Happy Saturday, I'm Headache-Free, I Went to Yoga Class, Made a Big Dent Made in My Work, And Had a Stealth Contest

You see, if I put it all in the title, then the skimmers won't need to bother proceeding. Just a little Saturday-morning help from me to you, because I know you have errands to do.

Well, it didn't start out this way, but it turns out I enjoyed all the translations of "I don't do memes" so much that I turned it into a contest. Below I illustrate the highly scientific method I used to determine the winner:
Then I shouted down the stairs to my husband:  "Choose a number from 1 to 22!" 

As he is wont to do, he said, "Okay." (This is the guy who, when asked, "Would you like blueberries or bananas," will answer, "Yes.")

I had to prompt him:  "Say it out loud."

"Seventeen."

Okie-dokie. No fuss, no muss. Elisabeth, I'm sending you this beautiful book, handmade by Mim.

You gotta admit, her entry is about as charming as you can get, no?  Exhibit A:

In the language of genetics:

The dominant form of gene M has a phenotype (physical expression of a gene) of doing memes while the phenotype of the recessive form (m) doesn't do memes. Every person has two copies of every gene in their DNA and if the dominant form is present then that phenotype is expressed (that is, a person will have the characteristics of the dominant gene, hence the word dominant). Therefore, a person who likes to do memes has a genotype of MM or Mm. However, a person of genotype mm (such as Norma) does not like to do memes. Now, if you have two meme-loving parents, you can still end up hating memes (parents must've been Mm and Mm, and you got m from each), however, if your parents both hate memes (mm and mm) and you love them (Mm or MM) then you are obviously the milk-man's child.

She wicked deserved to win. But then again, so did so many other people. So I added another one.  I shouted to him again. 

"Leaving off 17, choose one more.  Between 1 and 22."

"Six."  This is for you, Ali. 

Please email me your addresses.

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So, it's a happy Saturday.  The headache from which I was suffering is gone, I went to yoga and plan to go on a hike today. After the headache finally left the building, I settled down yesterday and made a nice dent in my work (although there is still more to do).  Ab's coming home soon for spring break, which is always wonderful. She's bringing friends, which means there is a cleaning frenzy about to begin at Chez Norma, as soon as this blogpost is completed.

And I've done a little bit of knitting.  The crocodile sock was going along swimmingly, I was almost finished with the heel gusset, when I realized I was one stitch off on one side when I started the gusset. The error was compounded all the way along the gusset, so it's now ripped back to the heel flap and I will put it back on DPNs (I was trying to wing it with 2 circs. Still not loving the 2 circs except on plain stockinette portions) with which I feel comfortable, and do it over and do it right -- hopefully tonight. 

And I did this, for Kay:

Not exactly for Kay, but for one of her favorite causes, Afghans for Afghans, which, as she brought to our attention the other day, is needing 100 wool newborn hats and socks  by April 28.  Read about it here. I did this in the Merino Et Soie, the same stuff I did the blanket square in last week, and after I finished it I fully read their site and their call out for the baby hats and socks. I have some concerns that this hat might not be thick-and-warm enough, but I'm going to make the assumption that the newborns are swaddled, and that therefore this nice little hat will be sufficient. It is 70% wool, 30% silk, which meets their requirements, but if I'd read the site first, I would have carried a strand of mohair along with it, perhaps, or gone for a thicker, sturdier yarn to meet their needs. I did a baby version of the Dulaan Cloud hat recently and I could have sent that one along, but I already packed up my completed Dulaan items and shipped them out.....just yesterday morning, as a matter of fact. So anyway, if you're planning on helping with this project, keep the harsh conditions in mind and remember to make it warm, warm, warm.

I should mention that the adorable hat is from the book Knitting For Baby.

25 hours, 19 minutes since my last Diet Coke.  Tick, tick, tick.

Comments

[Lucia]

Hooray for Saturday! I've taken DD to her basketball game where I did the snack-sale thing for a couple of hours, came home and hung up laundry, and now I am off to sell raffle tickets. It's spring, and the fundraisers are in bloom. Cheers!

[Kathy]

Happy Saturday!

[Kristen]

I'm glad you're back! Hooray for Elisabeth--her "translation" cracked me up!

[Vicki]

The translations were a hoot -- your stealth contest is even funnier. Yay Norma, glad you're back and feeling better.

Good job on kickin' the Coke. I'm fast approaching 365 days on my kick. ; ) You can do it.

[Kim]

Okay, I wasn't skimming, I really wasn't. Until I started reading Elisabeth's entry---holy smokes. Too freaking heavy for me at this time of morning. I kept thinking...isn't Mm and Mm = M2m2? Yeah, I know. More coffee, please...

Love love love the baby hat. Looks so soft and warm.

[Dave Daniels]

OOhhhhhh, so THAT's what it's all about? The Diet Coke. Heh, and here I thought it was just raging hormones. (Or is that whore moans?) Hahahahaha
Get back outside and play, it's nice out there.

[Kathy]

Oooh - I think I have some wool that needs to be tiny baby hats and socks! Thanks for the heads up :-)

[Chris]

Oh, I definitely have something that will work for baby hats - thanks for spreading the word!

[Teresa C]

That long and no headache? Mine is something like 48 hours since my last cuppa and I have a headache. I'm off to brew right now!

[sandy]

No diet coke. And no headache. Hmm. Miracle? Or karma from telling off memers. I wonder..

[Debi]

You're a brave woman Norma! I think about getting the Diet Coke monkey off my back often but I'm weak :)

Have a great weekend!

[JoVE]

Glad the headache is gone and you've done teh yoga and hike. We've shopped for kid's basketball wear and hiking shoes for the kid and I. The sun is shining and it is about 9C and the snow is melting all over the place.

[NeedleDancer]

Wow... How long are you going w/o Diet Coke?
I keep thinking about giving it up (even the caffeine free kind, which is my main addiction). But I've yet to find a replacement beverage that I can get my hands on reliably. I keep trying to substitute water, but I miss the fizz (and a taste).

Klarbrunn makes this barely flaovred fizzy water -- no sweeteners of any kind, just some oil of whatever to flavor it. It's marvelous! Just enough taste to be interesting.... no calories.. no sugars, ... If I could get my hands on that, diet coke would be a thing of the past.... a distant memory...Alas, our local distributor (who you'd think would like to wean us all off of Coke products, since he's the Pepsi dealer) only wants to put out the sweetened stuff. Bleah.

Perhaps we should start a support group.

[Carole]

Glad you've made progress on the things you felt needed to be done. Enjoy Abigail's visit home!

[Lee Ann]

Um, yeah, no Diet Coke and no headache. Hmm indeed :-)

So, sweetie, what I want to know is how you got the sudden burst of uncaffeinated energy...

I'm going through two years of laundry baskets of "to file" papers. I'm feeling a little on the ill side. I'm sure this will pass if I can get to the bottom of the baskets. I should really stop watching HGTV programs on organisation...I'm driving myself batty :-)

[Carrie]

So, why the countdown (countup?) since your last diet Coke?

[Elisabeth]

I never thought this would happen to me! *blush* First of all, I'd like to thank the Academy--I mean University of Chicago--for my genetics training, especially Prof. Doug Bishop for teaching me the language of genetics. And I'd like to thank all of the other cunning linguists who were nominated--it was a priveledge to be among you all! And I'd like to thank my agent--wait, I don't have an agent--well, my future agent anyway. And all the people who believed in me along the way. And I'd like to thank my beloved husband who never doubted I could do it. And my third grade Reading teacher who recognized I needed glasses and sent me on my way to geekdom, and--"

*music swells, deafening the listeners, and the winner is slowly led off stage while throwing kisses*

[Donna K.]

I would have fainted by now without Diet Coke in my system. It's the only vice in life since I've given up chocolate and junk food. Happy Saturday!!

[--Deb]

Very efficient titling job there, Norma! And good for you for the Diet Coke. Considering how health-conscious you are, I can't believe you have a soda habit (grin).

[Norah]

Glad your headache is gone! Thanks for the link to Afghans for Afghans--that's such a cute hat! Good for you for giving up Diet Coke. I have a huge Diet Pepsi habit myself and one of these days I'll follow your lead...

[susan]

I like the way you casually threw in there, "but if I'd read the site first." Is it a form of skimming to not follow links????

[Scout]

I love it when you say wicked.

Glad you're feeling a bit better too. Go look at my damn blog and have a laugh at my expense okay? Yeah. Yeah.

[margene]

This is my first chance to get to a computer since Friday! I missed Blogland and all my buddies more than I should. It is so good to hear you had some time for yourself and yet you still selflessly knitted caps for others.
We had a lovely dinner with Laurie last night...what a dear, as you know. AND, I came home to big box of chocolates...you know, the nut free kind;-)
Well, grrlie...I love you and thank you for all you do for me and all you do to keep the world warm. MWWWAAAHH!!

[minnie]

the group i craft with for charity does monthly projects, and this month's projects is a4a. i've got one hat/bootie set done, and am going to cast on a second as soon as i finish the cloud hat for dulaan. this will be oject #2 for dulaan (i know, i've been slacking, sigh). your hat is cute, i have that book as well. i made the little sweater, but i got off some how, and it ended up being big enough for a 4 year old, lol.

[Ali]

Thank you! Mmm, rabbity goodness...

I knew those French classes would come in handy one day!

[Kay]

OK, I'm back from vacay and I love the hat and I'm touched that you were inspired to do it. It looks warm enough to me. xox Kay