05.31.05
Secret Pal Schtuff
Okay, pal-y o’ mine, here ’tis:
uWink Media Bistro
From Slashdot:
“theodp writes ‘Newsweek reports the inventor of Pong and founder of Chuck E. Cheese is getting back into the restaurant game. Adults
welcome. At age 62, perpetual kid Nolan Bushnell wants to get gamers out of the house. This week, he will announce a new venture, the uWink Media Bistro restaurant chain. With screens at every table and bar stool, each piping videogames, media content and interactive menus, Bushnell’s convinced a young-adult crowd will use the shared-gaming experience as a chance to compete, relax and mingle.’”
And we wonder why everyone has ADD.
05.29.05
Weekend Stuff
The IK preview is up. The Union Square Market Sweater is cute… hopefully they will explain the connection. Having been to the Market, there doesn’t seem to be a connection. I know, I know, I’m too literal. I guess I’ll find out the scoop when it comes out. Speaking of which, I hope I get my mag less than a month after it hits the stands, unlike last time. Grr…
Oh, and I received my yearly “courtesy letter” from the City, re: my yard. Sigh. Some newbie neighbor trying to be all righteous. I do have some more weeding/grass eradication to do, but seriously folks. Get a job.
My DVD player has decided to stop letting me use the remote… which basically means that all I can do is play, rewind, pause, and stop the DVD/CD. And then there’s the getting up to pause the DVD thing. Kind of irritating when I need to fix the subtitle selection. So I guess I will be sending it in to have it fixed since it is out of warranty. The good news is, that unless it costs me a fortune to mail it (which it probably will), having it fixed is cheaper than getting a new one.
By the way, if anyone has ideas on what kind of tall, spikey, green plant I can use as a back drop for my lower-growing clumping gazinias and ice plant, I’d really appreciate the suggestions. I’m hoping for something that is 2-3 ft in height and isn’t terribly fussy. It has to survive neglect and 100°+ weather, though.
05.27.05
Drumroll, please!
Finally, my 10 things:
10 Things I have Never Done (In no particular order)
I have never been to the Statue of Liberty. I grew up in NYC, how sad is that? I even helped to raise money for the Statue’s refurbishing! The thing is, I have tried, but every time I would go, there would be some obstacle in my way. One time, there was a bomb threat. Another time was when I was in day camp and the counselors decided they would rather go to the beach, so we went to the beach. The next time, I was actually in line, and the boat broke down and had to be towed back (by a tugboat, I assume). The next time I thought about it was after 9/11 and they hadn’t opened it up yet. Maybe that’s what I should do when I go home next.
I’ve never been to my ancestral countries (Norway and Jamaica). I’ve been to Denmark though, and there is some weird connection to Denmark… my mother’s maiden name is Danish but I don’t know of any Danish family. Irish and Norwegian, yes. Danish… Mom, is there something I should know? (Just kidding!)
I’ve never attempted bungee jumping. I don’t think it will every happen, either. Bungee jumping is akin to that dream where you are falling, but you never actually hit the ground even though you know it is a distinct possibility. I love roller coasters, but bungee jumping is NOT on the list.
I’ve never been to Disneyland (or -world for that matter).
I’ve never broken a large bone. Multiple fingers, some of them multiple times; a foot bone; and a toe, but never a large bone. I hope it stays that way.
I’ve never done drugs. Unless you count the large quantities of caffeine that I used to drink.
I’ve never been to Oregon. Hopefully this will be remedied in the near future with a trip to a good friend from college.
I have never owned fish. Something to do with growing up with cats, I imagine.
I’ve never had a tattoo. I’ve thought about it, but I give blood pretty regularly, and I wouldn’t be able to for at least a year if I got a tattoo. Plus, with my luck, I would be the one person in a million who would get some weird disease from the supposedly new and sterile needle.
I’ve never gone whitewater rafting. I think it would be fun.
Whom shall I tag..? I don’t think Kim C has done this yet.
05.26.05
Scottsdale Hits the Top 10
For ice cream.
Jane and Michael Stern, of Roadfood.com have dubbed the Sugar Bowl of Scottsdale, one of the top 10 ice cream places in the country. On the Epicurious website, it says:
We cannot say that the ice cream served by the Sugar Bowl is quantifiably better than the flavors mixed on granite at the Cold Stone Creamery, the first of which opened in nearby Tempe back in 1988, but the overall experience of having a banana split or a Turkish coffee soda in this sweet place is unmatched. Its vintage pink color scheme, inside and out, is a treat for the eyes, a happy reminder of the Sugar Bowl’s beginnings in the 1950s as a town soda fountain. Have a delightfully old-fashioned grilled cheese sandwich or BLT sided by an “extra-luscious” malt, enriched with marshmallow and fudge or caramel sauce.
Sugar Bowl
4005 North Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, Arizona
602-946-0051
Cotton-Ease
So, when is Lion Brand going to stop B-S’ing us and un-discontinue the Cotton Ease yarn? I’m mean, really! Everyone seems to love the stuff, and even I have to admit that it’s pretty good. Personally, I would only use about 3 of the colors for myself, but I can see lots of projects for Sophie (my favorite almost-4-year-old) that I could use it for.
Or maybe it isn’t really that they’re discontinuing the whole line, maybe they’re just telling us that to created demand. I wouldn’t put it past corporate America.
05.25.05
I’ve Been Tagged!
10 Things I’ve Never Done. I’ve been thinking about this all day… this is going to be harder than I thought. I did Vegas this year… some things aren’t appropriate for mixed company… hmmmm… More soon.
5:18 AM
…is when I woke up this morning. I’ve been doing this lately for no apparent reason - I don’t have to get up until 6! I woke up at 5 yesterday morning. It wouldn’t be so bad if I were going to bed earlier. 
I figure it is my body telling me that I need to start walking in the morning, since it is blast furnace hot here already. So I got out of bed and threw on my walking clothes, and managed to walk around my neighborhood without falling down. (I have little coordination to begin with, and even less when I am tired.)
I’m going to find some caffeine now. Oy.
05.24.05
Knit for the Cure
I found a pattern for felted bags made from hand dyed yarn. The pattern is being sold, I think, as part of a kit. I thought that other fiberholics might be interested in purchasing the kit. I’m checking into how to buy it, since the stores that are selling them are all out of state.
From Knit for the Cure:
“Knit for the Cure is a coalition of seven distinctive yarn shops that are located across the Twin Cities [Minnesota] metro area. The seven shops with the help of a select group of generous yarn manufacturers and distributors are proud to be a sponsor of the Susan G. Komen Foundation’s annual Race For The Cure.”
If you’re in MN, the website (link above) lists all of the stores that have the pattern. If you are outside of MN and are interested, leave a comment and I will let you know what I find out. Or, you are welcome to contact the stores yourself.
Smelly
I can totally relate to this post on Life’s A Stitch. I have a very sensitive sense of smell. Unfortunately, Americans are obsessed with everything having super strong fragrance, even when it really isn’t necessary. I can’t go into Bath and Body Works, and I can’t go into The Body Shop any more since they apparently changed their product philosophy. First my nose starts to burn, and then I feel nauseous. Candle stores are the same way. A few candles at once are okay, but hundreds of chemically produced smells all at once make me want to puke.
I can tell when the heat goes on in our office building by mistake, because I can smell it. I know when certain people have been in a room because I can smell their perfume/cologne for quite a while after they’ve left the room. I can tell when the oven is on, even if there hasn’t been anything in it.
While sometimes having an acute sense of smell is a curse, it can also be a blessing. I can smell the rain, way before it actually comes. My favorite smell.
