Birthday Musings, Fundraising Update, and Still More Frogging

Thank you so much for your birthday wishes. Considering the sunset beach picnic was out of the question, I had a wonderful day. Rachel of Lickety Knit shared with me her idea for celebrating  February birthdays on our half birthdays, in August. I'm going to call Hallmark immediately so they can launch the marketing campaign. Sign me up!

When birthday time rolls around, I do that thing most people do on New Year's Eve, where you look at the last year of your life and Take Stock. Has my life improved over the last year? Have I improved over the last year -- learned new things, had new experiences, faced new challenges? (Yes, I am a Type A). When I started to think about how much my life has changed this year, and how much I have learned, it made me feel good about being a year older. (Warning: I'm going to get sappy on you now. Skip ahead if you want a knitting update).

My blog went live on Memorial Day weekend last year, and I wasn't sure what to expect. As a (former) technophobe, I spent hours reading "Blogging for Dummies" and trying to master little bits of HTML to put up buttons and things. I had to learn how to load photos into the blog from the camera.  I was then immediately immersed in the Amazing Lace, not only having to finish the five-year lace mohair stole in three months, but having to envision creative posts while doing it. I had a blast. And it has been pretty much nonstop fun ever since. Your friendship has meant so much to me, making me laugh, and inspiring me to do charity knitting, and challenging me to do projects I would never have dreamed of taking on before.  Long story short, getting to know you and becoming a part of the knitting community has been one of the best birthday gifts this year. (Should I also mention that the technophobe made a birthday stop at Circuit City? How times have changed).

So, I'm sitting at the computer reading emails that morning, and Chris sends me an IM, in capital letters, in red: "Holy Cow!!" My first thought (I'm a neurotic Type A) is that someone has gone postal and is holding up his place of employment. He astutely pointed out afterwards that he would not have had time to change font size and color if he were being taken hostage, but you don't think of those things at the moment. So I write "What??" three times, until he tells me that he received the weekly fundraiser update, and we are now at $1258!!!!! I almost fell off the chair backwards. Excepting a few of his blogless, knitless, and mostly cycle-less friends, most of the funds we've raised so far for GYGIG have come from readers of this blog. Thank you seems so inadequate, but *thank you* for supporting us, and everyone who struggles with Crohn's Disease, Colitis, and any form of IBD. If you missed the post explaining our fundraising for the charity ride in June, or would like to know about our prize drawings, please click here to read our Spokescat Charlie's post. The first drawing will be at the end of March, for a $21 gift certificate to the yarn or bike shop of the winner's choice, online or local shop.

And now, the knitting. In the post before last, I asked for your opinions on the camisole. Some suggested blocking on a piece of scrap yarn, and a few others were brave enough to tell me that they thought there were too many stitches picked up from the border, thereby causing the rippled effect. As the Knitting Fates would have it, I happened to have a lunch date with my friend, the knitting teacher, who, at our last meeting, told me to rip the socks. So as soon as lunch was finished, I took out the camisole and asked her straight out: do I do the blocking on scrap yarn, or do I rip it? After some ugly math, similar to what MiniLaura suggested in an email, we decided it was best to visit the frog pond. I will be visiting the FP sometime this weekend, with instructions on how to reknit to accommodate the wonky gauge that is causing the problem. In the meantime, I've been reknitting the Garden Rows Rib square for the Blanket of Hope. Next post I should have some photo-worthy knitting progress to share.

It has been quite the day at the Seashore -- I spent part of the day bailing water out of the basement, because the Northeast got socked with a massive soaking rainstorm that flooded roadways and trapped cars under bridges. After the basement was under control, and I bailed all the dirty water into the sink that I could stand, I put the tea kettle on the stove to boil water for tea, turned on the burner, and promptly forgot it. And practically melted the metal teapot, emitting lovely fumes that are responsible for any and all weirdness in tonight's post.  Just in case you were wondering. :)

Comments

[Jane]

Seems March came in like a lion at your house, too. Here's to sunny skies and an early spring.

[tiennie]

Glad you had a great birthday! Sorry your basement got flooded!

p.s. I was wondering if you ever got my reply to your e-mail about Office for Mac?

[Erika]

I'm glad to have been part of your blog year so far! And I'm still too afraid to find out what's swimming in our basement after today's storm.

[Kate]

My birthday is in August & I think we should celebrate the half in February. It has always been lost in the rush of back to school but this is my last semester so maybe that will change. :)
Your rainstorm happened here with crazy ice & snow. Is it summer yet?

[Sonya]

Sorry to hear about your flooded basement. But the fundraising progress is wonderful! Have a great weekend.

[Amy Artisan]

What great news about your fundraising. This blog community is indeed an amazing group of people. I'm glad to have "met" you through this adventure. :)

[--Deb]

Wow, that's quite a total! Congratulations!!!

[Chris]

Isn't it amazing, the way blogging changes our lives in ways never anticipated? I love that! Glad to have "met" you and your family. :)

[Sydney]

Before I started blogging, I would never have imagined meeting so many people this way.

I did a similar thing when I was hard boiling some eggs one day and forgot them. I don't recommend do it. It took weeks for the burnt egg smell to go away. LOL!

[sprite]

I concur about half birthdays. Everyone needs more celebration in their lives!

And I can't begin to tell you how many tea kettles I've melded to stoves over the years. That's why I now have an electric kettle with an automatic shut-off switch as well as a Chantal kettle for the stove that has a train whistle that is impossible to not hear!

[Sheepish Annie]

I melted a teakettle a few years back in much the same way. Good to know that others have done this...

Congrats on the fundraising! That is just amazing!!!

[Laura]

whew! I need to lie down after reading that post!

I glad that you decided on a trip to the frog pond. I think it will turn out for the better :-)

[Kristen]

I'm glad we've met online and face to face. It has been fun reading about what you are up to and the challenges that you are taking on, be it knitting, biking, camping...

[Deb]

Happy belated birthday!

[Yvonne]

No problem with mentioning your site. I did actually donate this afternoon. If they could find a cure it would be so awesome, it would also help so many other diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (which my grandmother, who taught me to knit, has).

I did notice that there is a race up in Seattle too. Seattle is about 4 hours from her, a bit too far for me to get to. I still think it is really cool what you guys are doing. Good Luck!!!

[Sue]

Congratulations on the fundraising! Thanks also for sharing your thoughts about your blog and the ways in which it has brought enrichment to your life ~ I could not agree more. That said, it’s been my supreme pleasure to meet you, even if only just recently.

Sorry about the basement! I hope it’s all under control by now ~ and that any remaining burning teapot fumes have also cleared. ;-)

[Karen]

Wow, you've had a lot going on at your house! I hope your basement is ok.

I'm sorry I missed your birthday...Happy Belated Birthday! I'm glad you had a wonderful day!

[Nancy]

Sorry about the frogging. :-( Happy about the fundraising! :-)

[Patty]

Happy Happy Belated Birthday! I think someone made them up so that we have to look at where we are in our lives. I don't like to look at that number....I never feel older anyway....well, I don't!

It seems like your life has been centered around water of some kind...your basement flooded and then you tried to flood (and burn down) your kitchen and then to top it off you have to bring those frogs in to the house. Ewk, you have not had a good time.

But great news about the fundraiser money. WOW, You guys have done a super job.

[Kim]

Thanks for the comment - I'd almost forgotten. I edited my post to give you a shout-out as well.

[Julie]

YAY for the fundraising amount! Amazing, isn't it, how the bloggers all come together for a worthy cause.

[Rachel]

Wow, I can't believe it was not even a year ago that we met at WEBS right around the time you were setting up your blog. Usually time flies, but for some reason that seems like a lifetime ago to me.

Speaking of things we share (as you were, about our birthdays), I share your pain about flooded basements. Sorry you had to deal with all that dirty water and didn't even get some comforting tea to reward yourself with afterward.

Congrats on the excellent fundraising for a great cause!