Rock On to Rhinebeck

Best Quote I Heard All Day
A friend is one before whom I may think aloud--Ralph Waldo Emerson

I suppose I have a lot of friends because I frequently think out loud in front of an awful lot of people.

Certainly, this blog is an exercise in thinking out loud.

So, it's late, I've been traveling, working, and ready to get my ass to Rhinebeck. There's been little opportunity in the past two weeks to write anything other than technical shit, as well as a Request for Proposal, some ad copy, and bug reports because our software sucks.

I have little patience for people who have a fucking la-di-da attitude about their work.

But the sun is rising on my little world. I'm going to see my Wolvies on Saturday! I last saw Carol and Franklin in April, at Franklin's photo shoot down in Kennett Square, PA. Haven't seen Joe since last November. And Lisa McNulty, the unsung but fabulous Wolvie, will be there too.

Then there's my beloved Ted, Lars the best Norsky Bear in the World, Dr. Mel and his David, and a host of other people I know, like B.J., Alice, Fredda, and others about whom I'm having a Florida moment.

The one person I will truly miss this year will be Lee Ann. She's not coming, much to my great sadness. Dude, you'll be in my thoughts.

Now hear this (former Navy wife talking): Do not be afraid to come up to me and say hello. It saddens me when readers get all weirded out about approaching me. What, do you think I'm going to have you for breakfast? Nah, I love meeting you guys. Just yell out my name and I'll respond. With a smile. Promise. In case you've forgotten what I look like, here's my mug.

This was taken last year at Rhinebeck (that's Mel with his arm around me).

See you all Saturday. And for those who can't make it, I'll be putting up plenty of pictures Sunday night.

Yes, I did finish the Princess jacket. Pictures of that forthcoming, too. The sleeves were very rare and not particularly handy but I made them work. You'll see.

Sarah Palin Crapalong

Best Quote I Heard All Day
As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day?--Sarah Palin

I can't help myself. I haven't had this much fun during a presidential campaign, ever. Glued to the news at night. And tonight's the big comedy show, too!

OK, I'm no PhotoShop pro--I leave that to the Punk Princess. But she does look well in Camo, dontcha think?

Open Mic Thursday

I'm thinking it's time for a Crapalong. Haven't done one of those in a long time. I rather like the idea of fugly knitting a la Palin, but I could do a lot with this. Rather than scratch my brain, though, I'll put it out for you all in this week's topic:

What kind of a political Crapalong would you like to see?

It would start this Friday, end on Election Day. I'll give the winner something. If you have ideas, be sure to be as specific as possible. I'll choose the best one on Friday and post their name and their concept. Unless I decide I like mine the best.

It's good to be a petty dictator.

Obligatory Knitting Shit

Not much, other than beating the Princess jacket to death. I've been working on that steadily, in the hopes of having it finished by Rhinebeck. I'll make it--the final front is almost done, with a sleeve and the collar to knit. And then the finishing, which is only seaming. That's no BFD.

I will put up a picture of the finished garment. I find WIP pictures somewhat boring. Same shit, different day department.

The KC's Fiber Kids Challenge

I want to thank those of you who have donated to this cause. I have given to each one, since I chose them. Thanks to Jennifer, Elizabeth, and Stefanie for their generosity! Every little bit helps, so if you haven't donated, please do. Of course, we have the entire month of October, so I know that sometimes ya gotta wait until payday. I sure do, most of the time.

Well, it's now October and I'm jonesin' for my fiber festivals. I still haven't made up my mind about going to B'more for Stitches. I find SOAR and Rhinebeck infinitely handy and certainly rare, since they come once a year, like Christmas. (I get that same rush of excitement going to these events as I did at Christmas as a kid.)

The Kids Are Alright!

Best Quote I Heard All Day

When a teacher calls a boy by his entire name, it means trouble--Mark Twain

This picture is on my desk, always. It's one of my very favorites and although I think I've put it up on the blog before, it's especially appropriate for today's entry. God knows when Grandma called my entire name, I was in deep shit.

My beloved Grandma, Constance Carsten, or Connie, as she was known to all and sundry, taught in the Staten Island, NY school system for 45 years. (Much to Grandma's disappointment, I did not want to become a teacher. Somehow, I ended up as an editor and then a writer and trainer. So maybe she's not disappointed now.) Grandma died in 1985, a few weeks short of her 90th birthday. At her funeral, tons of her former students showed up. An amazing tribute to an amazing woman, who was an enormous influence on me and so many others.

Recently, I was contacted by DonorsChoose.org, an organization that raises money for teachers who want to give their kids something more. They're sponsoring Blogger Challenge '08, which begins today and runs through the end of October. I agreed to participate because I remember my grandmother doing whatever she could for her students. And I love kids.

So what's the deal? I've chosen six different teachers and their projects, all wanting to teach their students how to weave. Four of the six teach in high poverty areas. If you go here, you can read about Blogger Challenge '08. Fortune Magazine just ran an article about it.

This is the first time I've ever asked readers to contribute money. I would not support something bogus, as you well know. This is a very worthwhile cause. Look around and if you see any other worthwhile projects that I may have missed, e-mail me.

I'm asking you all to dig in your pockets, even if it's just a dollar or two. I don't think that there's any question that the arts in schools have gotten the short end of the stick. I remember that I did some weaving back in grade school, on a very simple student loom. But I came from a wealthy community.

So what's the payoff for you? Here's what I'll do. If each of my Giving Groups reach $100 or more, I will buy some Red Heart Camo, make a really fugly hat, and have Super Jeenyus photograph me wearing it.

Now THAT'S a fucking sacrifice. I'm willing to make a total ass outta myself for kids. And why not? Who better?

Given that we've trashed Caribou Barbie, I think that the Camo is apropos. A lot of you mentioned it in the last entry's comments. Yuck. The mere thought of knitting with that crap gives me metaphysical hives.

So look at the sidebar and you'll see the ad for The KC's Fiber Kids Challenge. Click and give. And thanks to you rare and handy readers. Most of whom have kids themselves, no doubt.

And thank you, Grandma. And all the teachers out there. (Except for Mrs. Schmidt, my 6th grade teacher, who was a witch. Dottie shared in my torture.)