The show yesterday was very, very good. We had awesome seats, smack dab in the middle, on an aisle, with lots of leg room. Before I left the house I used some of this shit – Georgie told me it was the bomb and damn he was right. Cleared my head RIGHT out. I could breathe! (Although a google search on Zicam has brought up numerous lawsuits about loss of smell. Great. I have a very highly honed sense of smell. But it looks like the one that does the damage has zinc in it (the preventative one) and mine doesn’t have zinc in it. Whew. Now I really can breathe again.) Back to the show – I lasted pretty well through the first act – blowing my nose like the lady I am, quietly, demurely. I let my lozenges melt on my tongue without any loud or unsightly chewing.
The second act all bets were off. I had to sneeze a million times and I’m one of those loud sneezers so I was trying hard not to sneeze loud – you know – holding it in and all – and I think I threw out my back restraining myself. The shit that was the bomb wore off about half way through the second song in the second act and my nose blowing got louder and louder the closer we got to the finale. My head hurt. My neck hurt. My nose burned. My back itched (whenever I get a cold I get this weird itching on my back. Especially after I cough.) I felt like crap.
But the show was great! It was a lot of fun – the sets were magnificent. I think the sound left something to be desired, but the actors were very good. (Although I felt like the Glinda actress was channeling Kristin Chenoweth instead of making the part her own.) The story was very well done – except I don’t understand why the slippers weren’t RUBY? Why wouldn’t they be ruby? And I was a little upset about the whole scarecrow thing. All in all a good night – I wish I hadn’t felt so sick towards the end. My dreams last night – flying monkeys. ‘Nuff said.
What am I forgetting? Oh yeah. Kay. Lovely Kay. And the equally lovely Ann. Ann you were totally there last night. I ran my little heart out trying to get to the Knit Lit III reading in time (traffic was a BITCH with a capital B) – and by gosh I made it. Lucky for me, Kay was last. And she finished in just enough time to take a picture of my socks and then I had to dash to the theater. Kay’s right – the placement of the reading in the store was a bit strange. There were huge windows looking out to 42nd Street behind the readers – so a million and half people stopped and stared at all the weirdos in the audience knitting. It was quite entertaining actually. (I swear, Kay, I heard every word you said!)
All in all it was a lovely night out, you know, besides all the snot.
Speaking of snot, my brain was so preoccupied with phlegm and taking over the world, that I forgot that yesterday was MY BLOGIVERSARY!!!! Yes, my friends, you’ve been lucky enough to have me for a whole year. It all started on October 26, 2004 under the unassuming name, Purls of Wisdom. I quickly found that beyond pretentious (like I have any wisdom) and changed over to January One right quick. And here I am.
It’s all Jen‘s fault. She and I met online in a fertility forum and quickly became REAL LIFE friends. She had a blog. I didn’t even know what one was really. But soon I was blogging away. Becky was one of the first people to link to me (in her sidebar no less!) I remember how thrilled and grateful I was when she noticed my photographs and my knits. Thanks Becky! Cassie was the first blogger I met in real life. We met a few times at the place next door to Purl for tea and lemonade. Thanks Cassie for taking a chance on a blogger from New Jersey.
Blogging opened up a whole new KNITTING world for me – patterns, yarns, HELP. I’m a much better knitter now than I ever would have been had I not started blogging. MUCH BETTER.
But the best part about blogging – the people I’ve met. (Here comes the gross part. Be prepared.) I love my blog because I can bitch, I can be happy, I can cry – and people keep coming back! They like me! They really like me! I’ve never laughed so hard in my life because of the people I’ve met through blogging. People all over the world that actually ARE as crazy and funny and sane and nice and generous and REAL as I’d like to think I am. So thank you all for making this a great blogging year.
Now, on to the contest (because what’s a blog birthday without presents!) I’m going to push myself here. Do something that seems really big and beyond what I would usually do. I’m going to knit for someone. And because this week has been all about the SOX, I’m going to knit the winner a pair of socks in whatever SOCKS THAT ROCK colorway they choose. That’s right. Understand this though – there’s no deadline on this knit. I’m notorious at getting prize winnings out late and these socks will be no exception. I would hope that you will get them before the next blogiversary (that’s kind of a joke) but no guarantees. BUT YOU WILL GET THEM. I never go back on my word. Also, rumor has it that there’s been some kind of run on Socks That Rock over at The Fold. Beats me why that would be happening, but alas, it’s true. 😉
Okay. Here’s how you can win. My birthday (my real birthday) is officially 66 days away. I’m really bad at receiving gifts – I’d usually rather just go out and get it myself. But, if you’ve been reading along for the past year, maybe you have an idea of what would be the PERFECT gift for me. Leave a comment with said gift. Can be knitting related, but it doesn’t have to be. My idea of a GREAT gift is something I wouldn’t necessarily buy for myself, but that once it’s in my hands I’m not sure how I ever lived without it. So dig DEEP! A winner will be chosen at random using that random generator thingy that I’ve used before – please only one entry per person. (They’ll be some runners ups too.) I will close the comments November 1. Exactly two months until I turn 36. (WHAT?!) Have fun! And thank you for being such wonderful readers!
OMG…I’m so bad at contests. If you had mentioned it two days ago it’s likely I would have forgotten by now. You shouldn’t have any trouble knitting socks for someone as I hear you can only make anklets with STR;-)
The first two days of a cold are the worst. That means you should start feeling better right away.
It is so wonderful to have you in Blogland. When I came here I had no idea it would be so full of fun, wonderful and delightful people like you. Congrats, grrlfriend!
happy blogiversary!!! Hope you are feeling a little bit better by this weekend.
after your comment about the size of my feet, I really, really hope I win this contest…..
….. the absolute, most perfect, how-did-I-ever-live-without it gift for Cara, bar none, is ………. a pug! ~woof~
happy anniversary dearie! I ♥ you!
I’m so glad I stumbled upon your blog about two months ago! You have certainly opened my world to knitting and blogging and I’m so thankful!! 🙂 Being that I’m a newbie, my suggested birthday present to you would be a Bruce Springsteen autographed knitting needle (perhaps a size 15 so you can see what he wrote! HAHA)Happy Anniversary!
Oh, I think you need a spinning wheel for your birthday! And I have big feet too. Ann says she hopes I win. Happy blogiversary!
Carole! That was MY GUESS!! It has to be a wheel, it must be!
I just feel very lucky to have ‘met’ you! Thank you for blogging and sharing so much. Happy Blogiversary!!
Happy Blogiversary! I’m playing just for fun (I’ve already won here before!) — I’d get you a couple of JUMBO container of Swedish Fish.
. . . wheel was already taken 🙂
Happy Blogiversary! Since I just recently started reading I don’t feel qualified to make a guess…maybe when I finish rummaging through your archives I’ll figure something out!
Oh, I think a spinning wheel would be the perfect birthday present for you this year… with a nice, swivelly stool, a little — or maybe a lot of — roving, a supply of Swedish Fish and Junior Caramels to sweeten the learning curve, new Bruce Juice to help you find your groove. Sounds like the great start to another year!
Happy Blogiversary. I {heart} you, too, bunches and bunches. Thanks for keeping it fun!
I first discovered your blog when you were calling for jokes, so maybe a good gift would be an encyclopedia of jokes.
As to the ruby slippers – it’s worth remembering that the original original source material is the book “The Wizard of Oz”, not the movie. In the book, the slippers were silver.
Happy blogiversary! You’re one of the first blogs I read regularly, and I became a regular blogger because of K1R2. 🙂 I hardly ever comment, but I’m always here.
I think you should get an assortment of extravagantly beautiful knitting tools – like some glass needles, or handmade wooden needles. I can’t predict what you would find the most beauty in – that’s so subjective.
Get well soon.
Happy Blogiversary! As far as gifts, the only thing that comes to mind are those caramel things you were talking about a few weeks ago. What are they? Can’t remember, but I could spot them in a store because of you!
Get better soon. 🙂
*smile* Well obviously I have no idea what you would like to receive as a gift. Happy Blogiversary all the same.
Happy Blogoversary!
Oh, and by the way, make a card out of that photo. It’s spectacular!
Happy blogiversary! (This is Kris’s sister. We met at Rhinebeck.)
As for a gift… well, clearly more Socks That Rock. You can never have enough.
Please post some details on how to buy a print of one of your photos! Love the leaves.
Silly me, I see you have the link right on the side bar.
happy blogiversary!! i think someone should get you some sock blockers for your birthday (you know, those adjustable bits of plastic shaped like socks that make your hand knit socks stretch to just the right size). whatever the perfect gift is, i hope you get it! (This makes me think of my birthday, which is three days before yours!)
Dude. You so need a wheel. Happy -versery happy happy joy joy that you’re here and I know you and I like you and that we’re friends!
Happy Blogiversary!
I haven’t been reading your blog for that long (but I do like it and have you Bloglined) but how about some angora/wool fingering weight yarn for socks?
You describe the actress who played Glinda last night as channelling Kristin Chenoweth. When I saw Wicked, Kristin was playing Glinda and so I can’t imagine the role played any other way! Weird. 🙂
Happy Blogiversary!
OK, I know that everybody is going to suggest something yarnish or knitty or spinny, so I’m going to go with something really old ladyish and say: PILLOWS. Incredible down pillows. I didn’t understand what the fuss was about until I got me some down pillys. You use ’em every single night, they are infinitely adjustable so that your head is eggzackly positioned so that your poor snurfly nose will behave, and beyond all that, they feel great.
I would gift you with an auto-blogging tool. One that would write an engaging, witty and well written blog entry (just like yours)for those days that it just feels like a chore but you just don’t want to let us down…
Happy Bloggiversary. Thanks for writing, I know I couldn’t make the commitment! I admire you for it.
forgot to say —– those flying monkeys?
they still freak me out. I’m getting weirded out just typing this.
OH yeah. It’s gotta be a WHEEL. Or a personal sherpa to carry around your photog equipment. I think a wheel is more likely, though. Happy blogiversary! And happy upcoming real birthday!
Yep, I was going to say a wheel, too. A Lendrum (because they’re great). Or maybe some very cool, very chic bag for camera equipment?
I also agree that the first two days of a cold are the worst–if you’ve made it this far, you should be feeling better soon. I hope!
A wheel autographed by the Boss. Definitely.
Muah muah muah (aaaaachooooooooo…..) :-}
Happy Blogiversary! How about the new Canon EOS 1Ds Mark II.
A very happy blogiversary to you! If your birthday is 66 days away, I guess that makes mine 67 days away. Yipe!
Perfect gift? A diamond tiara.
Happy Blogiversary! Gotta get a wheel. After you get a wheel you’ll want a sheep…
A wheel, definately!
Happy Blogiversary!! I’ve only been checking you out since Stephanie mentioned your socks so I don’t suppose I could offer a great idea for a birthday presant. Although in the short week I’ve been checking in I think you’d really enjoy a night out with Bruce.
Happy Blogiversary! And feel better!!
Happy Blogiversary!
Any of my books
I’ve been thinking about this for awhile; yes, a wheel has passed through my mind, but many others have suggested it and if I were you I’d want another idea.
So I’d say get your passport ready for a tour of Europe; a trip through the hills of Scotland and Ireland and England to see sheep farms and wool mills and see aran knits and fair isles, ending with a huge knitter meet up in London.
(if there was no end to the money or time then it’d be off to France for a quick tour of the French yarn shops (and more meet-ups) before heading off to Switzerland for chocloate and then to Belgium for some waffles. Lastly a quick run through Iceland would be good for a compairison of other sorts of wools.) In either sceniaro there would be lots of time to peruse and a few extra bags are provided for packing up the goods and sending them home.
(if you’re 66 days (or less now) away from your birthday then mine is a mere 59 (or less) away…)
I’m guessing the perfect gift would be a fanta from some exotic place you’ve never been – somewhere wonderful, where the fanta is awesome.
I’m going to guess iPod Nano. Seriously, how cool is that?
Happy Blog Day! Thanks for all the good reading and photo oogling.
Happy Blog Day! If I could give you anything, it would be housecleaning for a year. Think of the time!!! Ooo, now I want that. I always ask for more closet space and to be younger, but nobody’s come through yet . . .