Christmas Knitting

I started a new knitting project yesterday afternoon and I loooooove it. I really need to start knitting more with bulky yarn because it goes so much faster! I would love to post some progress photos, or a pictures of what it is supposed to look like, but this is a Chrismas gift so I can't post and ruin the surprise for someone! I will say that it is knit in the round, is knit with organic wool, is a very beautiful neutral gray, and is going to be big. I got through the first 47 rows yesterday, which is pretty good. It will just get slower from here, though, as I am knitting out in a round pattern so every row is just a little larger than the one before. By the end of this I think I'll have like 600 stitches around! But the pattern is simple, good for TV watching in the evening.

The rush of Christmas gift knitting has begun. I am notorious for starting projects and not finishing. I have a scarf I started in late 2007 that Jon has begged me to finish...maybe this is the year! I have a long list of projects I'd like to make. But the thing with knitting is that it takes a looooong time. Well, for me anyway. So even a fairly simple-looking pair of gloves is a really large investment in time. Knitting is fabulous, and giving a hand-knit gift is very special, and I have so many people in my life who I love, but time is my enemy.

OK, well, here is a peek, because I just can't contain my excitement...

The good and the bad

So we have some good news and some bad news related to opening Jon's tattoo shop. First the good news: all five departments in the building division of the city of Denver have approved the plan drafted for the shop. The city is requiring a few updates, mostly because the building is 100 years old and hasn't been updated at ALL in at least 40 years. Like...oh, the electrical system has to be updated. And they have to install a firebreak in the attic. (Right now there is nothing but open space in the attic of the entire building, which covers 7 or 8 different stores, including a greasy spoon diner. If there was a fire it would basically engulf the entire building, which is the entire block. I can NOT believe the landlord hasn't updated this already. It is a major safety hazard. Ugh.) These are changes the landlord will have to make now or in the future, anytime anyone in the building pulls a permit to update anything. The electrical and fire situation are egregiously out-of-date.

Now the bad news: OK, so some of that was the bad news, but the real bad news is that the landlord has his knickers in a twist about paying for the necessary changes. He has it in his mind that this is Jon's fault, that the changes wouldn't be necessary if a stationary store or comic book shop was going into the space, and that he should just kick Jon out. Um, no. And everyone (Jon, the architect, the landlord's son who has kind of become the go-between) is telling him so. But he's old and angry and, like I said, has his knickers in a twist. The cost to bring the storefront up to code and make it rentable is high. I won't say he doesn't have a right to be upset about all this. But his anger is directed toward the wrong person. Instead of saying it is Jon's fault, he should look in a mirror and curse himself for not having updated a single damn thing in the entire building since the day he bought it. There is a gross, greasy spoon diner in his building, for crying out loud! And he never updated the fire safety?! He is running on borrowed time, as far as I am concerned. He is just lucky there hasn't been a problem so far.

So he is considering whether or not he wants to make the changes necessary to rent it at all. He will decide in a couple of days. Oh, but what's that? Don't we have a lease stating that he is required to make any changes necessary? Why yes we do! And Jon has already put in a significant investment to get this place going. So if Grumpy McSlackerpants decides he does NOT want to make any changes, and he does not want to bring his buiding up to code, then he will have to break the lease and reimburse Jon for every expense. Obviously we do not want to go down this path. There could be lawyers involved. Nobody wants that. Jon thinks it is unlikely he will go this route. But the landlord is throwing it out there, probably to scare everyone. The more likely scenario (although who knows with this guy) is that he will agree to make the changes, but will try to do it on the cheap, putting out new bids to electricians and contractors, and delaying everything even more. Grr. Argh.

The landlord's son is totally on Jon's side. He knows that all these changes will have to be made no matter who rents this storefront, and will have to be made in the future anytime any change is made to the building. He is kind of like the landlord's business manager, so it is good he is in the mix. And he has even said that they can afford these changes, it's just that his dad is, um, miserly and doesn't want to make them.

So good and bad. Good that the plan is approved and they can move forward as soon as they get the money. Bad that the money might be delayed and/or non-existent.

Also...

And one more thing. My friend Shawna won an Emmy!! How cool is that?

OUTSTANDING LIVE COVERAGE OF A BREAKING NEWS STORY – LONG FORM



NBC News Decision 2008 NBC
Election Night


Executive Producers
Philip Alongi, Alexandra Wallace


Senior Producers
Bob Epstein, Cliff Kappler


Producers
Doug Adams, Heather Allan, Laura Allenbaugh, Ana Maria Arumi, John Baiata, Denise Baker, Donna Bass, John Boxley, Patrick Burkey, Martha Caskey, John Cheang, Jack Chesnutt, Amy Chiaro, Chris Colvin, Catherine Corrigan, Bradley A. Davis, Subrata De, Robert Dembo, Clare Duffy, Missy Dunlop, Carol Eggers, Lauren Fairbanks, Betsy Fischer, Patrice Fletcher, Kerri Forrest, Scott Foster, Roxanne Garcia, Maralyn Gelefsky, Hilary Guy, Madeleine Haeringer, Al Henkel, Stephanie Himango, Mark Hudspeth, Michelle Jaconi, Christina Jamison, Leo Juarez, Naomi Karam, Les Kretman, Susan Kroll, Courtney Kube, Laura Kurinsky, Richard Latour, Margaret Lehrman, Sarah Lusk, Megan Marcus, Domenico Montanaro, Geraldine Moriba‑Meadows, Mark Murray, Neil O'Brien, Amber Payne, Michelle Perry, Terry Pickard, Alexandra Pournaras, Katie Primm, Samira Puskar, Meghan Reeder, Rob Rivas, Tom Rotunno, Antoine Sanfuentes, Olivia Santini, Joel Seidman, Robin Skolnick, Kenneth Strickland, Bethany Thomas, Shawna Thomas, Kelly Venardos, Adam Verdugo, Mike Viquierra, Huma Zaidi, John Zito


Anchor
Brian Williams


Anchor/Correspondents
Tom Brokaw, Ann Curry, Lester Holt, Andrea Mitchell, Chuck Todd


Directors
Jim Gaines, Ray Herbert, Geoff Hoffman, Brett Holey, John Libretto


Correspondents
Peter Alexander, Ron Allen, Kevin Corke, Tom Costello, Lee Cowan, Rehema Ellis, Richard Engel, Dawna Friesen, Savannah Guthrie, Tamron Hall, Michelle Kosinski, Phil Le Beau, Ron Mott, Kelly O'Donnell, Norah O'Donnell, Jeannie Ohm, Michael Okwu, Darren Rovell, Luke Russert, Kerry Sanders, Mara Schiavocampo, Janet Shamlian, Mike Taibbi, Don Teague, Anne Thompson, Kevin Tibbles, Mike Viqueira, Ian Williams, John Yang


Elections Director
Sheldon Gawiser


Planning Directors
Adam Benalt, Marc Greenstein

Laundry basket slalom

Two pictures for your Tuesday morning. They light is a little dark, but look at this pretty face! (I'm talking about Evelyn. She is sooooo cute.) We have been slacking in the picture-taking department.

I had just come home from work and Carol took a few pictures. Later that night Jon discovered the most fun game ever: laundry basket slalom! I took a video on my phone but I can't convert the format to one that is postable. Anyway, Evelyn sits in the laundry basket, Jon puts a towel underneath it, and they slide up and down the hallway. After a few rounds our little daredevil thought sitting was for BABIES and she is a BIG GIRL and she needs to stand up. So she stood in the laundry basket, holding on to the edges, while Jon ran up and down the hallway. It was pretty funny.

Evelyn really is a daredevil. She still loves stairs, she tries to climb up everything, she even goes down stairs now. If it is one step, she'll go face-first on her belly. If it is multiple steps she has figured out how to turn aound and go backward. Makes my heart stop every time because I think she is going to faceplant, but she hasn't yet. Oh, sure, she's tumbled down a stair or two (the only ones she plays on are three high), but she's ok.

My mom always told stories about my brother and I, how we would escape all the time and get into mischief, how we would run in opposite direction, crawl up the refrigerator or any other such nonsense. I thought those stories were always so funny. Now, well now I think they are more like cautionary tale. "This is what you did to me...turnabout is fair play!!"

My busy baby.

So close

We are so close to getting the permits approved for construction on Jon's shop. Four of the five agencies have signed off, and the architect is meeting with the fifth today to go over a few changes. SO CLOSE. There are quite a few changes to make once construction begins (like a wheelchair-accessible ramp and bathroom, installation of a firewall in the attic, installation of a swamp cooler, etc.) but it will at least be progress. The two week window Jon's contractor gave him for construction is probably going to get extended, but we can live with that. Now we just have to hope that the landlord hires his contractors in a timely manner, pays them on time, and gets this show on the road! (Well, they already have a main contractor, but with the extra work they will need extra hands.) This process has seemed interminable, made all the worse since it has nothing to do with Jon and everything to do with the city and this building. So please, everyone, cross your fingers and spit and throw salt over your shoulder and turn around three times and curse so we can send all the good mojo Jon's way. It has been a very rough summer with only one income, with Jon not working, and with all this stress. Autumn begins next Tuesday...maybe our summer slump will end, too.

And now, because I just finished a something at work and I want to kill some time, my Emmy picks! I love TV, and I love the Emmy's. This isn't a list of who I think will win, just who I want to win, and only for those categories where I give a hoot (i.e. not casting or miniseries or hair). Hooray!

• Outstanding Animated Program -- Robot Chicken. This show is hilarious, strange, creative, and different. Go, Seth Green!
• Outstanding Art Direction for a Multi-Camera Series -- I am torn between How I Met Your Mother and The New Adventures of Old Christine. I dont' know much about art direction, but I think HIMYM is better on this one.
• Outstanding Art Direction for Single-Camera Series -- Pushing Daisies. That show rocked. And...cancelled.
• Outstanding Art Direction For Variety, Music Or Nonfiction Programming -- A Colbert Christmas.
• Outstanding Cinematography For Nonfiction Programming -- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, Laos
• Outstanding Cinematography For A Half-Hour Series -- 30 Rock
• Outstanding Cinematography For A One Hour Series -- Mad Men
• Outstanding Comedy Series -- How I Met Your Mother (There are some really good nominees, but I love How I Met Your Mother. Even more than 30 Rock, which is also awesome. Probably some show from cable will win, but my heart lies with HIMYM.)
• Outstanding Costumes For A Series -- Mad Men
• Outstanding Drama Series -- Mad Men
• Outstanding Guest Actor In A Comedy Series -- Yeah, he's not gonna win, but I'm choosing Justin Timberlake in Saturday Night Live. Up against Alan Alda, Steve Martin, Jon Hamm and Beau Bridges!
• Outstanding Guest Actor In A Drama Series -- Michael J. Fox in Rescue Me
• Outstanding Guest Actress In A Comedy Series -- Elaine Stitch in 30 Rock
• Outstanding Guest Actress In A Drama Series -- Ellen Burstyn in Law and Order: SVU
• Outstanding Lead Actor In A Comedy Series -- Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock
• Outstanding Lead Actor In A Drama Series -- I guess Hugh Laurie in House. I really don't have a favorite here
• Outstanding Lead Actress In A Comedy Series -- Julia Louis-Dreyfus in New Adventures of Old Christine
• Outstanding Lead Actress In A Drama Series -- Glenn Close in Damages
• Outstanding Main Title Design -- Lie to Me
• Outstanding Reality Competition Program -- Project Runway
• Outstanding Reality Program -- Dirty Jobs
• Outstanding Nonfiction Series -- Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations
• Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Comedy Series -- Neil Patrick Harris in How I Met Your Mother (Does everyone know of my deep love for NPH?)
• Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Drama Series -- John Slattery in Mad Men (Mmm...silver fox)
• Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Comedy Series -- Kristin Chenoweth in Pushing Daisies
• Outstanding Supporting Actress In A Drama Series -- Chandra Wilson in Grey's Anatomy
• Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Series -- The Daily Show
• Outstanding Variety, Music Or Comedy Special -- Kathy Griffin: She'll Cut A Bitch
• Outstanding Voice-Over Performance -- Seth Green in Robot Chicken

Sick

I have been sick with a very nasty cold since Sunday. I'll post adorable pictures of Evelyn sometime soon. But for now, rest.

Everyone is sick

Evelyn has a little cold. Jon has a little cold. There's a lot of wheezing and sneezing and snorting going on. It's gross. I feel if all this is going on that it is only inevitable that I will get sick. Especially because Evelyn has taken to chewing on my toothbrush (really, any toothbrush she can get her hands on.)

I feel especially bad for Evelyn because she hasn't been sleeping very well, is super cranky, can't eat a lot because her nose is all stuffy, and there is no medicine we can give her that will make her feel better. We are out of Motrin, but I think we need more because she seems to have a low fever. Oh yeah, she's cutting two more teeth, too! Maybe some saline drops up the nose would help.

Two of the past three evenings, Evelyn and I (and once Jon), have ridden my bike to a little shopping area that recently opened near our house. It is about a 10 minute ride, mostly flat, and quite delightful. Yesterday we went to Whole Foods for some milk. (And as an aside...Whole Foods has local, horomone free milk for only $1.50 a half gallon. That's cheaper than other local, horomone free milk by $1.25! With the amount of milk we drink around here, that's almost $4 a week difference. I think we are making the switch!) There is also a Maggie Moo's ice cream, lots of restaurants, a YARN STORE. I'm sad I didn't ride up there more throughout the summer.

I hope the rest of you aren't suffering through colds. Isn't it too early for that anyway? Blerg.