FO Friday: Socks Eternal; and, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

At the beginning of September I started a pair of socks for my niece's husband, Patrick. Last year, when I put out a call to family for anyone who wanted some hand knit socks, he responded, saying he would like some that were light blue.

I had two balls of yarn, so decided to start by knitting one cuff, and then the other one, then the leg on one, etc. When I have two amounts of yarn, I like to knit socks that way. I am however, too lazy to wind two balls from a single hank. 

Anyway, I zoomed along on the first sock, until I got to the foot. And then for whatever reason, I just stopped. For a few weeks. Sigh.

But the week after our trip to Rehoboth, I decided to actually sit down and finish the first sock, and I did. It was then I decided to name these the Socks Eternal, because they felt like they were taking an eternity!

Then, I put the project bag aside, and left it for another week. WTF? But then I realized that I wanted to at least finish the pair by the end of October, and there you go!

Project: Socks Eternal

Pattern: the vanilla sock pattern I use, with a 3 x 1 rib 

Yarn: KnitPicks Stroll Fingering, colorway Blue Sky, with some leftover darker blue from stash for the cuffs and toes.

Needles: US size 1/2.25 mm

Notes: I have to say, I'm not too fond of the Stroll yarn. It seemed like it was nice enough, but easily frayed or split. It definitely showed *any* change in tension, or where you had fixed a mistake, even once blocked (I generally block gift socks). And it didn't feel particularly soft in my hands. 

I do really like the finished socks, but wonder if they will wear well at all. I'll just tell Patrick that because I wasn't overly fond of the yarn, I'll make him another pair down the line. (Though I sincerely doubt he will know or care one way or another, not being a knitter or knowing anything about yarns.)

I'm going to put these in the mail today, hoping that he will receive them on Monday or Tuesday. Needless to say, I also have some things to send to Amanda, and to their kitty, Freeway, so it will be a package for everyone!

And now I am down to the last two people requesting socks on my list, at least for this first go-round. I may work my way through another set for everyone who requested them, since it was fun to make things for people that I knew really wanted them and enjoy receiving them. Of course, I'll still keep knitting socks for ME, but I really like knitting them for knit-worthy people as well. 😄

*****

I hope all of you have a good weekend. I have some projects around the house I want to get started on, and The Tim is going to do some work on our electronics, since our old transmitter for the TV, etc., died, and a new one is here in the box, ready to be set up. Fortunately, my projects will be well out of his way, so I think it will be a good weekend, LOL!

In any case, HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

"Autumn in New York"

I sent my niece some of these photos, and she said as she looked at them, she could hear "Autumn in New York" by Bobby Short in her head. 😂

Yes, last weekend we were in New York City (aka "New Yahk Cit-ay" as the one vampire in "What We Do in the Shadows" always says). It was an anniversary trip, and the weekend did not disappoint!

Friday morning, The Tim took Katie to where she was going to board for the weekend, and when he got back, we grabbed our suitcase and walked over the to the train station to start our trip. We both love taking Amtrak, and once again, we were not disappointed. The time of year made it an extra beautiful trip when you looked out the window, with bright skies and the changing leaves. 

Once we arrived, we first made our way to our hotel. We knew it was too early to check in, but wanted to leave our suitcase. So that was a quick stop, and then we decided to make our way to the Frick Collection. I'd been there years ago on my own during a work trip for The Tim, and LOVED it. Since then, they have done some renovations and added some space to the public areas, so I wanted to go back, and The Tim had never been there so he was looking forward to it.

We stopped for lunch at a diner on the way, and then made our way north, taking the route through Central Park. And it would be hard to find a more perfect time to stroll there:

I mean, is that a beautiful scene or what?

We said hello to Balto, one of my most favorite statues anywhere.

We ended spending about 2 1/2 hours looking at things at the Frick Collection. There were other people there, but it was in no way crowded, so you could take your time without being in others' way, which is always a bonus. It's such a lovely place, and I guess because it's not huge, it just seems so approachable. 

On our way back to the hotel, we realized that we have done the "Frick Trifecta" - we've visited the collections in Pittsburgh, D.C., and New York. The Tim claims that might just mean we are "Frick Freaks." 😊

Once we got back to the hotel, we decided that instead of going out again, we would use a credit we had to get dinner at the little restaurant downstairs, and bring it up to the room to eat. Not fancy, but a really nice way to finish a lovely day. 

Saturday, we got up and decided that since we had spent the previous day walking so much (6+ miles!), we would laze around all morning until we had to get going for our afternoon activity. So we headed to our favorite bagel place for breakfast, and then back to the hotel to enjoy some laziness. Then it was time to get dressed for the main event of the weekend.

Why hello, Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center!

This was a first for both of us. We'd only seen this before on TV. But back in August, The Tim had mentioned that a new opera based on the book "Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders was going to premiere in New York in the fall. And the musical director would be Yannick Nezet-Seguin, who is also the musical director of our Philadelphia Orchestra. This book and this person are both faves of ours. So we did some digging, and found that there was a matinee performance the weekend before our anniversary, and Voila!, our anniversary plans were made. 

Not the best photo, but the chandeliers were so pretty!

And the opera was really wonderful. We had nosebleed section seats, but could still see everything on stage really well. I think if you weren't familiar with the book, you'd think you fell into some weird wormhole after taking LSD, but if you know the book, it was just really well done. Some of the effects were surprising but really effective, and at no point did you think, "OMG, I've been sitting here for *so* long!"

We slowly made our way back to the hotel, with two stops on the way. One at a little pub for some dinner, and then a detour to go and see the house where Stephen Sondheim had lived. We both love his work, and it was fun to see where he had lived and done so much of his composing. It was kind of dark by then, so we decided we would go again on another trip when we could see it better during the day. 

Once back in our room, we just hung out for a bit, re-packed, and went to bed since we had to get up *very* early to head home. I had originally made a train reservation for about 10:30 a.m., but got a notice on Thursday that train was cancelled and I would have to rebook a ticket. Well, there were two choices left that were not sold out: 8:04 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.! So we got up early in order to have something to eat, get ourselves organized and walk to the train station. Before we knew it, we were home, with a whole day ahead of us!

After unpacking, we picked up Katie, who was thrilled to go home, and spent the rest of the day just enjoying being at home. We are so fortunate to be able to do something like this weekend, and we are grateful as well. We agreed that it was worth some "cheese and crackers meals" for a while afterwards, so we could make the trip. We had beautiful weather, which I think makes any kind of trip more enjoyable.

Yesterday was our actual anniversary, so we tried a new place that opened near us billed as "French-Vietnamese," and it was really a good choice! A bit fancier than we expected, but everything was well worth it. 

OK, here is an exchange about our anniversary I thought you might enjoy. This is from our train ride to New York.

Me: It's so weird how long we've been married. Do you know which one this is?

The Tim: Well, it's really easy math. Because we got married in ... (long pause)

Me: 1978.

The Tim: Right. So 2028 will be our 50th anniversary.

Me: Well, *that* math is easy, apparently this one, not so much.

The Tim: I'm sure I would have gotten it at some point.

Such a romantic. 😉

Catching Up, Part 2 - The Mutt Strut

Hello! I am taking time out of my day full of cleaning and planning for a weekend away to do this post, so it's not terribly long ago when I talk about it.

As you know, The Tim, Katie, and I participated in the Mutt Strut this year, which is a fundraiser for PAWS (Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society), the organization where I volunteer. I've gone with both Dug and Hamlet, but this is the first time The Tim joined us.

It was a nice day - a bit overcast, but cool and bright. It's held at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, which used to be a major construction location for the United States Navy. The place is HUGE, I mean it's own little town within a city. Since it closed down, they have done a lot to keep it going and it's a pretty successful endeavor. There are businesses in some of the old buldings and houses, some medical offices, and recently they built a high rise of condos on the northern edge. The buildings are also a mix of classic, industrial, and old houses (where the officers lived), so it's already a mishmash of styles. There are also a couple of shipbuilding companies headquartered there now, which I think is nice because it keeps that part of the site going.

Lest you wonder, I did wear my Angypang Socks for the first time, so that Angus could be with us at the Mutt Strut, especially since he was the one I had originally planned would be with me, and I had been SO excited looking forward to all of it. 

The route is about 1.5 miles, around part of the edge of the site, and there are plenty of things to remind you that it was once part of the Navy. But mostly it was beautiful to see the fall colors begin. 

The crowd was really nice sized, and since once it begins, you kind of go at your own pace, there are no huge bunches of people and dogs in the way.

Part of it is a long the Delaware River - that's New Jersey across the water.

They have their own firehouse, which is an entire block long!

Then we headed back to the tents for food, drink, and activities. Katie thought the highlight was the ball pit ... until she learned that you couldn't take all the balls home with you! 

For reasons I don't actually know, I took very few photos of dogs and/or their people in costume. There were some really good, really imaginative ones, too. Oh well, maybe next year!

It was a fun day, for a great cause. And thanks to some of you, we raised over $1000, which is the most money I've ever raised for this! It was so exciting, and it made me feel so happy. Thanks to everyone who donated, I really cannot stress how thankful I am because there was certainly no expectation on my part that people from not around here would go out of their way. 

The best part was watching Katie - she had the time of her life, and was wiped out for the next two days! She spent the whole day with this happy look on her face.

And it was the most successful Mutt Strut ever! On the day, they totalled $145,000, and donations were still coming in! That's a *lot* of money raised for a relatively small non-profit. A lot of animals are going to be saved and cared for with that amount of money, and that is worth everything. 

Let's just say that Katie wasn't the only one smiling. 😄 

*****

We're away starting tomorrow for just a couple of days for an anniversary trip, so I'll check in next week. I hope you have a wonderful Friday and weekend, with lots of time to do what you like best. Take care. 

Random Things on a Friday

Hello and Happy Friday! I have a small list of things to do around the house today, and I am meeting my friend Louise for lunch, which is always fun. She recently came back from a trip out west which included Yellowstone, so I'm looking forward to hearing about that.

I just had some random things that I decided to post because it is Friday, which I think is a good day for randomness.

Look at Milo the Koodle, all curled up with his crossed front paws. 💕

Katie would like to show you her dragon toy. However, she does not want you to have it, so please don't even try!

Last week, I had my six-month visit to the cardiologist's office. After the nurse took me into the exam room and did weight, blood pressure, etc., I was sitting waiting for the doctor to come in. There was a blob on the wall where some paint had been peeled off, and it was really bugging me. 

Keep in mind that I am not really a person who usually enjoys graffiti. But this blob was driving me crazy. So I took a pencil out of my purse and turned the blob into what I think is a fairly decent approximation of the state of West Virginia. I felt *so* much better after I did this!

I pointed this out to the doctor when he arrived, and he was quite impressed. He took a piece of paper and wrote on it "Exam Room #8 - The West Virginia Room," and taped it to the outer door. I told him I absolutely expected to be taken to this exam room every time I visited his office. 😊

And finally, please now gaze upon this HO (half-finished object). 

This is the first of a pair I'm calling Socks Eternal. Mainly because I started this sock shortly after Labor Day! For some reasons I can explain and others that escape me, it just took me way too long to finish the first sock. I'm pleased with it, and already on the foot of the second sock, but why it took so long for this one is something I will never fully understand.

And there are your Friday random things. 

We have no specific plan for this weekend, which is fine with me, because a) we'll be away next weekend, and b) it's supposed to be pretty cool/cold, so staying cozy at home seems pretty exciting to me. I hope your weekend will be to your liking, and that if you are getting a cold blast like we are here, that you will enjoy it, or at least be able to find a way to warm up. 

Catching Up, Part 1 - Weekend in Rehoboth

OK, now I'm a bit behind on things, so let's catch up. 

You may remember that we headed to Rehoboth Beach for the last weekend of September, to get together with family. You may also remember that it was the weekend of the nor'easter that dumped massive amounts of rain and wind along the Northeast coast. 

However, things like that do not deter us. And frankly, it was all good for that weekend. When we were chccking in at our hotel on Friday, the woman at the front desk said that Wednesday and Thursday were really awful there, weather-wise, but it wasn't supposed to be too bad for the weekend. And she turned out to be right. It was rainy some of the time, really windy sometimes, but mostly just cloudy and the ground was wet. The ocean was a different story - it was roiling and reminding everyone that in spite of what we humans may think, Mother Nature is the one in charge!

Anyway, unbeknownst to us, Friday evening was the Annual Rehoboth Golden Retriever Meet Up and Parade. As you can imagine, we were all over that. While everyone else was still arriving and settling in, we headed over a few blocks to see it and were in no way disappointed. People and their dogs were dressed up for Halloween, and it was amazing. There were easily 300 dogs there, mostly Golden Retrievers, but also a few others who were family members and also dressed up. 

It was the best, and we had a wonderful time talking to the people and petting their dogs. And all of the dogs were really well-behaved - not much barking, or growling, and lots of doggie kisses were available.

Walking back to the hotel, we decided that one good thing about the nor'easter was the beautiful sky we got; I promise you, nothing was on fire, but check it out!

My niece Julie and her husband Keith had rented an Air BnB for them, their kids, and the dog. So after dinner at one of our fave places, we headed there to see everyone. 

We got to meet our 8-month-old nephdog, Dash, who was really sweet, and as most puppies are, a tangle of too-long legs. (I didn't tell Katie he was there, btw.)

There was the usual amount of loud talk, hilarity, singing, and taking turns acting out things. One really great thing was that my little great-nephew Oden, who is on the spectrum, was a whole different kid than the last time we saw him. He used to be just completely in his own universe all of the time, but since last year, he has been in some kind of special school in Manhattan, and it's made a world of difference! He was chatty, involved, joked around, and was part of the group, and it was so good to see. 

The next morning, we met at one of our fave breakfast places, along with my niece Liz and her husband Greg, who drove up from near Baltimore the night before, and we're stayng through breakfast. We had the nicest waiter, and that's something when you have 12 noisy people who haven't seen each other for over a year or so. Then everyone into the little town to poke around in the shops. The Tim and I pealed off to explore a yarn store that had just opened this past February, though we did check out the bookstore and a little home/gift store with everyone beforehand.

Of course, as advertised - saying it would happen rain or shine - Saturday was the Mrs. Roper Romp, which was as hilarious as ever. My niece's husband Patrick took some great videos. Did I ask him to send me one? No. Did I take any photos myself? No. However, we did decide tentatively to try and participate ourselves next year. 

We had another great dinner at a seafood place, where our waiter told us that the good thing about there being so many of us was that it made it seem like the restaurant was busy. 😂 Followed by more ridiculousness at the Air BnB.

Sunday morning, everyone got their own breakfasts and joined the group at Amanda and Patrick's hotel room. We ate, drank, and laughed. Amanda made everyone mimosas, and it was really fun. We left before anyone else because we had to be home no later than 3 PM to pick up Katie where she was boarding. 

It was such a wonderful weekend! We were so happy and relieved to see both Patricks. My niece's husband Patrick looked just like himself, except he was just starting to grow his hair back after losing it in chemotherapy. His bone marrow transplant has been successful, as far as the doctors can tell. We are all hoping that is going to last as long as possible.

My brother-in-law Patrick looked a bit frail, and has lost a LOT of weight, but the drugs he is taking as part of a clinical trial have really been helping him. If you didn't know how sick he was, and how much weight he'd lost, you'd think he was the same guy you had always known. 

It was great to just be able to all be together as usual, without having to worry about someone and how they were doing, because we could see it before our eyes. Such a happy relief! I talked to my sister last week, and she said that it was just the kind of thing she and my brother-in-law needed, and they had the best time they've had in such a long time.

So the nor'easter made absolutely no impact on our fun or our activity, and yes, if the weather had been nicer, we would have been on the beach and/or at the hotel pool, but it would have been a matter of a different location only.

Of course, it took The Tim and I the next week to recover - the change in our usual routine really threw us off, but it was more than worth it.

And the yarn store visit and my purchases will show up in another post, never fear.

I'm just glad to be able to say that everyone was doing as well as possible, and that did my soul a lot of good. 💕