If it's Random, it Must Be Wednesday

Well hello, random readers!  The poor blog has not been getting its allotted time lately.  I have had to ration the amount of time I pour into the time suck (satisfying, interesting, edifying, fun, but yes, a time suck) that is blogging and blog-reading.  I've been *gasp* trying to be productive.  And not with wool.  I know.

To wit:

• This past weekend was a sales tax holiday in Massachusetts, and we bought a shitload of crap some nice stuff we'd been planning on getting.  We now have an actual entertainment center that is far less likely to kill our children than the setup we had before for the TV (it's a small one that cost $125 ten years ago, but it still weighs enough to do some damage if it fell on someones head).  I put the new one together and rearranged the wires behind so that all the video stuff actually connects to each other.  Brain?  Strained.
• For example: "Step T: Attach part ZZ to part B with half-cam phillips round-headed 6/17" screw bolts and hex-phillips side-allen cam wrench (not provided), being careful not to overtighten.  Press corners with thumb and whistle dixie while turning around three times, then turn on side and attach spacer (part KM) to inner molding installed in step Q.  What?  You didn't leave room for the spacer in part Q?  YOU IDIOT!  We told you to read the directions from the beginning before starting!  HAHA!  Bet you sometimes skip your gauge swatches too.  Suckah."  Those people who write the assembly instructions should maybe have anger management classes at break time.  I'm just saying.
• Speaking of anger management, I haven't mentioned the crazy neighbor situation in a while, but it remains no less crazy.  So we're all outside and the kids are playing with the hose.  Crazy John (who, it turns out, is actually Crazy Bob; I've only lived here six years, who could expect me to get the crazy neighbors' names right?) stops by to tell us there's a bear in the neighborhood.  This falls squarely in the category of Not News, as we live next to a wetland and we have plenty of wild friends in the 'hood.  The bears in the 'hood are black bears, and they're really not aggressive unless you mess with them.  Which we don't.  So no problem.  So Crazy Bob gestures to the kids and says "You know, I don't normally hunt bear because the meat is too smelly, but I'm going to get a license this year to get that bear.  For your kids.  You know."  And I'm thinking of saying "thanks anyway, but the kids kind of prefer macaroni and cheese" but I figure that sarcasm will probably be lost on Crazy Bob.  So we start talking to him about how black bears aren't aggressive and how we're really not worried and how frankly the coyotes are more of a concern to us, and he's all talking about tracking them in different weather and how he found their den up by the quarry and then it dawns on me.  How the hell does the guy who (rumor has it) had a restraining order against him because of threats to his neighbor's CHILD (disabled child, I might add, son of the sister in the WT house) have a freakin' gun?  And I gotta tell you, but I'm a hell of a lot more worried about people shooting rifles in my backyard than I am about some bear who is just minding his own business, snacking in dumpsters.  God bless America, dude.  Sheeyot.  I should say that I'm not really worried about Crazy Bob going postal, at least not Chez Mama, since his craziness seems to be entirely focused on the WT house.  But you know, restraining order?  Seems like a good time to take away the firearms.  I'm just saying.
• Back to the tax holiday.  I also purchased a bunch of Organizing Plastic Containers, in order to Organize the Wool Stash, which is to say Place It In Containers, since true organization would probably involve finishing things.  Now the big pile next to my couch is in a handsome plastic rolling cart.  Okay, and a few tote bags.  And a couple of plastic baskets.  I'm trying, at least.
• In fact, I did actually finish something.  Sadly, the camera is with Rhys, being pressed into the service of photographing short people afrolic in the lake, so no photos.  But imagine two socks like this one, stripes actually mostly matching.  There.  Hooray.
• I have this fantasy that I will finish Birch by the party on Saturday night.  I have 150 stitches on the needles.  I know, not bloody likely.  Will bring backup shawl.  Sigh.
• Most importantly, HEN is here.  Wow, she's lovely.  Very nice, quite old, great condition (needs new leathers and has a nick and a scratch here and there, but I think that just adds to her charm), and spins wonderfully, even with the old worn-out leathers.  She rattles a bit due to the leathers being worn to the point where the opening is about twice as big as it needs to be.  But I love her.  I think she's found a good home.  Yay.
• Marcy came by to inspect her last night.  We're trying to figure out her name.  I really feel like she should be called Henny Penny, but Marcy points out, rightly, that she's the one who says the sky is falling.  She wants me to call her something like Hildebjorn.  Somewhere in between, perhaps.
• I need to hit the road, and I know linking is going to take a bit of time, so I guess I'll leave it at that.  Have a great week, everyone!

Comments

[Colleen]

Being rather new to your blog, I gotta ask: WT house?

Well, your neighbors definitely win the Crazy Neighbor contest. Mine just suffle around on the street, hooting like monkeys (I'm not kidding, they actually do this for hours on end; it's strange).

[Sara]

Henny Penny! I'd go with that. You know, with kids in the house and all. But that's just me.
Can't WAIT to see you guys. In person. For a week. With knitting and spinning and fiber - oh my. And cute kids to boot ;)

[Laurie]

The ugly side of liberal Massachusetts is no matching up of restraining orders with firearms permits. The other side of the coin? He'd find a way to buy one.

I think HennyPenny is the way to go. It has an antique ring to it, and calls to mind a woman in long skirts, treadling away, oblivious to her cares for awhile, and nobody the wiser that she has found samadi.

[claudia]

Watch out for Marcy.

But you know that.

;-)

[JoVE]

Don't you read the comments. SEVERAL of us told you that you can leave Birch for a while. Wear the diamond fantasy and knit the unpronounceable Icelandic.

My cousin (who's property is mainly woods) once threatened her neighbour that if she ever saw him in the woods with a shotgun (hunting deer, I think),he might find his tires slashed. Seemed to work. But the the woods were her property.

[Jenny in NC]

Hey, wait, you said we're not supposed to actually finish things - it's against the code! Okay, I did finish that pair of socks, and the first of the handspun pair, but I'm sure that doesn't count, somehow.

The wheel sounds excellent! And your neighbor sounds scary. Of course, down here they sound just the same, but in NASCAR hats. Not much different.

[CarolineF]

Wow, I'm so lucky to have nothing but SANE neighbors. Thank goodness for nice normal CITIES. Snark.

[wenders]

oy. I was in Dallas this weekend and so missed out on tax free weekend. I didn't even think: was yarn tax free!?!? if it was, lie to me, please. . .

[Marcy]

Ok. HEN's full name has finally come to me. It was Hróðþjóð Eðný Niðbjörg. I think Hróðþjóð Eðný Niðbjörg is a tad more authentic, don't you? But if you want to use Henny Penny rather than Hróðþjóð Eðný Niðbjörg, well you just go right ahead. WHATever.