Not my BobCat...a REAL Bobcat...

No, I didn't have a camera with me. I'll try to rectify that.
My boss was relating a tale of seeing a Bobcat stalking a jack rabbit just off our parking lot - basically in the middle of Tucson.
He was regaling me with this tale, pointing out the location about 25 feet from where I park everyday (hmmmm?). Then he placed the pumpkin he'd purchased for the Company Halloween festivities on Friday in my little truck (yep, I'm doing the carving - we'll see how that comes out).

As he continued his story, we then stepped over the curb behind where my truck was parked and discovered...bones. Likely bunny bones. Not new. Pretty well done and dried. There was an interesting bit of, well, um, fur between the 2 bone piles (sorry - trying not to gross you out too much. Skip to the next paragraph if this is all too much for you...) It was suggested it was not just the abandoned skin but, perhaps, well.... a hairball. Sorry, I had to laugh at the contrast of what was on the ground and what I've cleaned up over the years in my role of kitty-mom.

Well, we peered at the empty lot to the south of our building for a little bit and then stepped back over the curb to the parking lot. As we loitered, talking...the boss-man said "look" - and he pointed west across our parking lot...and there, in the late afternoon sun was the critter himself.
The boss was right - at first glance, the Bobcat looked rather like a house cat. But then I realized he was about a 75-80 feet away so he was probably a bit larger than a house cat...then there was his tail. It was almost like the boss had set me up with an elaborate, well-timed show...the timing was perfect. The Bobcat stood for just a moment, strolled across that end of the parking lot...and disappeared into the brush. Spiffy, huh?

Blogs to Explore - Knitting Curmudgeon

Yes, I'm doing the proposed Blog "home-work".
Being of the loony multi-tasking type, I'm also back to working on a blanket I started many moons ago. I'd forgotten I'd actually started it.
AND - it's for a young lady that favors Pink. Sigh.
Confession - for a female of our species, I have an unnatural aversion to pink. I can manage fuchsia, love purple, Red is also good. However the pink generally preferred by most females - "Barbie", Pepto-Bismol pink gives me the willies. Uck. Shudder. Blech.
I suspect this aversion has roots in my tom-boy childhood where it has been told that getting me into a dress (a pink dress, no doubt) was about as much fun receiving a jury duty summons.
I don't recall the dress-wrestling...I do remember hair cuts didn't generally go well for me, but that's a whole 'nother set of stories.
SO - for me to knit stuff in pink for folks means that I have high regard, affection, even love for that person. So if I give you something pink I knitted personally...it means you're SPECIAL!

AND....the Knitting Curmudgeon blog exploration:
Looks like she's been blogging for quite a while and has multiple blogs. I like the "Best Quote I heard all day" openings. She has chutzpa - seriously. Opinionated and comfortable with herself. Cool. Thus far I'm impressed, although I feel a bit like I've just wandered into a really interesting conversation although I'm pretty clueless regarding what the heck everyone is talking about.
I suspect that "Caribou Barbie" might be Mz. Palin. Wicked Clever.
I'm not yet sure what "the Mighty Wolf" is. (Maybe a loom??)
And not sure what "wolvies" are? (buddies? Pack-members?)

The Knitting Curmudgeon doesn't have a problem with telling it as she sees it - including work stuff. (Yep, I'm a little jealous).
Near as I can tell she's a real knitter (leaves me in the dust), designs stuff to knit (oy/wow), and she also spins and weaves.
Oops - I'd push her buttons a bit - she is not fond of ending sentences with prepositions. I am, on occasion, guilty of that particular gaff.

Wow - excellent entry for 9/11. Seems she does this annually and she was just across the river the day it happened in 2001.
And, per her 9/6 blog, I'm not alone in my concerns that our media is now generally unable to perform un-biased reporting.
Please note - the Knitting Curmudgeon is hugely better informed and much more fascinated with politics than I am.
I only read back through August.
"Curmudgeon" works; i.e. Aptly named.
Once I got past my wincing over her profanity, I can't help but be impressed.
And this is someone I'd like to read more of. (Oops) Someone of which I'd like to read more.
(That still doesn't sound right...)

"Blogs to Explore" - and I haven't been...

It's probably not unlike the many, many, many, many books I have stacked up around here waiting to be read...
It may relate to my respectable but not too scary fabric stash...
The yarn stash...well - maybe not so respectable and a little scary...
Yet...I have a lot more books than yarn and...ok-well, that's actually pretty darn scary. Hmmm.

When I'm visiting my favorite blogs, I sometimes browse the favorite blogs of my favorite bloggers.
If I'm intrigued and plan to read more later, I mark the new blog as a Favorite in my "Blogs to Explore" category.
And, to further increase my "Blogs to Explore" stash - Blogger has a nifty little feature called "Blogs of Note". (where I tripped over the ever-delightful Cake Wrecks.)

----Minor Alert - diverted thoughts running amuck -----
No, I am not now and am very unlikely to be the author of a "Blog of Note".
I'm clever, but not that clever...and, heck, I post up-side-down pictures of my cat. Odd and cat-lady peculiar, but not "note-able".

NOTE: (pun intended - HA!) I heard recently that that because I have a spouse - I am immune from all "Crazy Cat Lady" labels!
i.e. Single woman with many cats = the "crazy cat lady".
Woman with many cats + spouse = "Soft-hearted" (soft-touch), "Generous", "Organized", "Humanitarian" (or would that be feline-itarian? ); Amazing, stellar woman with a family that just happens to include (a dozen or so) cats.

One more Note: Would a mere Significant other wave off the "crazy cat lady" moniker or does there have to be an actual wedding involved?

Ok, that digression took us about 2 fields over and across the lake...

Back to the Blogs to Explore.
I propose to reduce my "Blogs to Explore" stash by actually exploring some blogs and update my blog with the...well, "review" is perhaps too strong a word...maybe...offer my 2 cents worth (cheap opinions).
Maybe once a week? (We'll see how long this grand scheme lasts....)

Who is at the top of the Blogs to Explore List?
Could it become a "Favorite" Blog? To be visited and chortled over often?
Recommended to people at work and on the street?

Ya never know. I'll plan to Explore "The Knitting Curmudgeon". Great title, huh?
Love the "Shut up, I'm Counting" comment (I could learn something from that statement.).
The South Park-esque cartoon lady holding the automatic weapon is giving me teeny bit of pause though...

I'll explore and report back later. Feel free to explore as well.
G'night all and pleasant dreams!

Did a little weaving amongst the knitting...

A few weeks ago, I had the great fun of taking a weaving class at Grandma's Spinning Wheel.
I finished this scarf:

It's a cotton chinelle - very soft!











I probably made it a bit tight - except for the left side where I missed, for half a scarf, that I needed to add a tug to help the yarn lay properly. Live and learn, uh... well, weave and learn. ;-)

Another class-mate and I had so much fun we matched schedules with the owner and she let us come back to borrow a loom again, loiter in the store and make another scarf!!

So...last weekend we "demonstrated" weaving at the front of the store whilst folks were at the back of the store creating some very interesting and fun-looking wet felted items.

The class-mate was excellent company (we have very similar tastes in TV shows which shows great intellect and humor, I think!) and was much swifter than I, finishing her scarf that Saturday (spiffy red-ish warp with a lovely green-based fuzzy weft - it came out very nice and very soft!).

I picked another not-as-bulky yarn so it took longer. I was also a little hampered by a cold and cold medication. Ugh.
However, the cool bit being the yarn I picked wove into some totally amazing patterns. I'm calling it the "Sunset Scarf".
The owner of Grandma's Spinning Wheel was also pretty tickled that the yarn she suggested wove up so very interestingly.
She let me come back on Monday to finish up...Here 'tis:

Pretty cool, huh?

I'm actually NOT as crazy as SOME people...

Yes, I am actually not as crazy as some people.
But we'd be hard pressed to believe it from yesterday's blog, huh?
My apologies to anyone intrepid or foolhardy enough to wade through yesterday's Work rant.
(And my compliments at your bravery to return!)
It was not my intention to use this blog for Work venting.
But, boy did I ever vent work yesterday. Sigh.

10/8/08 - Edited for Work Venting....trying to leave it at work
I said yesterday I intended not to use this blog for Work Venting...and I decided very very early this AM to keep to that intention.
So today I removed the "Possible Closure" section from this blog.
You didn't miss much. Thanks for perusing, though.


So - on to the people that I am most definitely less crazy than...e-mail spam authors!

I've been getting VERY BIZARRE e-mails lately from people that I know, respect, and love.
I'm gobsmacked (love that phrase) to be getting these types of e-mails from these particular people.
No, I don't consider these e-mailing friends crazy...however, the it'll-be-on-the-cover-of-the-Nat'lEnqur-next-week bogus e-mails definitely bring on the padded room consideration.
i.e. - "Who writes this stuff?!?!"

I've gotten 2 e-mails from 2 different and lovely souls that ??wanted to share?? the crazy e-mail that Bill Cosby was going to write-in as a presidential candidate... (no, that is not the crazy part. I think Dr. Cosby would be a grand president - wise, intelligent, funny; he has a lot to teach us and he'd probably help us grow up even more than he already has...but I don't know that I would wish being president on him. ).
No, the crazy part is the wild and bizarre mix of kinda/maybe-worthy concepts and downright creepy stuff in that e-mail. An e-mail Mr. Cosby DID NOT AUTHOR.
Snopes, Urban Legends, and Mr. Cosby himself had some words on the subject (voices of sanity).

I got another one that used Andy Rooney's good name to bolster some, um, opinions...You can ogle it in disbelief on Snopes
Mr. Rooney also did not appreciate the use of his name and has been trying to quash this bogus e-mail for literally years!

~~~~SOAP BOX ALERT~~~~
(Like the Crazy bozos that write the wonky e-mails and send them out under someone else's name are EVER going to read this...)
If the comments are something that people want to communicate then communicate by all means. This is America - we have and fight for the right of Free Speech.
Even if I don't agree with the speech - go for it. This is America.
If you're boring or I don't agree, I reserve the right to wander off or delete the e-mail.

However, presenting concepts as coming from a well-known or respectable persona to give the comments more credence - only has the opposite effect when the false alignment is revealed.
It makes us question what else about the "communication" is a lie.

To anyone who forwards e-mails...PLEASE...
If people would take a few seconds to check Snopes or the Urban Legends website, there would be a whole lotta less crud being flung around the internet.
~~~~END of SOAP BOX ALERT~~~~

I was gifted with a lot of other eyebrow-raising e-mails this week. All looked like, and proved to be stuff that Snopes and Urban Legends labeled as "FALSE".
Our world is challenging enough without adding "Chicken Little" worries.
Let's work on the real issues and steer clear of the False Prophets.
~~Um~~Real End of Soap Box Alert~~(sorry)~~

General Blatherings 10/6/08

OK...I was perusing the recent blogs and I've left a lot hanging.
So - here's some blatherings to catch us up. (Caution - I'm dieting, sleep deprived and pretty well stressed out...there could be some whining involved...)

BobCat - I started him on Lactulose a week ago Saturday. (Yes, I even tasted it! It is Not nasty - it tastes sweet, actually.) We're still adding pumpkin to his food too.
I think he's doing better, but he's not quite, um, regular yet. I'm consulting with the Vet to adjust the dosage and figure out what the heck I'm doing. He's been more perky again of late and even playing some!! (pretty good for a 17-year old kitty.)














BobCat was a key player in last night's insomnia . Good thing he's all cute and furry 'cause I'm pretty sure his squeaky-meow is pitched perfectly for maximum annoyance/awake-ability. (And he's not the dumbest kitty on the block. He knows squeaking in corners or in the bathroom really enhances the attention-getting effect at 2:45 AM). Yep, GOOD thing he's cute and furry....

(Yes, I took this picture upside- down.)









BJ's Baby-Blanket- "Take-2".
Yes, I'm doing it right this time. Here's the revelation on the re-knit. If you glance at the first one I did in pieces then joined...and the one I'm almost 3/4 the way through with...you'll probably notice "Take-2" pattern is a bit different than "1st Attempt". Yep. Not only did I do a crummy job carrying up the yarn on BJ's Baby Blanket#1 - I put it together backwards from the expected pattern!! (Oy - I think claiming I really studied the pattern before I started would be easily identifiable as a bogus statement. )



(Worse yet - I think I like the pattern I made on "1st Attempt" better...)





Ah - and I'm officially and truly late on this blanket now...BJ's Baby arrived last Tuesday.
"Take-2" seems to be taking A LOT longer - and I'm getting a teeny bit resentful of it. This last baby blanket is between me and some entirely spiffy wool I just procured. Wool I'm plotting to knit/felt into some lovely little Moebius Bowls!! A little is plotted for weaving too...

(Yummy colors, huh?)











10/8/08 EDITED FOR WORK RANT.
You didn't miss much. No pictures. Some clever comments. Some diffusing humor.
Mostly venting and frustration and some sadness.
On the 10/7 blog, I apologized and noted that I hadn't intended this blog for Work venting.
As I was trying to fall asleep last night...I realized how true I wanted that statement to be.
I actually don't expect the petulant personality at work to improve. They've been that way a very very long time. Nothing I do can change that.
But I can change how far I take my work concerns home.
Boundries are hard for me...I tend to do everything 100%.
Hmmm - not everything. I don't take care of myself 100%.

Hence - edited for Work Rant. Again, you didn't miss much.

Plant pictures...a lot of my yard has moved to generating seeds, but the bougainvillea is blooming nicely:

(Deep cleansing Breath...)