PHOTO-KNIT-O-GRAPHY

So, I’m casting about on the world wide web (who says that anymore?) for inventive ways to procrastinate from doing the task at hand (matters not what the task was or that compute-a-teering is in itself procrastination of some order).

LO AND BEHOLD the summer Knitty is up.
And, Knitty announces a photography contest . The challenge is to make a Knitty pattern and feature it in a photo to submit for consideration as a page on the 2009 Knitty calendar. So, the contest is NOT about knitting so much as it is about photography.

Hallelujah!

The hobby gods are good indeed.

One week hence, I am traveling to Montana: Custer Battlefield, Beartooth Pass, Yellowstone, Butte, the Bitterroot, and Glacier Park. Yep–God’s Country–ALL of it. And, I’ll have 2-- no 3-- cameras, a tri-pod and 3 gorgeous college-age girls with me. With a little earnest knitting, I’ll also have 3 swell hats with me too. (hahahahaha. Word play. The name of the hat pattern is "Swell." I don’t care what the hat looks like, since the word “swell” worked, that had to be the pattern).


Anyway, the photo possibilities are limited only by the girls’ cooperation with my scheme (and maybe my ability to produce 3 hats). So, at lunch time I’m off to get another gig or two of memory for my digital camera.

For the rest of y’all (note to self: do NOT say y’all in Montana):
STEP AWAY FROM THE SHUTTER BUTTON . . . your entries are futile.

I’m on a calendar domination mission here and will not be deterred. (Unless, of course Eric gets a killer shot of his tarantula on some lace. There’d just be no competing with somethin’ like that).

I'm Baaaaaaack!

I thought it had only been a few weeks since my last post–oops! time flies.
Alex got home from OU on a Friday at 8:30pm and we were up at 4 the next morning to get to a bike race in Arkansas for an 8 am start time. The following Tuesday I fetched daughter Meredith from school (5 hours away) and then on Friday of the same week delivered her (3 hours away) to the camp where she’ll be working all summer . Two weeks later Alex left for Philmont Boy Scout Ranch in New Mexico where he’ll work as a ranger all summer.

S o o o o o, Kelly, the dogs, and I are . . . alone again, naturally.

FreeWheel, the Oklahoma cross-state bike ride, is taking place this week. For the first time in 13 years, I’m not riding–makes me a little sad.

I really haven’t been knitting, or even spinning but I seem to be busy. What have I been doing??? Well, I’ve sewn some and have a few new outfits to show for that effort. I’ve taken Chai through another obedience class and have enrolled him in our first obedience trial which will take place in a few weeks. If you know Chai, you know what a paradox that is. I spent an entire weekend watching the Tulsa Tough Bike Races. I’ve planned my route for the epic trip to Montana Meredith and I are taking together for a reunion. I’ve been to my nephew’s wedding, the bride chewed gum during the ceremony–‘nuf said. (was that bitchy?) And, I’ve been on my annual summer reading binge. I’ve read 8 novels in the last month not exactly a record but with the other stuff, I guess that’s what’s been keeping me busy.

HA! When I look back over the books I’ve read recently, I notice that my selections sort of reflect my approach to nearly everything in my life. I tend to take a concentrated ad hoc buckshot approach to everything. I know that doesn’t make a damned bit of sense, but that’s the point really.

And now, without further ado . . . in the order in which they were read, as best I can remember . . .
1– Eat, Pray, Love (I’m ambivalent about this one–I don’t think this author is someone I’d care to hang with at all–I think she’d irritate the snot out of me, but I’m really glad she found herself so I don’t have to read any more about it–maybe ambivalent is not the right word here).
2– Kite Runner (I’ll certainly read more of his stuff).
3– Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchey (I LOVE her characters. I haven’t read all of her books, I sort of dole them out to myself so I’ll have some more for later. And, I'd really like to hang with Maeve for a while, but I'd probably irriate her, isn't that how things work?).
4– Catcher in the Rye (no, I had not read this before, I was probably supposed to have done so at some point).
5– Jumper by Steven Gould (Steve is my husband’s first cousin. The book has been out a while, I figured I’d better read it. It might make a good movie . . . oh it is a movie–never mind).
6– Lean, Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich (Her books are so stupid, but I love ‘em).
7– River God by Wilbur A. Smith (I really enjoyed this book about ancient Egypt. Some time ago I read Cry Wolf by the same author I can’t for the life of me remember what it was about, but I liked it too).
8-The Seventh Scroll by Wilbur A. Smith (This is a sequel, sort of, to River God. It is a present-day quest for an ancient tomb that was built in River God which was set in 2000 BC, these two books were really fun).

What’s up next?? The Warlock by Wilbur A. Smith (I just bought this at lunch, it looks like Smith takes the reader back to ancient Egypt with a continuation of the Pharaoh dynasty introduced in River God ).

I went to knit night last night and am now all fired up to knit and spin myself into oblivion. But, I should really get upstairs and finish sewing up some of the linen I have, then I can concentrate on knitting. Or, I could photograph my new fiber so my Ravelry stuff is up to date. On the other hand, if I don’t get out and work with Chai some, we’ll completely embarrass ourselves at the show. But then I’ve got that new book in my purse. And, my YMCA membership has been idle for a while. I really should ride my bike, I know it misses me. Perhaps, I’ll just engage in some escapism, I wonder what that would look like?