Creativity and Ramblings from the heart of NYC and around the World

Monday, November 29, 2004

Wow-wee -- I'm BACK! Took 8 days away from work -- and at home - i only popped on email 2x! It felt GREAT to unplug!
The Update -- I squeezed a TON into those 8 days (besides cooking a fabulous feast and knitting like mad!)

Spent a great weekend away in Vermont at The Andrea Rose in Ludlow, VT:

Shopped in Woodstock - Great yarn shop there! Also got much of my holiday gifting done in Manchester, VT! Yeah!

Saw Whoopi on Broadway...

IT WAS GREAT!

Saw movies -----
The Incredibles (Mom and Dad hadn't seen it!) -- good (obviously - I've seen it twice!)
National Treasure - Good!
Birth - a good rental when it comes out
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason <--- cute - a good rental when it comes out.

Wrapping up the cute little sweater for my neice and will begin the vest for my Dad tomorrow on my flight to London. Since I can't knit on the WAY HOME from the UK...mine as well use that time wisely.

Happy Monday!

Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Forever Tango (broadway)
Great Dancing and Music!

Last night I went to see Forever Tango -- just in time as it's run is about to end.
What great talented dancers and orchestra!
If you like Argentinian Tango -- go see it!



Tonight I'm off to see Newsical (upstairs at Studio 54.)
I'll let you know how it is tomorrow!

On a knitting note...I finished the grid square I was making (for the WUA project - see Nov 9th VOLUNTEER KNITTING TIME) and have begun working on another. I find it's the perfect size for subway knitting! :-)

Monday, November 15, 2004

Yeah - Another UFO DONE!
This will be shipped off tomorrow to Hong Kong (after I put in my label!)

Welcome BABY BOY!

The photo, for some reason, shows the sleeves as a different color green - Odd - it's the same in person! The Buttons on the shoulder are actually 3 FABULOUS glass beads that I made into buttons.
Happy Monday!

Friday, November 12, 2004

Last night I FINALLY made it to Saurin Park Cafe to Stich-n-Bitch! Such nice ladies!!
I'm so glad I went!

Afterwards I caught a showing of THE INCREDIBLES! SO FUN!!!!


You HAVE TO GO SEE IT! Bring the whole family!

Thursday, November 11, 2004

700 SUNDAYS - A WINNER
(Billy Crystal's new 1 man show)

Wow - what an amazing show! 700 Sundays -- he named it after his time with his father who abruptly dies while Billy was only 15...meaning they had shared 700 Sundays. You find out what an amazing family he comes from, talented and strong. It's funny, heartwarming and sad.
It's a MUST SEE! Get tickets NOW before the previews are over and it's sold out!
:-)

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

UFOs A-plenty

OK OK - I KNOW I said I'd wait to start anything new --- BUT - Clapotis is just to darn big to do on the subway - so last night I began a Black simple watch cap on a short circular for Dmitri since his shaved head gets so cold in this cold weather! I'll finish it up tonight! But...the SPOOL of yarn I am using for this watch cap is HUGE - so, again - not subwayable --- thus I started a square for the Homeless Blanket project mentioned in yesterday's blog on the subway this morning.

Last night I also began to teach Dmitri how to knit. He wanted to learn (never dated a man who wanted to learn!) and he picked it up faster than anyone I've ever met! Great tention etc. right off the bat! He's eager to learn to make his mom a hat for Christmas! :-) A noble goal to be sure!

Tonight I go to see a preview showing of Billy Crystal's one man show:
700 Sundays
on Broadway with a college friend, Jim. I'll let you know how it was tomorrow!

I can say that Dracula (Broadway) at the Belasco Theatre

and
Eve-olution (Off-Broadway)-- a two-woman show performed by Carolyn McCormick and Sabrina Le Beauf...Playing at the Cherry Lane Theater




were both quite good!

Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, November 09, 2004

VOLUNTEER KNITTING TIME!
(see below my rambling!)

OK OK! So after a few days of waiting I heard back from the BlogHelp and found out that I'd been the victim of a bug in the works over there at BLOGGER...and my entire template was GONE -- thankfully my posts were OK. So - I had to pick a new template and will now try to recreate it all. I promise to have all of the great Music (albums you MUST own by struggling NYC artists), artists in NYC to support and knitting tip links soon!

New York is begining to get a bit less gloomy - but the gloom is still here. As people begin to prepare for the holidays it seems they are less full of energy - and are definately spending less. I suppose time will tell. I have a number of friends (you know who you are) who have already put in for transfers out of the USA, and others who don't want to leave their house - instead searching for a therapist to help with their unexpected heavy onset of depression.
In speaking with customers, those on the two coasts are still feeling the lack of shoppers... I know I'm holding onto my pursestrings tighter. I certainly am not optimistic about making extra $$$ these next 4 years. I certainly haven't benifited yet from any "tax breaks" in these past four years.

I've been looking into a few new projects, small ones to do between Christmas gifts and wrapping up UFOs.

VOLUNTEER KNITTING TIME:

THE SHIPS PROJECT

#1a: Afghan squares: The Ships Project:
As not to fill up your email with the long story - go to their website for the story of how this one started and what it's all about!

Afghan Square Info:
Squares should be made from acrylic yarn in "guy" colors. Favorites
seem to be red/white/blue and earthtones. They also like purple. No
pastels or neon colors.

Squares can be knitted or crocheted and are to be 7" x 7". If you
knit your squares put a border around them (3 rows of garter stitches
and the first 3 and last 3 of each row).

All 7" squares go to Debbie Hartley
17435 E. Temple Drive
Aurora, CO 80015-1925

#1b: Hat and Slippers for the folks working on the ships:
Reccomended patterns for The Ships Project can be found at:
http://www.theshipsproject.com/

The Ships Project website:
http://www.coingo.net/theshipsproject

ALL questions or comments should be sent to:
TheShipsProject@yahoo.com

Mailing dates for packages containing a mix of Hats, Afghans and Slippers:
January 1-7, 2005
February 1-7
March 1-7

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShipSupport (patterns and archives)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#2: Head Huggers: donating your time to knit caps for hospitals ( for chemo, alepecia, burn victims etc.)

http://www.headhuggers.org/guidelines.htm
The Above link takes you to the guidelines to submit (including submission form and Sue's address!)

http://www.headhuggers.org has the story of how it began and links to reccomended patterns.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

#3. Warm Up America! (Thanks for the info Claudine!)
How it works...
Warm Up America! (WUA!) works so well because it allows people to make a difference, whether they complete one small section or an entire afghan. Volunteers donate their time to crochet and knit a 7" X 9" rectangle (or more). Sections are either joined by individuals or groups in a community and donated locally or sent to Foundation headquarters for joining and distribution.

http://www.warmupamerica.com/home.html

It's always nice to give to family at the Holidays (and year round)- but thankfully mine are all healthy - so it's time to give to someone elses!

Have a great day!

Saturday, November 06, 2004


Last night we went to Don Pedros (2nd Ave and 96th St.)
Latin food --- Cuban, Dominican, Puerto Rican --- ALL YUMMY!

We were a table of 8 hungry folks after a night out at a bar listening to Jen Shankman play live.

Don Pedros was very accomidating - I called them from the street - 8 blocks away and asked for a table for 8. It was 11:30pm and when we got there it was all set up and ready to go!
The food - OH MY GOODNESS -- Sooooo good!

I had a wonderful Mojito - complete with a piece of fresh sugar cain!
For the Appetizer...the special Ceviche of the night...oooooooh. Good!
And for the main course: PARGO ASADO SOBRE MOFONGITO : seared red snapper over mofongito with roasted garlic sauce topped with a field greens bouquet
Dessert was shared...a chocolate piece of heaven!

Don't even think twice - just get up and go!

Thursday, November 04, 2004

So...it's day two after the vote...or...Black Thursday...
I'm so utterly dissapointed in our nation for CHOOSING another four years of this. How can so many people bring such shame to this great land?

I live in NYC and CERTAINLY don't feel BETTER knowing that he's in office STILL. It makes me feel uneasy and neglected. When NYC was one of the 2 places that was hit on 9/11 - it's interesting how nobody that I know in this great city of ours it AT ALL comfortable with the idea of him in office. He doesn't make us feel secure, safe or that we should trust him.

Stores are more empty than usual. It appears that people aren't spending as much pre-holiday money (according to 3 different sales people I spoke with at 2 Dept. stores.) I wonder if those red states realized how their votes would effect the blue states - as well as foreign policy. We sure are in for it.
4 Black years to go before we can make a proper change --- let's hope we make it thru unscathed...
...still wondering if there is a way to have the East and West coasts split off from the rest of the country...
...one can wish...

One more fun Halloween shot... Betty (me!) and That Guy (Jim!)