Santa Sighting.

The Sheep did her grocery shopping yesterday. Not the every-other-day-get-what-I-forgot-and-I-seem-to-have-a-sudden-craving-for-PopTarts-which-must-be-satisfied shopping, but the real kind. The kind that you need to do after a week of vacation so that you can go back to work soon. Big time shopping.

I diligently made a list of all the things that I'd need for next week's return to grown-up living. It was a well-crafted piece of literature wrung from a combing of the cupboards, a stern conversation with self regarding the difference between, "want" and "need," and a review of the budget.

I then proceeded to exit the house and leave this masterpiece on the couch. People think I'm kidding when I say I do this regularly. I kid not...

Thus, I had to rely on the old memory cells for this trip. Which you think I'd be used to. But I'm not. I have to concentrate. I did pretty well until I turned the corner from frozen foods to warmer climates. Then, all was lost. For there, standing before me, big as life and twice as jolly, was Santa Claus.

Big round belly, long white beard...even a pair of tiny, wire-rimmed spectacles perched atop his nose. Now, let's be clear, here. I would have noticed him even if he wasn't so obviously St. Nick. Anyone who is wearing black cotton shorts in thirty seven degree temperatures (that's with an, "F" not a, "C") would have attracted my attention. This was not the best attempt at undercover shopping I've ever seen. Once you notice the shorts in December, you are bound to recognize Santa shortly thereafter. I opted not to point this out. It seemed rude.

Don't believe me? Well, how about this: Santa had a rash on the backs of his calves. That's right...a rash! Clearly Mrs. Claus forgot to put his silk-blend long-johns in the wash on December 23rd and Santa had to wear that scratchy wool suit all night on the 24th without a soft layer to protect his tender flesh from the harsh fabric. It had to be Santa!!!!

Further proof is required? Fine. When I needed to pass Santa to get down the aisle, he moved his cart and said, "excuse me." I ask you: when does this ever happen to me in the grocery store? We all know how it goes!!! No one moves for The Sheep! But Santa did! He got my letter, I tellya!

Yup. I saw Santa at the grocery store. It doesn't even bother me that it happened in the liquor aisle. What Santa does in his off hours is between him and Mrs. Claus. I gave him his space because I think that even celebrities deserve their privacy. But, I smiled at him. And he smiled back.

And we are fervently hoping that he was not just some biker dude trolling for chicks in the grocery store.

When not Santa Stalking at the local market, I've been busy with a few other projects. The WooLee Winder has three coats of finish on it and is looking pretty spiffy. It doesn't exactly match my wheel as that finish has cured to a darker tone. But, I'm liking the look of Mr. W.W. in his current state and can live with any difference in wood finish.

Shiny!!!!

And, as an added bonus, I get to breathe Tung Oil fumes for a couple of days! The colors, man...the colors!

Speaking of colors, the new little sockie is also coming along at a fairly good clip. So good is this clip that I have actual thumb pain from the hours put into this project. But, I can't help it...

I'm addicted!

This is a skein of Socks That Rock that came to me via Trek after I won her Bloglines Subscription contest. Trek picks very, very good prizes. I've never knit with this yarn before. I love this yarn. I love it very, very much. I may be changing my name to Sheep That Rock. I'm probably the last knitter in the free world to discover the joys of STR. This should definitely go on next year's X-mas wish list!

And I'm kinda wishing that I'd mentioned it to Santa yesterday.

SA