still bit

by the travel bug. now that we've effectively saved a bundle on our nuptials all i can think about are ways to blow that cash on travel. we weren't going to take a honeymoon before but now we kinda can. there's a part of me that wants to go back to hong kong and hit shanghai and beijing. there's another part that wants to take the dotytron out west to b.c. and salt spring island. maybe spend a week at a shack in maine? or finally do our tour of the bbq states? maybe recreate 'the wire' at the towers and corners of baltimore? go back to barcelona and while away the days eating jamon iberico on crusty bread smeared with ripe tomato pulp? maybe we'll go down wicked south and hit argentina and chile!

ah, the places we'll go. the fiscally responsible thing to do is to batten down the hatches and keep saving for our down payment. but there's really no fun in that. or, no *immediate* fun at any rate.

so, we're all getting owned right now. being on the receiving end of the pwning stick is not a position i'm a) comfortable b) accustomed to and it rankles. summer beckons with the false promise of heady, sun-filled, lazy days that i know are an illusion. THOSE DAYS DON'T EXIST ANYMORE. it's a non-stop work parade. i do love being busy but i wish i had more control over when the brakes get applied. this is not to be. this summer i want to throw taking a language class into the mix. ai-ya!

a few months ago urban outfitters was offering free subscriptions to 'nylon' magazine so i signed up. i received my first issue yesterday. i took one cursory flip-through and promptly regretted everything. so contrived! it's like a magazine in the style of a reasonable hand-drawn fascimile of chloe sevigny or something, except that now even chloe has the class not to try to throw together a magazine consisting of cliches like: glassy, doe-eyed girl staring vacantly at camera in a get up that embodies the golden rule of directionless magazine stylist nightmare: too many layers, ridiculous hats, touch of neon, slouchy bad posture, one incongruous element that's meant to be "cheeky." oy vey. the only good thing is that i now have a regular and steady supply of bug-smashing instruments near at hand that i won't mind sacrificing to the cause. seriously, 'nylon' rivals 'information outlook' (special library association, natch) for "magazine that i receive in the mail but have no intention of ever reading even if i have to stare vacantly at my toes in the bathroom during an epic deuce"


on to happier things! like...spaghetti and meatballs!!! i made sauce on sunday and quickly threw together meatballs when i came home. start to finish i had dinner on the table in under an hour...a pretty impressive feat! i baked the meatballs in the oven on a rack in a pan, to let the fat drain off...ever since old supervisor T gave me the secret for proper polpette, there's been no turning back. spaghetti and meatballs has got to be one of my all-time favorite comfort foods. i made a salad but we housed too much pasta to eat it.

another happy thing: finished knitting. FINALLY. ladies and gentlemen, may i present to you:


bella's mittens from the movie 'twilight' lol!!!!!! anyway, huzzah to having some knitting to show for all my hours doggedly in pursuit of sexy results during the tudor era!

i made them for a rabid 'twilight' fan (are there any other kinds?) i'm quite proud of them...i had to make some adjustments and i had to start over once. the pattern is written for bulky wool and i used worsted. the colour is a lovely emerald-teal. i hope the recipient likes them!

fin.