anne is an artist

I just can't get used to hummus.

I know that it is a vegetarian staple, and the hip kids spread of choice, but man. I just can't get used to eating it. This is my resignation.

His name is Jeffrey.

Actually it is the nephew's snake that Mark is babysitting for the summer. Still doesn't mean that I haven't taken him out of his cage several times, and renamed him.

In all seriousness---I would like some geckos. Two geckos, specifically. I would name them Jeffrey and Scott. Regardless of gender.

When I first learned to knit, I was really good at knitting squares and keeping even gauge. So instead of learning how to knit consistent squares, I jumped right into sweaters and socks. Ugly sweaters and socks at that. As much yarn as I probably wasted, I am now at that point where I am confident to follow any pattern and follow it well. I've started back with small basics and they are knitting up great (and a lot faster than I've ever been!) It is as if it has finally clicked into the idea of making practical, wearable items - rather than learning the ropes and practicing techniques on baggy ugly sweaters. Yay!

On a fairly serious matter, I have narrowed down some serious grad school choices. My goal is to enroll in Fall 2010. I will surprise you with a list later, as I'm not sure I want it to be that "real" yet. That gives me a good couple years to start on a portfolio and earn some sweet monies/scholarships.

Hint: I'm thinking east. "East" as in so-far-east-it's-on-another-continent east. Maybe. Maybe just a little east. But so far I haven't gone west.

I got my stimulus check in the mail yesterday. I'm kind of bummed that it is only $300. I'm not sure why it is only $300. But then, can you really be all that bummed with free money?

Nope.

WOO HOO! Disneyland, here I come.

Get leashes, take cats to Jazz in the Park, photograph progress.

Coming off of a five-day weekend, I am shocked and appalled at how much I didn't get done.

But then I realize I actually got quite a bit done.

I think what was the most shocking and appalling part of my weekend was the fact that I watched Season One and Two of "The Hills."

Please, let me explain.

I swear, I didn't even know what the Hills was before this weekend. You know when over a period of a couple of months you keep hearing about some obscure pop culture thing? That was the Hills. I have been hearing about the Heidi Montag's and Audrina Patridge's for a while now, and finally I decided, "What the heck are these people celebrities for?" and lo and behold, MTV has full episodes on their website.

So I spent a good part of Friday night and Monday night watching this show. Ashamed, yes. Intrigued? Most certainly. I now have this overwhelming desire to grab a girl posse, go to a salon together and drink Vodka Gimlets.

Hopefully, today I won't miss the Locust Street Days Festival. I have open house from 1-4pm and it has been raining cats and dogs-literally-all weekend. With all of these thunderstorms, it's almost like I'm back in Kansas City, with all the tornado warnings and lightening that have been happening. Minus the tornadoes of course.

But really, Locust Street Days is always very fun. We missed out on the beer run this morning because of the rain, but hopefully it will clear up by the evening. It is the kind of festival where you just put on some random hippie dress and walk around like you live on Locust Street. I'm not sure why, but it's fun!

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Instead, Mark and I bought Shrinky Dinks. We made these amino acid charms on the Z-Corps Machine at his work. While they are extremely cool, it's not like we can use the z-corp machine to actually make these charms because it is extremely expensive, we don't own it, and they are very fragile. I've already broken my "R" charm. We're hoping that the Shrinky Dinks are a little bit more resilient and productive.

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I have finished 2 projects this weekend! A crocheted bath mat and another gag tie for the office. Unfortunately I do not have my camera. It is at Mark's office. I feel bare without it. I've been holding off on posting because I have no pictures to go with it. I'm going to do a covert-op and sneak it from him one of these days. Then I'll have proof that I actually finished something!

And, like I promised myself, I am going to knit up some gauge swatches for some NEW projects. One month finishing and one month starting, I say.

Is it so wrong that I am actually looking forward to attending my court date so that I can knit?

So before you think I'm a hardened criminal: My car got towed. Because it did not have the appropriate sticker on the license plate. Not only did it used to have the appropriate sticker, my registration doesn't expire 'til Jan. 09! Someone took the sticker off my license plate and I got towed and ticketed for it. I'm going to court to contest that not only did I update my registration in January, I put my sticker on and that it was stolen recently. So. Wish me luck.

This is what I came home to yesterday. Yeesh. It had just happened too, as in he was still there while the cops roped off the area. Supposedly the guy jumped off the apartment building right across the street from my building. I used to live in the Yankee Hill Apartments too. They are tall, and you can't really get out the windows that well, so he must have gotten on the roof. Very creepy and humbling.

On a lighter note, however, we went to the Brewer's Game. And they won! It was a pretty exciting game, the weather was beautiful and I got a lot of knitting done. Now I know what I need to do when I need to get some knitting done--go to a baseball game!

I just had a lovely seven day vacation. Now I am back in the office. I believe I need at least several more days, please.

I went to see Indiana Jones at the Oriental with Mark and the parents. I liked it! I tell you what I didn't like. The people that sat DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ME in an otherwise almost empty theatre. BIG pet peeve. Next time I am going to be obnoxious and obvious about my distaste. There is just no excuse people!