1. Gramma’s quilt came off the needles last night while I was at knitting group. It’s been a long time since I’ve finished something with other knitters around, who always know how to make you feel terrific about a mostly complete (still in need of end-weaving and blocking) object.
2. Rudi and I were thwarted in our efforts to go to a movie on my birthday by virtue of the fact that it was also a Saturday night and Valentine’s Day. We’ll see Coraline yet, but in the meantime we were able to rent a movie from iTunes in an attempt to salvage our evening. I downloaded A Night at the Museum to our laptop — and then promptly fell asleep before the opening credits even ran. (We spun it up again the following night so I could catch it before our rental period ended.
3. Friday I head out into downtown Chicago in search of lunch. I’d eaten at the Corner Bakery the day before, so I knew that was a fallback if I didn’t find anything quickly, but another street down and two over I came across a wine and cheese shop that also served sandwiches. I had a baguette packed with goat cheese, avocado, celery, and pesto as well as a local micro-brewed rootbeer. Delicious!
Hillary invited folks to discuss books by posting a survey result and a meme on her blog. It was about books. How could I resist?
What Kind of Reader Are You?
Your Result: Obsessive-Compulsive Bookworm
You’re probably in the final stages of a Ph.D. or otherwise finding a way to make your living out of reading. You are one of the literati. Other people’s grammatical mistakes make you insane.
Grey Kitten had asked me to note three beautiful things from my birthday — and I did:
1. Rudi thoughtfully flew out to Chicago to spend the weekend with me. He offered backrubs and breakfast runs and moral support on a day that didn’t turn out quite the way either of us had hoped it would.
2. I work with some wonderful women who, in the middle of their own running around and long work days during our conference, bought me cards and a cake. It was above and beyond. And the cake was delicious.
3. The city of Chicago surprised me with a birthday show. Caught unawares, we rushed down the hallway when we started hearing booms around 6:30. We were in time to catch most of a Valentine’s Day fireworks show reflected in a building across the river from us. Apparently they were being launched (possibly by Donald Trump’s company?) from the bridge just down the street from our hotel.
Category: three beautiful things. There is/are Comments Off on sweetheart, they take (& give) the cake, & booming.
I admit it. I like to send out themed packages to random strangers and get presents back in return.
The most recent swap was tea-themed. I figured that since Mum and Rudi and Danny had all given me lovely tea presents at Christmas that I’d better expand my horizons and a group on Ravelry offered to have someone send me some fun tea goodies.
Brenda in Rochester, New York, sent me a box that arrived while I was away in Chicago. I came home to this wonderfulness:
She sent me three teas from a company local to her. They are Warm Hearts (an herbal blend Rudi is particularly interested in breaking into), Caramel Cream (which purports to have little bits of caramel pieces interspersed with the leaves), and Royal Blend (which was Ceylon and green teas blended together with some pretty blue flowers). I made a pot of the Royal Blend last night to drink with the vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie Rudi prepared, and it’s really tasty. Definitely one I’d consider buying more of.
