I don't know what it is.

Really, I don't know why but I just love, love, love this man! I know his jokes in his action flicks are pretty lame and he's going/gone bald and sometimes he has a bit of a belly but there's just something about that man.









And yes, as embarrassing as it is, I have felt this way for a very long time.

But my obsession is not why I here.

I ended up seeing Live Free or Die Hard (Die Hard 4 if you've lost track) with my pops tonight. After chatting with some friends the last couple of days about possibly seeing it tonight we decided to do it another time. Sure enough I get home from work today and my dad wants to know if we're going to go see John McClain (Die Hard is a fav with us, kind of a tradition). I didn't think he remembered us talking about it months ago when we first heard about it. So yes dad, or course we're going.

If you're a Die Hard fan you won't be disappointed, I promise. Of course you have to suspend disbelief at times like always but it's totally worth it. The only way it could be improved (besides adding partial nudity) would be to make a 3-D version.

But again, not why I brought this up. Look, do you know who that sidekick is?



Yup, it's MAC!

Having just gotten a new computer at work, of course with the oh so loved Vista operating system, I'm sure I'll have dreams tonight of Justin Long coming to my aid to rescue me from Windows. Maybe he'll slay my boss and the computer guy who made my old hard impossible to read and whisk me away, off to his Apple lair where Bruce will be waiting to run me a bath and feed me chocolate covered strawberries. Ahh, that would be a sweet dream indeed.

and yes Jana, believe it or not it was a full house!)

Could I be more stoked?!?

Yeah you heard me, I said stoked you gotta problem with that?

I dragged my butt in the front door today hating Monday's and dreading that I have four more work days until the weekend, only to find a big box from Australia waiting for me. Guess what it was... yup my scarf from my upstream ISE4 pal! Not only was there one of the most gorgeous lace scarves inside but a bunch of yummy goodies as well. I can't properly express through blogdom how excited I am but the feeling of Christmas morning hopefully sums it up. The whole time I was going "oh I wanted to try that" "ooh, I heard they were good".....

First is the most impressive scarf/wrap which puts my first attempt at lace to shame. The details are amazing all around and throughout the scarf and it's in a beautiful navy which reflects the light perfectly (don't listen to them Pamela when they say dull white is the only way to do lace). Besides the main attraction, there was also:
Lindt chocolate (my all time favorite brand)
Tim Tam's which I've heard so much about on the swapping scene(they're 100% correct, they are the most irresistible chocolate biscuits)
Two Yarn magazines - one from the future since it's the "Autumn 2007" version (it's just about to turn into summer right now in the states)
and to top it all off, two skeins of recycled silk sari yarn which I've been dying to touch and try!

Could it get any better?!? Seriously, Pamela you have renewed my faith in swapping! I have had some very bad luck lately which included a pal who received multiple packages but never acknowledge my gifts, as well as a swapper who made plans to do an even international exchange, received my package then never heard from again (I chocked that one up to her being 16). Anyway, I have both a wonderful downstream pal who's been gracious and kind - especially given that my package paled in comparison to some out there- as well as a great gifter. My faith is renewed, if not in all swaps at least for the next International Scarf Exchange where I will be more daring and maybe attempt a wrap or shall ;-)

Oh and by the way Pamela, I love the deep colors of both the shawl and the yarn so very much - us lefties have impeccable taste, no?


Thorns on roses tend to stick to lace, who knew?

These capture the color a little better but no picture does it justice. I can't believe she parted with it!

PICTURES!

Finally catching up on all the vacation happenings. First I went on a cruise with my father's side of the family courtesy of grandma to Bermuda (same cruise and even the same week as Chris's destination wedding last year!).

Then I came home for a week, went to work, did some laundry and re-packed.

Then I was off to Cancun with the girls! It was just by chance that they ended up being so close to one another but again, it mimics last year when I went on the cruise and to Ireland within a month of one another. Next year I will give myself at least 4 months in between vacations because this is just silly!

Now on to the pictures.....

Bermuda
Bro & me on deck (Luke, Luke is bro)
First coming into port
FUD! just one of the yummy food stuff's they force fed us - alright, so maybe we weren't exactly forced...
The whole fam damnly - grandma, folks, cousins, aunt & uncle, brother, waiter....
More pretty houses as we leave

Cancun

Players include Natty & her twin sister Vicky who planned this shin-dig in honor of their 30th birthdays. JJ (BFF) and I are of course along for the ride - - and the all inclusive food and drinks. Did you hear me? Even the drinks, at the swim up bar mind you, were included in the cost! We wanted for nothing!

Vicky, me & JJ on the plane

The view from our balcony (JJ & I got upgraded to a suite with a balcony!!!)

Scottish pirates in Cancun?!? OK, they were Scottish boys in Cancun who happened to go to a pirate show but they were fun just the same and even sang to us as we took pics!

All the ladies out on the town. Can you tell we're all a tad hot?

Stormy skies - big winds and downpours but it didn't last too long and it didn't hinder the drinking!

We did do the tourist bar hopping thing one night - in the 3rd or 4th bar, they had swings at the bar. Happy ladies we were! (Me, Nat & Vic)

I took HUNDREDS of pictures in both locations so if for some reason you're interested in seeing more feel free to check out my Flickr page, soon I'll have them up there.
Surprisingly, not much knitting got done. Who woulda thunk it? Although mad props go out to both the US and Mexican authorities who allowed me to fly with my needles no questions asked. I'll give up my bottle of water any day to bring my needles!

I'm home... for a second

Hello all! I'm back from Bermuda and preparing for my trip to Cancun on Saturday! Yes, I am a total nut, thanks for asking. It was an error on my part when two trips came up I didn't realize just how close May was to June. Did you know the last week of one month bumps right into the first week of the next? Duh Tracy! Bermuda pictures to follow, but for now I wanted to thank you all for the complements on the scarf. As I mentioned I took a basic stitch pattern and just added an edge below is the pattern I used, hope you enjoy! Oh, and if you decide to make it please share a picture I would love to see the pattern knit up in different colors and/or yarns.

Diamond Chain Lace Scarf

Two balls of Blue Sky Alpaca (I forget the specific name): 50% Alpaca / 50% Silk

Cast on 28 sts on sz 9 needles
Seed stitch 6 rows at beginning and end of scarf
(odd rows: K1, P1 Even rows: p1, k1) □ □ □ □ □ □

All odd rows: (k1, p1) 3 times, purl 16, (k1, p1) 3 times

All even rows: (p1, k1) 3 times, follow pattern, (p1, k1) 3 times


Row 1: and all odd rows: Purl

Row 2: K5, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k5

Row 4: k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k4

Row 6: k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k3

Row 8: k1, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, (yo, ssk, k2) 2 times

Row 10: k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k1

Row 12: (k2, yo, ssk) 2 times, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k2tog

Row 14: k3, yo, ssk, k2, yo, sk2p, yo, k2, k2tog, yo, k2

Row 16: k4, yo, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3

Repeat rows 1-16

*Sk2p = slip 1, k2tog, pass slipped st over