T16:06:00.000-08:00

We all get those weirdo spam emails that make no sense and offer us stock prices or whatever. I use a BlackBerry, so I often get the hidden message in plain text and last night I received this:

Angelina its britneys turn go namibia parenting.
Telephone calls golf modem lines room no.
Childsized give better lifevoice instruct.

Really.

But stranger still is the text message that I received on Friday from my hot Irish neighbor that I was dating. This was in response to my inquiring via text message if he was up for a date on Saturday night:

"With all respect I believe that maybe not the best idea -
don't worry u will be back in action in a few short weeks."

Really.

Back in action? Gee, thanks. I wasn't aware that I was, a: out of action or 2: in need of being in action, or c: really desperate to be in action with this emotionally retarded, Student Visa carrying, flaky Irishman.

In other news, 19% of students at UCONN thought that Martin Luther King, Jr fought to end slavery.

And this is the future of America, people.

365 Project

2006-12-28T17:14:00.000-08:00

I was inspired to start my own 365 Photo Project when I read Crazy Aunt Purl's post, and thought it might be fun.

I love the idea of snapping a picture every day. I do it anyway, so why not publish the best of each day? It will be interesting to see what develops over the year - what I'm feeling, what I'm doing, where I go, and what I see!

Today, I was inspired by a very open tulip on my desk. A gift from a friend, it's opened and there aren't many days left for this tulip. I was struck by the color of the underside against the backdrop of an exquisite winter San Francisco sunset.

Project 365

It's Finished! And it's CUTE!

2006-11-28T15:52:00.000-08:00

Look everybody, I have actually FINISHED a knitting project that I started. I have recently decided that it is due to my committment issues, that I A: am still single, and 2: have a stack of scarvelettes, hatlettes, and other unrecognizable things on needles that I may never finish, no matter how much I want to.

The success of the bag has inspired the ordering of more skeins of Valley Farms Berkshire from Webs for gifts for my friends and family. I think the Lamb's Pride Bulky is a little too bulky, so I am going down a weight for the gift purses. Valley Farms is a really affordable price ($4.99!!) compared to the $7.99/skein I spent on the Lamb's Pride.

I discovered a really cool store that deals in vintage fabric and found that they sell "phatties" (which is a funny word) of fabric which are about half a yard each and perfect for the lining. I may get crazy and make small makeup bags out of these perfect little "phatties", or I may just hit the Sally Spicer friends and family warehouse sale and call it a day.

This is what I came back with from the last sale.
Sally & friends are handier with the sewing machine than I am,
and Hot Diggity Dog, her stuff is cute!

I thought I would knit the handle to the cable purse, and I knit about 20" of a 2x2 rib with a cable down the middle, and it was just too bulky, so I found these beautiful vintage wooden handles at the vintage fabric store that work very well. I think I'm going to have to re-sew them, as they seem a little crooked, which annoys me when I carry the purse.

I have had several requests for the pattern - email me your photos or blog link of the finished product! I'd love to see what you all have come up with.

I sail, therefore I am.

2006-11-22T10:45:00.000-08:00

So, I sail. Little known fact, but I race out of San Francisco Yacht Club on a Tartan 10 sailboat that my mom co-owns with a family friend. We do pretty well, too! We got a second place overall in the series of races that the Club sponsors every summer, and more importantly, we have fun!

That's me, waving like a dork. This was from a race in July. As I sit here in the fog, I am missing these days very badly!

And, this was a slightly colder day, one that my best friend Nikki was able to join us on. She'd never been sailing before, and has now become a regular member of our crew, which is great!

Here she is on board, in blue, facing the camera. She LOVES sailing!

So, to put things in perspective:

The QE3 is 33 feet long (10 meters), and the average speed is about 6 knots, which is probably about 7 miles per hour. We race within the confines of San Francisco Bay, on a course which is usually from Angel Island to the north tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, maybe over to Alcatraz, and then back to Angel Island. I don't know how long that is, but it takes about 3 hours (so by my bad math - 21 miles ish). I rarely get wet.

In comparison, the Volvo Ocean Race is 9 legs, of God knows how many miles. They average 25-30 knots, or 28 to 40 miles per hour. That's DAMNED fast on a boat. They get drenched. Volvo boats are 70 feet long. Check out this crazy ass video from the last ocean race...I have a friend who is planning on doing it next year, and I think he's out of his freakin' frakkin' mind, but I also think it is so bloody cool! It's like how I read books on Mt. Everest but could never imagine ever ever climbing it. The Volvo Ocean Race is the sailor's Mt. Everest. People die.

This crazy video sums it all up - any takers?

In other more calm news, I have decided to knit the handle to my cable purse. I cast on 10 stitches, and am doing a K2, P1, C4R, P1, K2 pattern. I think it's going to be 20 inches long and very cute.

Adorable Cable Knit Purse from Long Beach

2006-11-21T13:50:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!

To the 2 people that still read this incredibly boring blog - here is my gift to you - the pattern for the SUPER CUTE cable knit purse that I've been working on. It's a really quick knit, and I would have been long since finished if I hadn't been,

A. Going home with a good friend of mine and inappropriately molesting him in his hot tub which then led to, ahem, a night that required a phone call from him THREE DAYS LATER straightening out our "expectations" of what's next...which, by the way, apparently means that he's going to Africa to see some girl and I'm staying home and being annoyed.

B. Nursing a hangover, which was caused by the overimbibing the night before, which led to aforementioned hot tub incident.

C. Unable to commit to finishing a damned knitting project to date,

D. All of the Above.

I choose D.

Enjoy your pattern - send pics! Stay tuned, I WILL have this finished by the end of the week and will post final photos. I plan on embellishing (read: covering up a mistake I'm too lazy to fix) with a chunky wooden button, adding very groovy wooden handles, and lining with a brown and black silk fabric. The fabric is coming from a skirt that I LOVE, but have unfortunately ruined. So, it will become lining to my purse!

If you have trouble reading the pattern, drop me an email at marissa@mizmiller.com and I'll send you the PDF.

California...knows how to party.

2006-11-15T15:35:00.000-08:00

Bloggers unite! On Saturday, Kristy and Tami joined me at my office to sew up a million squares that Kristy had collected to make a blanket for Crazy Aunt Purl's Grandma. Very sweet thing for Kristy to do, and I was pleased I could help. I love that Crazy Aunt Purl, and all day long, I wondered if sewing up all these squares meant I had entered a new place of Crazy. But, in the end, I justified it as doing a nice thing for a sweet lady. We have all gotten so cynical and image conscious that we worry that doing a nice thing for someone means something weird, and so then the nice thing loses power. I have to remember to embrace doing something nice - and just realize that doing something nice is...well...nice. And often appreciated.

Here we are in front of our blanket, getting ready to sew up. Hidden from view is the bottle of champagne and our glasses of mimosas!

And, after a couple of hours of sewing and drinking mimosas...we've made some progress!

(Thank you Kristy and Tami for letting me pirate your photos from your blogs!)

It was great to meet both of these lovely ladies, and Kristy's sister-in-law Lori - we had a fun time, and once we all stopped making faces at each other...hee hee...

In Other News...

I am apparently an amazing person. Wonderful. Inspiring even. Men love to spend time with me. And have enjoyed my company. SO, if all that is true (and let's assume it is)...how come I keep getting these lovely compliment, followed by, "BUT..." and any or all of the following,

A. "I'm too busy for a relationship"

B. "We have different expectations"

C. "I am not emotionally available" (double bonus points for that one)

or, D. all of the above. Which I got on Sunday night, which by the way, was only a second date. WTF??

Let's see, that makes THREE this summer.

ARRRGGGHHHHH...thank GOD for knitting! I started a very cute cable knit purse with some Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Chunky - look how cute! I have the pattern and would gladly share - email me for a PDF.

Off to try on wedding gowns...not me, unfortunately, but my darling friend whose lovely and handsome boyfriend proposed with a rock the size of her head. Love it!

LaLa is Pretty Darn Cool.

2006-08-19T19:32:00.000-07:00

I happened upon this great site called LaLa.com while reading about the founder in Business Week or something (yes, I read.). You can list all of your CDs that you don't listen to anymore (my iPod has been sutured to my arm), and for just $1, you can trade your CDs with others. That's cheaper than getting the whole album on iTunes!! Of course, you have to ship CDs to receive, but it's pretty neat. Check mine out...

(You can click on any of the album covers, or the arrows at the botttom to scroll through my whole list, right here on my blog! I love the techmologies.)

Click here to get any of my CDs for $1

While Cruising the InterWebs Today...

2006-08-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

...instead of going on a bike ride to lose the most weight and win our Weightloss-apalooza, I came across this great blog, through Crazy Aunt Purl's Q&A post:

http://financialfitness.blogspot.com/

Lots of great financial advice, and how to live frugally. I am sure she frowns upon impulse buys of yarn, but whatever. She's a real woman who is dealing with day to day spending limits. We could all learn a little something.

While reading her blog, I come across this post: What Happens When Cheap Meets Crazy
You guys HAVE to check this out. I thought the guys I've dated have been crazy assholes? This guy takes the cake. It's about a successful New Yorker who met a woman on J-Date (an online dating site for Jewish folk), and the cheapness/crazy that ensues.

This will make you feel better about being single. I sure counted my lucky stars.

Have a great weekend, dear readers, I must get on that bike!!

But, my knitting looks more interesting...

Seriously...

2006-08-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

...Elvis has barely licked the yarn...

Ok, new deal. If you take the yarn off my hands, I will make crazy good deal for you. Just you! All day long! Don't forget, I WILL ship it for the crazy low low price of FREE.

Adrienne Vittadini Paloma - Deep Ocean Blue

Crystal Palace Iceland - Icestorm

How can you resist?!

Make me an offer! I am in deal making mode, let me tell ya.

My Thought For The Day

2006-08-02T16:47:00.000-07:00

...is it strange that I'm now looking at men the way I look at real estate?

"Hm, nice structure, good location, bad paint and carpet...it's ok,
he's a fixer upper!"

This was a cute, but nerdy and badly dressed guy in line at High Tech Burrito the other day. Would be a total hottie if we went shopping. But really, do I have time for such nonsense?? I don't think so!

Jeez. What is this single life coming to?

BUY MY YARN!!

2006-07-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

Hi All - I know it's been about a million and a half years since I last posted, but I've been super busy trying to build my business and have an unsuccessful relationship with a divorcing, emotionally unavailable guy. Let me tell ya - THAT's fun. JEEEEEEEZUS, divorcing guys have their heads so far up their ass, it's unbelievable. We had a great time together, got along great, but he's so screwed up from being single after 16 years of marriage, that I just couldn't break through.

So, NEXT!!

Right now, I'm loving being fabulous and single, and will just see what crosses my path. I'm also competing in a Biggest Loser style weightloss competition with 7 of my friends. Read about it here. At stake - 900 smackers. That's a LOT of yarn.

Until then, I'm buying yarn like it's going out of style. My inability to control myself in a yarn store (Hi, Impulse Buy of 11 balls of Karabella Aurora Bulky at 40% off...), is your gain. I'm clearing out my stash, and the rule is...if I don't have a pattern for it, or haven't knit with it for 6 months or more, it's going on eBay.

Check it out - I have some GORGEOUS yarn on there. AND, if you email me and want to take it off my hands, I'll end the auction, take your money through PayPal, and SHIP IT TO YOU FOR FREE. Email me at marissa@mizmiller.com

FOR SALE:

Adrienne Vittadini PALOMA, Deep Ocean Blue. 4 balls.

FOR SALE:

Crystal Palace ICELAND, Icestorm. 2 balls.

Wow. What a deal. How can you resist!?

Here are some adorable kitten pictures to make your day a happy one. This is Elsie, my Marin Humane Society foster kitten.

You are powerless under my command!

BUY MY MANOLOS!!

2006-05-24T14:43:00.000-07:00

Buy Mommy's Manolos so that I can receive quality vet care...please!?

In an impulsive moment in Vegas last week, I bought a gorgeous pair of Manolo Blahniks at his boutique at the Wynn, where we were staying. I love them. I am not selling them.

In another impulsive moment, I bought another pair of Manolos on eBay. I love these. I am not selling these.

In YET another impulsive moment, I bought this adorable pair of strappy Manolos on eBay. These I do not love...AS MUCH. I still love them.

But, alas, I cannot afford them. My dog just had an emergency appointment at the vet and it cost as much (almost to the penny) as these Manolos. Because I love my dog more than my Manolos, these are going up for sale on eBay.

For you, $259 all day long. Size 38.5 (US 8.5), these run small, I wear a 7.5, but these fit perfectly. So sad.

My beautiful dog, on the other hand, seems to be doing ok, but we won't know anything until tomorrow...please put us in your prayers!

The Latest in a String of Dating Adventures...

2006-05-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

I had originally written this guy the following email politely cutting him loose. I didn't feel a connection and frankly didn't want to spend my precious time with someone that I'm just not that into:

On May 10, 2006, at 10:26 AM, Marissa wrote:
Hey Tom, Thanks for your email - I appreciate your honesty as well. Although I have enjoyed our time spent together, I don't feel the kind of romantic feelings that I should be feeling at this point. You're a neat guy, and have renewed my enthusiasm for my faith - thank you for everything!
Have a wonderful day,
Marissa

And, he responded:

Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2006 6:56:16 AM
Hey Marissa,
Goddamnit woman, will you give me a fucking chance...what in the hell do i have to do to get it through your head that I fucking like you. Arggghhhhh!

I hate this, I think the world of you b/c brutally honest and your cute.

I am trying not to give in to fear, why can't you do the same for me? You talk of chemistry, I see and feel this deep reservoir built on opportunity for mutual sharing and by letting things move at the pace we're both ready for.

Fuck an A, shit fuck.... why are you shutting me out?

talk to me!!! But if its really what you want, kick me to the curb.
TOM

By the way, isn't "fuckin' A" spelled "fuckin' A" not Fuck An A? And PLEASE won't someone use the proper spelling of your and you're??

Just wondering.

This from a guy studying to be a priest.

I have not responded yet...any ideas? I'm thinking of either not responding or saying something to the effect of, "anyone who starts an email with "goddamnit woman" and uses such language to address me has no place in my life."

But something way sassier should be said. I'm likely not responding, but I'll take any and all ideas.

I really do need to write a book.

And, while I was writing this post, I got a call and then an email from the other guy that I wrote a "thanks but no thanks" email to:

you know what? that's a pretty shitty thing to do to someone! you can at least pick up the phone and talk to me and tell this to me instead of having me read it in a 'dear john' - i was actually going to tell you today that this isn't going to work out. you say all the right things, yet when it comes down to it, you don't know what you want, and stringing me along was not fair. if you didn't and weren't interested in me, why the coffee? why all the bs? pretty lame and childish if you want my opinion. who knows where things could have gone with us, and it's a shame we will never find out. i hope you are more reasonable and fair with the next guy that comes along.

WHAT IS WRONG WITH THESE MEN OUT THERE!!

Matthew Perry and I are Like THIS.

2006-05-10T16:42:00.000-07:00

So, I got a comment from Crazy Mexican Girl today threatening to remove me from her blog roll if I didn't update more often! She's right, I'm a total blog flaker!! I've just been so busy with work and dating and sleeping and drinking lots of wine, that I haven't had the chance to check in!

I was updating myself on her adventures when I came across her post about being a celebrity lookalike and so I thought I'd cruise over to www.myheritage.com and check it out...

I found that I resemble Matthew Perry by 72%...nice.

Should I mention this to future eHarmony dates when the question comes up, "What celebrity do you most resemble?" ??

Sexy Yarn Storage

2006-04-14T17:05:00.000-07:00

It's Spring. And raining NON FREAKIN' STOP. So, it's time to reorganize Studio del Paradise Lost. It's been a fun process, because it's involved the purchase of a NEW COUCH. A real, big-girl couch - one that I chose. One that I bought with my OWN money. For me (and the cats and the dog). Not one that I bought used from Craigslist because I was moving and needed a couch and settled for someone else's taste because it was cheap and I was desperate. But a couch that I shopped for, budgeted for, bargained for, and took home with me the day I found it.

Can I tell you how satisfying it was to take my old, crappy, second hand IKEA loveseat that had SHREDDED arms (thank you Buster & Elvis), shove it in the back of a borrowed SUV, and haul it to the dump?? I did it during a workday, and I wear suits and stillettos to work, so I must have looked pretty funny hauling it out of the back of the truck and FLINGING it off the side of the dump. It got hung up on the side, so I had to KICK it over the side, using my gorgeous pointytoed Anne Klein slingbacks. The workers dumping yard clippings who were already staring at me, were REALLY staring at that show - I must say! I was there for all of 3 seconds, and had THE MOST wonderful feeling driving away.

A few weeks later, my mom and I played hooky from work, took a lovely drive up the California Coast to Bodega Bay (where Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" was filmed) and found a beautiful Japanese cabinet, with shoji screen sliding doors, and thought it would be perfect for an entertainment center. After much thinking about where ALL the yarn would go once I got rid of the old entertainment center (yarn is entertainment!), I had the miracle idea. It would go in the Japanese cabinet.

Unfinished kitty pi and some yarn from Gramma's stash...

So, my yarn has a fabulous new, very expensive home. My home, on the other hand, is a crazy mess. You know how it always gets worse before it gets better? Yeah...that's my life right now.

OH.MY.GOSH.

2006-03-15T11:31:00.000-08:00

Crazy Aunt Purl was right. Misti Alpaca is HEAVEN.ON.EARTH. To steal one of my favorite Southern Girl sayings from her, JESUSONACRACKER, that yarn is niiiiiice.

I went into Studio Knit in Mill Valley (the NICEST yarn store in Marin) to pick up some more Debbie Bliss Cashmerino (yum) for a hat I'm knitting for a dear friend who's in chemo and going to be a cue ball soon, and it's crazy cold and snowing and typhooning and tornadoing here, and I don't want his head to get chilly.

Well, I was waiting for the lady to get me one more ball from the back (they go slow so that you'll buy more yarn), and I happened to see...Misti. I groped it. I fondled it. I wanted to hug it, just like Crazy Aunt Purl promised I would. Holy Softness, Batman. I bought three skeins - $12 each, not bad for 108 yards. This yarn is dedicated to StacyO, who, due to an 5 figure engine repair emergency has cut herself off from yarn stores for an undetermined amount of time. One for my homies.

And just that morning, I was lamenting that I haven't knit myself a scarf that I really like. I'm working on that hat for our friend, I've knit a cute felted purse (that the trend has totally caught on!), and have a sweater in progress (easier than I thought!). But, no scarf. I knit one when I first started knitting, but now I look at that and am amazed at how elementary and lame it is now!

So...stay tuned for a Misti Alpaca scarf and hat because DAMN it's cold here!

In other news, I went down to Long Beach last weekend to visit dear old Dad and his cats, and of course had to stop into the LYS there. The great ladies at LisCat helped me pick up a messed up stitch in the hat, and then I toodled over to the Alamitos Bay Yarn Co. They had this darling cabled purse (lined), and so I gave in and bought some yummy bulky ivory yarn to get the free pattern (I guess not so free?). Just add this and my Misti love to the two giant boxes of yarn that I may never knit with...I think I like buying yarn more than I like knitting...

Photo sneak attack!
(email me for the pattern - marissa@mizmiller.com)

Binge! And Purge!

2006-02-18T23:54:00.000-08:00

StacyO and I hopped in the car and drove an hour south today to attend the Stitches West Knitting Conference today!

We thought we might find some nice, unique yarns, tools and patterns, but instead found lots of Fug, and lots of stuff we'd seen before. All in all, it was fun, and of course I ended up spending too much money on yarn! I bought about 1300 yards of lovely gray Alpaca for about $40, some lovely denim colored Alapaca for $3.99 a skein (!!), and assorted needles and notions that I needed.

In order to make room for the 8 balls of Valley Berkshire Bulky that I picked up at the WEBS booth for the Kitty Pi that I have planned, I had to get rid of some of my precious yarn that I either got bored with or will never knit with.

My attention deficit is your gain! Check out my stash for sale on eBay! (there are some other not-related-to-yarn goodies worth checking out as well!)

In other news, we saw SNOW-capped mountains on our way down there! It never snows here! Last week, we had 75 degree weather and then it dropped to the mid-30s...brrr...and I guess it was cold enough to snow! This is taken from Hwy 101 close to Santa Clara/Palo Alto area.

HOW did my cats get so CUTE?

2006-01-20T14:28:00.000-08:00

I mean really...how great is El Buster?

I love working from home...life is pretty damn good.

Have a great weekend, y'all. I'm gonna learn me some intarsia and how to finish the crown of a teeny tiny baby hat with dpns. I'm scared, but I'll get through it.

Elvis is in the In-Box!

2006-01-19T14:30:00.000-08:00

In an effort to get organized, I bought a snazzy new in-box to put important mail (oh hello, Bills!), and whatever other crap I couldn't make decisions on...

This is what happened, almost immediately:

And then, one afternoon (ok, today), I was "working from home" - no really, I was working...and Elvis decided that since I'd pushed the inbox up against a sunny window, that was really the nicest place to be.

He makes quite a fancy paperweight!

In my next life, I want to come back as one of my cats. What a life!

As of 3:10 pm...El Buster has taken over the box...

Am I really this bored today???

Wah-Lah!

2006-01-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Here it is! Finished!

I think I do need to sew in a zipper - as all my stuff falls out of it in my car, but otherwise, it's finished, and already has enjoyed a night out on the town last night when I took my Sweetie to dinner for his birthday at the always-yummy Bistro Aix on Steiner and Chestnut in San Francisco. We had one of the best meals I've had in a long time - I highly recommend it if you're in the neighborhood! Make reservations and sit out on the patio - they have heat lamps, and it's a lot quieter and nicer than inside which gets crowded.

That's all she wrote!

It's Felted! It Really Is!

2006-01-09T17:19:00.000-08:00

I did it! Well, kinda.

I felted something and didn't even screw it up...ok, not really, but kinda.

See, I didn't screw up the felting - I just knit the thing on 17s instead of 15s, and it got really huge (see my last post). So, I ran it through the wash once, and then twice, and it came out all felted up and sorta ok. What was wrong was that it was still really long and weird looking.

So - I cut it, here and here:

And then, today, while waiting for a client, I sewed up the edges with some of the yarn and a darning needle, turned it inside out, and WAH-LAH!

Now, all I need to do is sew on a handle, and a cool little mother-of-pearl button, and I have a very fun, very furry, sparkly purse!

And here's the pattern, dear readers:

Here's the link to print out your own copy! http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b144/thepurlgirl/CuteLittleFeltedPurse.jpg

Where are the gnomes!!

2006-01-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Where are the felting gnomes when I need them?

It's not supposed to get BIGGER and LONGER when agitated!

I'm going to take it home and run it through the washer again and see what happens. I did knit the bulk of it on 17s when it called for 15s, so that could have something to do with it...

It sure does smell funkedy funk though...even my wet dog smells better than this thing!

And, to answer Vanessa's question - I got the pattern at Dharma whatever it's called craft place, and will be posting the PDF when I finish the purse...it's a fun pattern, and I've already gotten some Cascade in Red and in Black to do more for friends (assuming it's not ugly when I'm done!).

It's cute! It's felted! Well, not yet.

2006-01-05T10:36:00.000-08:00

I was in desperate need of a project that looked nice! I had been working forEVER on a great, asymmetrical poncho that used crazy bumpy fun yarn and had a great drape. But, it didn't look right.

So, one afternoon when I called up StacyO and asked what she was up to and she said she was going to a yarn store, I figured I'd tag along. I was convinced I didn't need anything and that I had plenty of projects in my stash, but I couldn't ever pass up a yarn shopping trip. Especially since I was still in the Holiday Shopping Habit and wasn't ready to have that be over yet!

We trekked out to a local yarn/crafts store in San Rafael and we happened upon this darling pattern for a "Cute Little Felted Purse" - they had a sample in my colors, blue and bluer, and I fell in love. It's a super easy stockinette pattern with increases simply by changing needle sizes and I thought - I can't mess that up! And so far, so good.

Here's a little bit...

And a little more...(after staying up until 12:30 knitting) - I'm just 4 rows away from bind-off, then I sew it up, felt it, and I'm done! They say to knit a handle, but I've never thought that was very cute, so I'm going to buy a cute wooden or lucite handle for it. Perhaps I'll embellish it with a vintage brooch or something too.

Yarn - Crystal Palace Stardust Fizz color 4212, and Cascade 220 color 7815

And, I have discovered that storing projects in Ziplocs is very convenient. I went away this past weekend, and brought several projects with me. It was so handy to pack up all the needles I would need for the project, the yarn, and the pattern in one bag and be on my way. This is probably old news for you experienced knitters, but it was an exciting epiphany to me! I'm ordering 2 gallon freezer bags online (they come in cases of 100!) so that I can store bigger projects!

A Very Elvis Christmas...

2005-12-21T22:28:00.000-08:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!!

Love,
Elvis

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

2005-11-24T10:54:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!

In other news, I'm flying to Chicago tomorrow to spend 24 hours with a really great guy I've recently met on the Match.com. We have met in person here in SF, and fallen hard. He's moving here in December, but we decided we couldn't wait. A phone conversation, and 40,000 frequent flyer miles later, and I have a flight to Chicago! This is insane, but I'm thrilled! AND, I'll have a four and a half hour flight where I can do nothing BUT KNIT!! Maybe I'll finally finish this great poncho/wrap that I'm making but haven't told you about!

Love to you all this holiday season! Thanks for staying tuned into my relatively boring life!

Really Funny Stuff

2005-11-19T17:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I happened upon this blog that features really random and hilarious videos from Google Video - this is WORTH bookmarking, but Parental Guidance recommended, and if the boss is watching, turn down your speakers.

Personally, I recommend the Tupac vs. Barney video, and the fat guy singing "My Heart will Go On."

Enjoy! From me to you: Google Video of the Day

Another great way to waste time at work...

2005-11-16T11:49:00.000-08:00

Here's a really groovy way for me to keep tabs on where you all are coming from! I hope you add yourselves and give me a shoutout! Thanks Aunt Purl for the great idea!

What do you want from me!?

2005-11-12T11:15:00.000-08:00

Crazy Aunt Purl and I have been living parallel lives and trying to eliminate clutter. Like any good and faithful stalker, of course I feel like we're totally alike and that she's writing about ME! I completely related to what she had to say, "I begin to rationalize that the house would never be messy again if only I had more organizational items, like shelves and wooden magazine holders, and I must immediately rush off to Ikea because that is clearly the only solution to the messy house situation." I had just been shopping that day for plastic boxes to keep clothes in that I'll never fit my big fat ass into ever again, but am not prepared for that thought. And then she mentioned the cute little polka dotted cardboard boxes she bought to deal with the clutter - oh yes, I have them too.

And then, because of course the problem I have with the walk-in closet that I can't walk into is my dresser. Right? Sure, whatever Purl Girl, you tell yourself whatever you want to...so I must run off to The Container Store, drop $150, and come home with this...

I tried that system in high school - it didn't work then either. But, I'm an optimist, so I'm hopeful it will work.

My friend turned me onto "Mission Organization" on the HGTV channel and I'm addicted. Thank God for Tivo so I don't have to miss even just one episode. I swear, I thought I was a pig!? No way - these people are so much worse off. Tune in, it will make y'all feel a LOT better about your yarn closets.

And you gotta love Southern people. Rather than shabby chic being the new thing...they have Krispy Chic...I think that may be the look I'm trying to pull off here in Casa della Micio (kitty in Italian)! I took this while vacationing in Georgia last Thanksgiving:

Quick question - can anyone tell me what a tater baby is? Is that like a tater tot, but younger and not on solid food yet?

StacyO and I are going to the opening of yet another LYS in San Rafael called Marin Fiber Arts. The really sad thing is that is my high point of my weekend. Oh yes, living the life of a sassy single woman...it's great. Really.

I leave you with these words of wisdom captured on film by yours truly and her twisted sense of humor and offered by the Bull Street Baptist Church in Savannah, GA.

Listing

2005-11-06T11:16:00.000-08:00

Things that seemed like a good idea at the time:

(in no particular order)

1.) Counting how many glasses of wine I drank to feel so bad at 6:23 AM.

2.) Drinking all of those glasses of wine.

3.) Blogging about how many glasses of wine I drank last night.

4.) Eating LOTS of fresh dungeness crab in my ex-boyfriend's garage that he had personally caught, cleaned, cooked, and served. With the help of his unfortunately likable girlfriend. This is definitely still a good idea.

5.) Running out under the garage door to get my dog back into the garage...then, running back under as a drunken man was lowering it. POW! Ran right into it. It was a great moment of blonde-ness. As the train hurtles through my head at lightning speed this morning, I am beginning to think this may not be a great idea.

6.) Later in the evening, attempting to crash posh party at the yacht club with fly down.

7.) Being too hungover on a Sunday to go for a bike ride or clean my house, and really only able to knit laying on the couch watching a movie covered in cats...definitely a good idea.

Mr. Wallbanger and his Cake

2005-11-05T10:02:00.000-08:00

I'm recovering from a wild and wacky week at work. Spent yesterday morning with my beach bum/architect cousin measuring a huge dirty stinky building for a client. She's going to be remodeling it for a pre-school and will be quite lovely. Right now, it's disgusting and I couldn't wait to get out of there. We were in the back outdoor area, measuring for play space, and were tromping across dog poop and used condoms. ICK ICK ICK.

On the love front - WHAT LOVE FRONT?!?!?! It doesn't exist, unfortunately. Met a wonderful guy last Wednesday - I think I told you about him. He's a psychologist at San Quentin (wow) and a really cool, laid back guy. we had instant chemistry, I thought. We spent much of Saturday sailing and hanging out at the club (even Mummie popped in and met him), and then Sunday we had lunch with a friend and hung out at his apartment...;) I was a good girl though. Didn't hear anything from him until Thursday night - I emailed him Wednesday just to say hi, and he emailed back the oh-so-wonderful "Hi, how are you? Sorry I haven't got back to you. Thanks for a great weekend. That said, unfortunately, I don't feel the way I want to feel at the beginning of dating, relationships, ect... I know myself well, and when I feel like this it is better for everyone that I move on. Once again thanks for everything, we had a lot of fun. Take care, G." I'm bummed, but whatever. I didn't know him that long, but had hopes for something great. No big deal, I suppose, but YUCK!

The very next email I got after his was an email from one of my best guy friends who I haven't seen since he moved to Vegas 2 years ago to be a reporter. He's coming back!! He got a job as a freelance reporter at NBC11, so we'll get to see him on our tee-vees! He'll be back in December, and I'm thrilled that he's not moving his skinny assed blonde girlfriend here quite yet, so that he and I will get some good quality time together. Being single was always ok as long as he was around to entertain me.

My God, did I even tell you about the 29-year-old virgin!!?? I know, sounds great, like I could teach him a few things, but EW. I worry about a guy that is 29 and still a virgin. He was even in a relationship for TWO years and didn't bang the girl. He says he's "overly cautious of boundaries." No thanks. Even Mummie said, "I think you should quietly tiptoe away from this guy..." And so I did. I gave him the old, "I"m so busy with work, I don't have the time to invest in a relationship right now" email.

God, dating on the internets has become so impersonal.

Thursday night, I went over to my neighbor's house - he's a HOT HOT HOT Irishman from County Cork (where my family is from in Ireland - dad's side), and we bumped into each other at Sam's not too long ago. He's also VERY good friends with that half Chinese guy that I was seeing a while ago. We hung out at his house - 2 doors down from me - and then went down to Sam's so he could eat dinner (I had already eaten). Then the Chinese guy shows up! He was embarassed that he was imposing on our date, but he wasn't - it wasn't a date - honestly, I didn't feel romantic feelings towards this Irishman at all! It was actually kind of nice! Although, he did pay for my wine, and I'm going to bake him a cake today, so I don't know what that means. I don't think I have EVER baked a cake for anyone. I'm not that domestic! But, we had a very nice time, and I'm happy to have a really hot good looking nice neighbor to hang out with. I guess when we met, one of my annoying friends was annoying him, and he kept looking for me to rescue him! We made a pact that we'd always look out for each other in bars, and whisk the other away, and walk home together. You should have seen the Chinese guy's jealous mug as we left the bar together to walk home in the rain. I will bet you a dollar that he calls me within the week (the Chinese guy). Guys always want what they can't have. Don't worry, I'm not going to get involved with him, it's just really fun to smirk about it.

What else!? My goodness, there's so much to catch up on! I hope I haven't bored you to tears! Today, I have been invited to a Opening Day of Crab Season Crab Feed at my ex-boyfriend (4 years ago)'s house. He enjoys crab fishing, so I guess he's probably out on his boat as we speak picking up his crab pots and all his crabs! I am going to have crabs tonight! Har har har. My good friend Stacy is coming with me, because my ex now has a girlfriend - who I'm going to meet. Ugh. I'm baking a Harvey Wallbanger cake that is SO simple and 1950's, but is to DIE FOR. 1 pkg yellow cake mix, 1 pkg vanilla instant pudding, 1/2 cup oil, 4 eggs, 1/4 cup vodka, 1/4 cup galliano, and 3/4 cup OJ. In a bundt cake pan, 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar, or I usually poke holes in the top, and make a glaze from the powdered sugar and OJ and drizzle on top. It's SO good.

And there you go - Miz Miller, the purl girl herself, in a nutshell.
Wish I had pics to illustrate, but actually, as I re-read this, I'm kind of glad I don't... :)

And I am knitting another Tuft scarf - so easy and so fun. I love that yarn. Trying to find a good hat 'n' scarf recipe to knit for my adorable (grown up) cousin in Portland. Any ideas are very welcome!

Wow - I'm a little of everything!

2005-10-31T10:38:00.000-08:00

Your Linguistic Profile:

70% General American English

10% Dixie

10% Upper Midwestern

10% Yankee

0% Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?

Knitting Rage

2005-10-26T10:05:00.000-07:00

A coworker of mine gave me a great excerpt from The Believer magazine, called "Sedaritives" by comedienne Amy Sedaris. Reprinted without permission, hoping that if Ms. Sedaris comes across it, she'll find it flattering that I wanted to share it with my peeps.

Dear Amy,
A knitting pattern gave me bad instructions and I don’t know what to do with my rage. Any suggestions?
Peter McGrath
Washington, D.C.

Dear Peter,
This sounds to me like Knitter’s Rage. Not to be confused with aggressive knitting. You should take this test:

1. Do I feel I need to “get back” at other knitters for wronging me?
2. Do I get angry with knitters who knit faster than I do?
3. Do I find myself yelling at other knitters whether they can hear me or not?
4. Do I cut off other knitters when driving?
5. While knitting, do I often think, “Hey, these heavy steel needles would look great sticking out
of that guy’s skull?”

If you answered yes to three out of five questions, then you probably have Knitter’s Rage. I would recommend sedating the rage with alcohol or PCP, eating a lot of junk food, and then heading over to the gun range to blow off some steam. If there isn’t a gun range in your neighborhood, try the parking lot of a Burger King or a belltower.
Amy

How many of the 5 questions did you answer "yes" to?

I'm not telling how many I did...

P.S. Check back tomorrow for a story on my date with the real live 29-year-old virgin - folks, this is no movie. I only wish I was making this stuff up.

Happy Birthday TO ME

2005-10-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Yay! It's my birthday! The one day of the year that's ALL MINE. And it's fun.

Here is my gift to you - courtesy of KristySF:

Click: Chinese People are Funny

It's utterly ridiculous, but made me chuckle.

Now, get back to work!

More More More

2005-10-20T18:12:00.000-07:00

"Thanks for bringing home this really cool box! What? You got some sort of free teevee? Yeah, whatever, this box kicks ASS!" -Elvis

The Universe Loves Me...It Really Loves Me!!

2005-10-19T20:31:00.000-07:00

I won a teevee. Ok, so who ever wins anything, much less a teevee??

I figure it's the Universe's way of making it up to me. See, because the Universe and I have had some issues lately. I'm taking specific issue with the quality of the men, or lack thereof, that it has been sending me. I mean, really! Come on!!

There was the guy who lived in my very small town that had been to every party I had been to this summer and had all the same friends that I did. He and I had never met until I emailed him via Match.com. Apparently, we were 5 feet away from each other at a bar not two weeks earlier but had not met. Anyway, a couple of great dates later, it unfortunately fizzles for reasons that I shouldn't post here. Hm. Next!

Then, there was Soft-Spoken Guy who could barely be strong enough to stand up to his dog, yet was aggressive enough to randomly move in for a kiss while I was mid-sentence and I hadn't given ANY kind of signal that it would be ok to do so...Next!

And...that's kind of it. Wow. How very...blah. Of course there is the IHOP of men...I have conversations with an Israeli guy, a South African guy, and a Swiss guy. SO glad I'm taking conversational Italian classes at the community college...should come in handy.

Ok, so to make it up to me, and to prove that the Universe loves me and wants me to be happy...I won a 26" flat screen teevee today in a raffle at a brokers' open! I was one of two female agents in attendance in a room full of about 55 male commercial real estate agents. You should have seen those men's jaws drop when they announced my name, "but she's just gonna watch Desperate Housewives and E True Hollywood Story! She's not gonna appreciate that High-Def for baseball and football the way the Good Lord intended!!"

Oh yes I will...Josh Duhamel from Las Vegas in high definition...yummy.

And the best part is? I can plug BOTH my DVD player AND my TiVo into the TV at the same time...life is good.

So bad

2005-09-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

I am never again allowing myself access to the computer and email when I've been drinking.

I'm just saying.

The Marin Humane Society is taking in furry Katrina victims...600 of them.

2005-09-09T23:44:00.000-07:00

The Marin Humane Society is taking in SIX HUNDRED animals who were stranded and left behind in Hurricane Katrina's wake. Please PLEASE PLEASE donate to support the Marin Humane Society's programs to keep these animals alive, and placed in new homes. The foster program especially needs your help - please click: http://www.marinhumanesociety.org/Orphans/OrphansMain.html

I got tagged...

2005-09-09T16:17:00.000-07:00

Whew - I don't even know what it means to get tagged, but here goes. I think I'm supposed to answer these questions:

ten years ago: I was a Junior in high school! I was still living at home, probably working at a coffee shop slinging espresso drinks (the Bay Area version of the typical teenager McDonald's job). I lived with Mom, and Anna and Rosie, the Maltese dogs. I had no idea who I was, or what I wanted to become. Scared of my own shadow.

five years ago: I was living in Sausalito (after having spent the millenium celebration in New Orleans! So sad...), and working at a marketing firm there. Then, unemployed for a few months, and then I got the greatest job at the Marin Humane Society where I defined my passion for domestic animal issues, made great friends, and found out a lot of who I am. I was still dating Ben - the Navy guy I was with for three long dysfunctional years, but he lived in Newport, RI, so it didn't make a lot of sense to continue with him. We broke up at the beginning of 2001.

one year ago: Working at the real estate company where I am now. Already had my real estate license, and was planning my attack to get promoted to a full agent instead of an administrative assistant. Had helped my mom sell the family condo. Was about to buy Looney the Lexus, but didn't know it yet! Was madly in love with Dave - the boy who broke my heart this most recent June. Everything was perfect. Living in my current home in Tiburon with my little dog and two cats.

five snacks: Tamari almonds, chocolate, popcorn, does wine count?, chips & salsa & guacamole!

five songs I know all the words to: almost any Beach Boys song; Bitch (Meredith Brooks); various country songs...I know, I'm a dork.

five things I would do with $100 million: 1) buy a beautiful home in Tiburon or Sausalito; 2) Pay my mother back the money I've borrowed throughout the years; 3) Buy a second home on the island of Kauai; 4) Buy a big office building or Walgreens building so I could retire and just collect rent checks; 5) give lots of money to animal rescue groups, and other worthwhile charities.

five places to run away to: 1) Hawaii; 2) anywhere in Tuscany; 3) New Zealand or Australia (but I couldn't bring my animals!); 4) Stinson Beach, California 5) My bed
Here's my problem with that question - I love where I live, and I would want to take my animals with me - so my options are limited!

five things I would never wear: 1) fur; 2) jeans with a jean jacket or shirt; 3) anything brown; 4) fake diamonds; 5) anything flesh colored

five favorite TV shows: Sex in the City; Scrubs; The O.C.; Desperate Housewives; Starved on FX

five biggest joys: Tess my dog; the kitties; my family; a great bike ride; snuggling in bed with someone I really like

favorite toys: My iPod; my laptop; my car; my bike; my dog

five people to pass this on to:
StacyO
Aunt Purl
Vanessa
M.Thom
Kristy

By Popular Demand...

2005-09-02T21:58:00.000-07:00

So, I've been knitting on the Paris Loop for so long that I'm just getting damn bored with it. It's just so...green. And stockinette-y. And furry. It's pretty, but I think I may just rip it out. Especially after attending a Knit & Wine at Urban Knitting Studios where Linda Fenner of Zukii Designs was showing off her gorgeous patterns and yarns. The Loop just looks soo....hokey next to these beautiful patterns.

I have decided to knit a gorgeous asymetrical poncho out of really lightweight drapey yarn. It's very elegant and far more slinky and sexy than that chunky piece of you-know-what that I was knitting before.

I managed to score two balls of the new Rowan Tuft in Ivory on eBay for almost nothing. I knit up a really cool, skinny scarf in about two hours on size 35 (?) needles, which were hilarious to knit with. I was at an outdoor Shakespeare play with CVCG, (who shall now be forever called Smelly Melly due to an unfortunate BO situation) and finished it during the play. I love it, and ALMOST can't wait for the colder weather. Cast on 6 stitches, knit knit knit until you're done!

Here's an updated picture of that ugly Paris Loop I was knitting - I didn't quite follow the pattern, so this is what I got - I'll probably bind off sooner than later, try it on and see what happens...stay tuned.

Help Pets Hurt By Hurricane Katrina

2005-09-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

My heart and prayers go out to the people and animals suffering because of Hurricane Katrina. I must admit, I have been obnoxiously oblivious to this disaster, and it wasn't until I met a girl at a Knit & Wine event at Urban Knitting Studios who had friends and family on the Gulf Coast that I started realizing how horrific this disaster was. That's all I gotta say about that.

Please click the banner to get more information on how you can help animals in Louisiana:

Bikes 'n' knitting 'n' stuff

2005-08-21T11:10:00.000-07:00

So many things to report on! First of all, I got extremely bored with dating, so I'm going to take a break from that for a while, except for continuing to enjoy Cute Vegan Cyclist Guy's company and extraordinary cooking. I mean, a girl's gotta eat, after all. CVCG has been uber supportive of my new hobby, cycling. And he's simply adorable and fantastic company.

I got myself suckered into a charity bike ride in Carmel in October, and that was all well and good until I realized that, um, I don't own a bike. Dur. So, I picked CVCG's brain for a while and then went up to East Side Cycles in Petaluma (LOVE those guys!) and bought a killer road bike for a killer low price. Tip - they're clearing out their '05 stock, so go buy a bike!

Of course, because I'm brilliant, I go and buy a bike as the weather gets colder and I'm less likely to bound out of bed on an overcast SF Bay Area morning and go for a bike ride (which is exactly why on a Sunday morning, I'm on my couch in my jammies updating my blog rather than going for a bike ride or even doing my dishes - although the dishes have little to do with the weather).

Last Sunday, my friends Stacy and Nikki came over for a little knit 'n' wine (or whine, if you're Stacy). Nikki brought over a beautiful Capis shell curtain for me to divide my studio apartment with, and because she's so handy and knew that I'd never get around to putting it up, she put it up for me and then celebrated her handiwork with a kir royale.

Stacy had to bring her yarn roller-upper (I know there's a real word for that handy little tool that rolls up the yarn into those nifty little balls, but I have NO idea what it is), because Nikki's tiny little kitten had a yarn party and unraveled 2 of my 7 balls of expensive Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk the night before. The cats were enamored with the yarn roller-upper.

And, that very same day, I got started on my version of the Paris Loop. It's beautiful and I'm knitting it in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk and Jo Sharp Infusion Kid Mohair. I love this combination, so soft!!

Think of All the Yarn (and kitties) I Could Store...

2005-08-09T19:56:00.000-07:00

I used to laugh at Stacy when she would moan and groan about yarn spilling out of every closet in her home, and what a yarn ho she'd become...til I started knitting. I'm already an eBay addict, I love to shop, and to spend money on frivolous things, so knitting was probably not the best hobby to pick up. I have already bought 9 balls of yarn for projects that don't exist. I just really liked the color, the feel, the rush I felt when clicking "Buy it NOW" on eBay. 7 of those 9 balls came from eBay. Sick, I tell you, this is SICK!

I realized that I could no longer have USPS soft packs lying around my house, so I trucked off to the Container Store - which I love. Seriously my favorite store. First of all, I am a total slob. I am the least organized person I know. Drives me INSANE. I love to walk into the Container Store - I feel calm. Like there's hope for the insanity that is my apartment. Dick used to say I lived in chaos. I don't think I completely agree, but there's a lot of shit everywhere. If I had a million bucks, I would spend at least half of it at the Container Store - buying all those nice tidy boxes to keep all my shit in.

(While looking at this picture, does anyone else hear angels, bells, and a choir singing "alleluia"? Ok, I'm the only sick one, but that's cool. I'm ok with that.)

I walked in, and was browsing through the aisles touching everything, and it occured to me...think of all the yarn I could store.

Oh Elvis -

I really should get through my current project before buying yarn for one that doesn't exist...dontcha think?

Speaking of which - this is the scarf I am knitting for my darling Noelle. Red Heat Light & Lofty yarn in Sage. It's a beautiful color, and the yarn is super soft and snuggly. I like it much better than the snot yarn I attempted to knit the poor girl a scarf with.

I soon need to learn how to knit on circular needles, so as soon as I find the perfect yarn, this is what I'm going to attempt (thank you MagKnits!):

Even Container Store containers store kitties!

My first hat!!

2005-08-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

I did it! I knit my first hat while hungover in bed this morning. I had way too much fun last night on an eHarmony date. I was actually drinking NOT to tolerate the guy, but because we were actually having fun!! Things are looking pretty good this weekend, I gotta say.

So, Friday night, I started the hat during a movie with my best girl Nikki and finished it this morning while chugging Coke and Ibuprofen trying to erase the damage done last night by too many Tanqueray and Tonics.

I'm triumphant because I read the pattern all by myself, decreased stitches all by myself, blocked it, and sewed up the seam! I'm not sure I did the seam right, but you can't really tell, so it's ok.

Elvis the cat helped me block it before I sewed the seam closed:

Today, in my travels, I saw this Mama Horse and her colt - for those of you who know me know that I've been a horse person since I could walk, and I do believe this was the first time I'd seen a colt up close. I melted.

Breakups SUCK.

2005-08-04T22:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not having a sobby, poor me moment, I'm having a moment of such rage that my animals are hiding under the bed. Ok, I'm exaggerating. I'm not filled with rage, I'm just really angry and annoyed that I wasted tears, love, and heartache on this bastard.

I come home from a reasonably nice date (although this guy did mostly talk about himself and didn't offer to pay...rrrr. But that's not why I'm raging) and I check my email (cuz I'm such an email whore).

And, in my email is a response from Cold Hearted DickHead (yes, my ex, we'll just call him Dick for short). He is responding to my relatively pleasant email requesting that he allow me to buy him out of the Jack Johnson concert tickets that we had bought together back when we were pretending we were in love.

Me: "I'd like to take someone else to the concert, so if you wouldn't mind, can I send you $40 for the ticket?" (He doesn't have to know that the "someone else" is my best friend Nikki, it's much more fun to imagine him stewing about who I'm taking)

Dick: "Actually, I really wanted to go, and checked Craigslist and there are lots of available tickets if you need to buy some."

Ok, so maybe it was the "I'm taking someone else" comment that made him respond like such a DICK. Or, it could be because he IS A DICK. But hey - I wanted to hurt that cold dick the way he'd hurt me. Although, I'm not sure someone without a heart can get hurt.

Regardless of the reason, he is a cold hearted bastard, and it gives me great pleasure to publish that fact on the internets. So there.

Thneeds 'n' Things

2005-08-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Look! Look! My adorable daddy finally learned how to use the digital camera I gave him for Father's Day!! He is the cutest. This is his kitty, Chanel, who I think he might love more than me, but I'm not sure. I'm an only child, so having a sibling to compete with is new for me. I'm sure he loves me as much as the cat...I think...

So, yesterday, as I was doing a Google image search to locate an image of a "thneed" to illustrate my post about my Portland Snot Thneed, I happened upon this poor dear.

I'm sure she's a lovely person (which is why I blacked out her eyes, a la "Fashion Don't" style), but really...just because you can knit it, doesn't mean you should...

So, instead of knitting a thneed, or any of the crazy "hip" knits featured in that link you should all be clicking on for a great laugh, I decided to knit the May hat in the Rowan Big Wool pattern book. It's going to match my beautiful first scarf...

And just cuz the little weasel is SO cute...

And here I am, updating this blog when I really should be spending the precious hour I have before my next eHarmony date either napping or knitting! That's it, my yarn is calling me...

Now, Don't Go Blaming the Yarn...

2005-08-03T20:36:00.000-07:00

But I have to. I bought this great yarn at my LYS in Mill Valley and it turned out to be SO hard to knit with! Definitely an F-factor of 4 or 5.

Being the stubborn ass that I am, I continued knitting it into a scarf while visiting a friend in Portland. I was going to give it to her as a gift for her hospitality...but soon, as I got closer to finishing, I realized that I liked this friend, and she had really done nothing wrong to me, so why would I give her a scarf that resembled snot? We even jokingly referred to it as her Thneed, from that great Dr. Seuss story about The Lorax.

You all remember the Lorax, who speaks for the trees, don't you?! The Lorax fights the greedy Once-ler who cuts down truffula trees to knit "Thneeds" When all the trees are gone and the land is ruined, the Once-ler and his gang disappear, leaving their dead factory, grey air, brown water, gasping Humming-Fish and choking Swamee-Swans behind.

So, this was my attempt at a Thneed - as modeled on my friend's lovely greyhound, Zarou.

It was hideous, and the yarn was itchy and shedding little hairs all over my clothes (Lord knows I have enough animal hair on my clothes!) so I ripped it out, returned one ball, and pawned the second ball off to StacyO. I have started a new scarf for my Portland friend in a lovely olive boucle.

Here is a token cute cat picture (Bonita lounging on her deck in Portland)

My friend Noelle and her BRAND NEW CUSTOM SURFBOARD!

And, this is my cute cousin Kiki (on left) who lives in Portland:

Chunky Kitty Scarf

2005-07-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

It is the middle of July and I am wearing my brand new Chunky Kitty Scarf to work. Yes, I'm getting strange glances, but I love it and am so proud of it that I don't care!!

I used Rowan Big Wool, color 32. It's SO soft and cuddly!

Here is the pattern - it turns out SO cute.

This pattern has an F-Factor of
Use bulky wool and 17US needles (I used bamboo)

Cast on 16 sts
knit 2 rows

Next row:
Knit

Next row:
Purl

Next row:
Knit

Next row:
Purl

Next Row:
k2 *yo, k2tog* 6 times, k2

Next Row:
purl

These two last rows make the pattern

Continue working in pattern until 6 rows from end of scarf. End on a WS.
Next row:
Knit

Next row:
Purl

Next row:
Knit

Next row:
Purl

Knit next 2 rows
Bind off

WAH-LA - you have your very own Chunky Kitty Scarf
Designed by StacyO and Marissa

(roll over photos for captions)

My first scarf!

2005-07-19T00:28:00.001-07:00

It's 12:24 AM, there are Tivo'd reruns of Will & Grace on, and I just bound off my first completed project! This is the Chunky Kitty Scarf, as designed by StacyO and myself. Just yesterday we figured out the pattern and I started it after a date last night. I spinstered myself tonight, snuggled up under a blanket, flipped on Tivo and got to knitting. In the spirit of my blog, "Wait, Let me finish this last row," I realized that I HAD to finish it. And so I did. Took me a total of seven hours. I don't know if that's a long time, since I'm new at this and had to learn how to join two balls of yarn. PS - this was done in Rowan Big Wool Color 32. Note how it brings out my eyes!

Pattern coming tomorrow - laptop battery about to die.

Date? or Knit? Knit.

2005-07-15T16:20:00.000-07:00

So, in the vein of posts about choices, I have decided to share my problem with being faced with the choice of to date or to knit?

As Kim Cattrall as Samantha in Sex and The City said, "The best way to get over a man is to get under another one." This has been my mantra.

Three weeks ago yesterday, I was unceremoniously tossed back into the dating pool - I am now just another fish in this crazy sea. Online dating, smiling hopefully at cute guys in the produce department ("x'cuse me, how can I tell if this cucumber is ripe?" she says gripping the cucumber firmly yet gently in her delicate hand, while batting her eyelashes seductively. "Do you have something in your eye, miss?" he responds.), and other horrible ways of finding the O.N.E. (thanks Online Guy for the acronym).

I have posted my profile on eHarmony (because I do want to find the O.N.E.) and Yahoo (because I'm slightly desperate?), and have met one, count'em, one guy. I've been emailing several through the eHarmony "Stages of Communication," but have met ONE guy. Not to be confused with The O.N.E., just one Online Guy. Nice guy, too. Surprisingly, although eHarmony touts themselves as being able to perfectly match you with people based on a 29 point system, the guy I ended up meeting (Online Guy) was from Yahoo, and we clicked instantly and are too similar for our own good.

I have been on ONE, count'em, ONE date with a "Friend of a Friend (FF)." Now, the FF is a great concept. You know the friend, you know they have good friends, you like the friend, and you hope you'll like the FF. And I did. Nice guy, nice dresser. Nice dinner. Tidy. Nice. That's kind of it.

So, here I am, dog paddling in the dating pool hoping to meet someone more than just nice. Sexy. Passionate. Great body. Fantastic smile. Loves me, loves my dog (who couldn't love that little weasel!? Even Stacy who only loves cats loves my dog because she's "like a cat. She's a cat-dog!" Direct quote.). And here I am, going out on nice dates, wishing I was home knitting.

I was sitting on the couch the other night when I should have been washing my hair for a second date with Online Guy (didn't actually get around to it...let me finish this row...) and the thought actually crossed my mind, "I wish I could bring my knitting with me to dinner." This was the SAME thought that flashed through my head while driving to traffic school. That's quite something. At least there, I could knit. Made one helluva pubic hair scarf too.

Online Guy earned points today when he invited me out to the beach for a one-on-one getting to know me session (didn't want the distraction of sitting at dinner with lots of people coming around including an ex from long ago), and he even said in an IM session, "You can bring your knitting and I'll just lay there and talk to you while you knit." Direct quote, folks. I know, many of you are thinking, "go for it, girl! He could be the O.N.E.!" And, he very well could be.

BUT, I just don't think I'm as ready as I thought I was to get out there with my water wings and flippers to be just another fish in the sea.

Cats & knitting seem to go hand in paw...

2005-07-13T17:38:00.000-07:00

So, I stopped in at a brand new LYS (Local Yarn Store for you laypeople out there) in Mill Valley called Studio Knit, and it is fantastic! I went in (my first time...be gentle!) and the girl there was so cool, hip, and helpful! I bought a beautiful ball of Rowan Big Wool and bamboo needles, size 17. I feel like such the cool knit chick! I guess this hobby isn't for little old ladies anymore.

Rather than make the important work related phone calls I needed to make, I started a big chunky scarf. Isn't that color fab? I'm "working from home" today, and I promised myself I could knit as soon as I made some phone calls, but then I just thought, "well, I'll just cast on..." and then it was, "well, let me just finish this row...." and here I am, it's 5:00 and I haven't done anything for work.

And, to follow in the outstanding footsteps of those pioneering crazy cat knitting women bloggers such as Crazy Aunt Purl and Knit Kitty Knit who went before me, I have to pose my pets next to it.

I love these chunky needles. I feel like a little kid. Remember those huge crayons?

I took up knitting so I could shop more.

2005-07-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Every girl loves to shop, and that includes me. I am a self-proclaimed eBay addict. Mysterious packages come to my office at least 2-3 times a week - the receptionist brings them to my desk, "You got another one..." she'll announce wearily. Everything from jeans to purses (big time weakness) to jewelry to iPods and cameras - I've done it eBay. I even bought a car on eBay (last time I'll try and find a bargain for a car!).

The 1988 Saab 900 Turbo was shiny and red with tan interior. I was in love. I had to have it. It was only $1250 with no bids (should have been a clue, but I'm not that sharp). I had just been in an accident, totalling my gramma's hand-me-down 1985 WHITE Ford LTD (sharp! not!) and I gotta say, although I missed my gramma terribly, I was overjoyed to get the phone call from the insurance company that they were going to total the car.

So, I bought the Saab. It was from Idaho, and the seller was willing to DRIVE it down here to San Francisco, to the mechanic's shop. I figured if he was willing to take it on a road trip like that, it must have been in ok shape. Well, $3000 later at the mechanic's, I picked up my dreamy dream car and was on my way. Not such a bargain anymore! I had the car for about 3 years, and it probably ended up costing me $10,000 over the three years - from purchase to the time it just simply died in an intersection near my office and I had it towed away to the junkyard. The next day, I bought my friend Stacy's Lexus, which I love and have no trouble with. Live and learn!

So, now I stick to small things on eBay - no more cars for me. You wonder what this story has to do with knitting?

I picked up knitting last weekend while relaxing in the mountains east of Sonora, CA because my friend Stacy had picked it up a few months ago and it looked like fun. I needed another hobby to shop for! After all, there's a Michael's Crafts almost walking distance from my office! Right next door to my favorite burrito shop.

So, I started knitting. Luckily, I'm recently single so I have more time to knit! (what a way to put a positive spin on a really crappy situation, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.) Another fortunate situation (please note the sarcasm) was that I had to sit for 8 hours (split between two nights, but again, single, so I had time for this) in traffic school. 8 long, boring hours. Thank GOD I knew how to knit. I had a nice teacher, and he let me knit. I got teased, but I just kept knitting. And look what I made!

I call it my Traffic School Pubic Hair scarf. Why the name, you ask? Well, I was on my way to my first night of traffic school, I stopped off at Michael's (I had left my needles and yarn in the mountains with my mother because she got into it) and bought what I thought was very pretty, oatmealy yarn with cool random threads running through it. As I was knitting and knitting, I realized that the cool random threads looked just like...you guessed it...pubes. Now, I can't look at it without thinking of that. Guess I'll give the scarf away and my friend will enjoy it until she realizes that it reminds her of pubes. This is all I made of the scarf, by the way. I was learning how to do a stockinette stitch, and realized that I didn't like it because of its tendency to curl at the edges.

Now, exactly a week later, I popped onto eBay shopping for an official knitting bag. Could I use any one of the 30 or so purses I have on the top shelf of my closet? Probably. Did I want to? No. I wanted a new, pretty bag I could use for knitting. Look what I got! Pretty cute, huh? Hmmm...wonder what else I absolutely MUST have for my new hobby?

Oh, PS - I haven't knitted a stitch today. I could be more into the shopping for the hobby than into the hobby itself. Imagine that. I may try a seed stitch today - just as soon as I bid on this fabulous Coach purse I have my eye on...