Saturday, November 03, 2007

Elementary

With the nice weather people predicting a visit from The Hurricane That Used To Be Noel But Isn't Anymore, it seemed prudent to post a bit early today. I live about a mile away from that big, greyish, wet thing we like to call, "The Atlantic Ocean." Thus, high winds sometimes like to take away my electricity for short periods. It's an iffy prospect and you never know just what is going to disturb the delicate balance of wires and magic that makes it all happen. It's best to just be ready should the lights decide to go out.

I am also a Sheep who is ruled rather harshly by the ever-warring hemispheres of my brain known as Hysterical Mind and Rational Mind. (you've all met them...they take over the blog every now and again when I lose control of the thought processes) There is nothing Hysterical Mind likes better than a weather event. The elements put her squarely in her element. Rational Mind, the more practical of the two, is often heard to scoff at her while she happily prepares for the worst. But, she has been right on more occasions than I care to admit. Even Rational Mind has been grateful from time to time when her overreactions have led to our having well-placed flashlights and ready-to-eat snacks.

Hence, the three of us were up with the birdies this fine morning and in full Disaster Preparation Mode. This was not necessarily a bad thing since I had an appointment with The World's Greatest Stylist and Life Coach at 10:00. Getting out of bed is always a good first step towards being on time. We took out the trash, visited the gas station to fill up the truck and made it to the grocery store before the Ravaging Hordes stampeded in and snagged all the black and white cookies. From there, we were able to scoot on over to the Happy Hair Place just in time to make our appointment. I made the rather unfortunate error of telling my Stylist/Life Coach that I'd purchased a pre-cooked chicken for consumption in the event of power outages and almost had to give it to her since she then realized she had no food in her house. There was a brief negotiation that almost cost me my chicken. But, in the end, she settled for a large tip and the right to decide upon the length of my layers. It all worked out. She made another play for it as I was leaving, but I refused to tell her where I was parked so she couldn't steal it from the cooler bag in my truck. Both chicken and Sheep escaped intact.

As a reward for my chicken saving efforts, I ventured into the used bookstore for a little light reading material. There is nothing like a rainy day, well-coiffed tresses, a few good books and a light case of the sniffles for making staying close to hearth and home seem like a wonderful thing!

Hysterical Mind says:





"Bring it!!! We are ready for anything."
Why on earth I felt I needed "The Big Book Of Doll Making," I know not. But, it is The Big Book and it was only $4.99. Who knows? Maybe I'll suddenly be overcome with the need to make dolls should the power go out. If not, then I'll have a Big Book that will hold up all the other Little Books.
I doubt that there will be any dolls produced today, though. The urge to break out the wheel hit me something powerful last night. I suddenly found myself in the home stretch on bobbin #2 of The Sock Yarn That Ate The Summer.

It may look innocent. But it is a time-stealer. In all the best possible ways...

I had every intention of getting this yarn off the wheel well before school started. But it is a yarn that I really, really want to come out a in a very certain and specific way. I planned this project. I never plan projects. I dive in and let it be what it wants to be. I then tell everyone that this is what I intended from the get-go. You all know I'm fibbing. But, I appreciate your preserving this gentle fiction. It's good of you. ::Big Hugs All Around::

But, this one is different. When all is said and done, I'll give you the deets. Even if it doesn't come out quite right, I'll 'fess up to what I was aiming for. I can tell you at this point, though, that I have never, ever before in my life focused so hard on making something be what I want it to be.

Hence, the loooooong spinning time. I have many gifts. Many strengths. Many attributes of which I am proud. "Focus" isn't one of them.

However, with the disaster preparations out of the way courtesy of Hysterical Mind and the possibility of no TV or Internet looming, there is every reason to believe that I might have a few less distractions today. I might just be able to do what I need to do in order that this bobbin might make it off the wheel and head towards plying.

Unless, of course, The World's Greatest Stylist/Life Coach decides to stage an assault on my kitchen in a last ditch attempt at the chicken. That could prove distracting...

SA

15 comments:

Anne said...

I went and bought a new heavy-duty flashlight and candles so we New Englanders should be all set and disaster-free (if I had NOT bought them, the power would certainly have gone out ...). Is that Philip Pullman in the "light reading" pile? I love his work --the man actually sends me back to read Milton with an open mind-- but am in awe of anyone who could call it "light," even in jest ....

Here's hoping the lights stay on!

Anonymous said...

You know of course that the whackadoo Christians consider Philip Pullman's trilogy to be, oh, I don't know, maybe the writings of the devil? I just finished listening to the audio book of it and I can see why they are worried. Heh.

Knitting Linguist said...

Whew! At least my stylist did not attempt to steal my Disaster Food. I hope you don't need it for disasters, but instead for an easy meal after a day of crafty, bookish goodness. Do I see a Pullman audio book there? Gotta love Pullman -- I just reread him for my book club, and am preparing to hit the rest of the trilogy again. I hope your computer is there on Monday, because I'm dying to see the results of you and Photo Booth in the same room ;)

Lorraine said...

Hah, I got the jump on you. They're predicting the white stuff here Monday and I made my emergency ration run today. Although it's not even supposed to stick to the ground, my Hysterical Mind remembers quite vividly the Halloween Blizzard a few years ago that left us stranded for days. Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me! Mwahahahah!

Teri S. said...

It does look like you are in for a bit of a storm. But it does look like you are adequately prepared. Spinning, knitting, and the Golden Compass Trilogy should fill up the weekend hours quite admirably.

Marianne said...

Mercy, I keep asking the universe to save me from living in the bible belt... I received an email from a youngish woman (with children) from Bobby's side of the family, ALL up in arms about Pullman's trilogy.. sheesh...wackadoo indeed.

It sounds and looks like you're very well prepared... have fun!

sheep#100 said...

We tried to go to the indoor pool facility here today. We were almost inside when another person came out of the building telling us that the power was out. We did not swim today. We had all of the good intentions but the lights and the water purifying machines are requisite for indoor swimming. Instead of working out, we went to the warehouse place; they sell fully cooked rotisserie chickens. We bought one. You never know when a chicken will come in handy. But we did not purchase any black and white cookies: we still have apple pie!

Alwen said...

Yeah, those nice people are saying rain or rain and snow mixed starting Monday night here, too. Nothing like heavy wet lake-effect snow on trees with leaves and November gales!

[wanders off to paw through the stash and take photos of the wood pile]

What's really making me nervous is whoever is sighting in their deer rifle just over the rise there.

catsmum said...

I don't see any Mountain Dew in that picture - tell me you're well stocked up - I couldn't cope with the thought of you stuck in the house with no Mountain Dew.

Denise said...

"Getting out of bed is always a good first step towards being on time." An excellent reminder, and my new motto for the coming week.

I do hope your electricity is still on even though I'm dying to find out if you were suddenly overtaken by the urge to create dolls when the power went out.

I would say you are adequately prepared for an emergency involving a sudden lack of electricity. Especially if there is a actually lovely bottle of cabernet sitting just outside of the frame of your photo.

Donna Lee said...

All of my children have read Pullman's books and have been encouraging me to read them. I must be a bad mother because I also let them read Harry Potter and all of the Mists of Avalon which are filled with witches and magic. I have not read Pullman but will cave in soon. Maybe I can find them on cd or for download. We got the threats of the hurricane that was Noel but only got windy cloudy coldness, no rain. However, around here we make runs for milk, bread and eggs since those are the things that disappear from the shelves first. Think of all the french toast people are eating!

Anonymous said...

I'd be reading the Big Book of Dolls before Dean Koontz but then the only book of his I have read had "The moon" typed out for several pages. Gah.

I think if a book shakes your faith, it was going to go sooner or later anyway. I've never quite understood the idea that if your child never hears an outside thought, he'll never have one. Boggles the mind. This is a good thing? Don't tell me.

Here's hoping the weather stays nice and the lights stay on!

Anonymous said...

I'm glad to see you're well stocked and I hope all went okay last night. I've never used those cooler bags. Do they work pretty well?

mehitabel said...

Pullman: good reading. On my second pass through the trilogy and discussing it as I go. I agree, if a book can shake your faith, well, it can't have been too strong to begin with! Hope your disaster prep let you sleep peacefully--and oh, joy, we now have our clocks back where they belong so we can really get a decent night's sleep!

Mia said...

That's quite a cozy little pile ya got there (but me being me definitely notices the lack of alcohol) ::laughing:: but you're making me realize my wheel is being left out of the winter stockpile preparations at my house. I'm gonna have to change that!