If anyone is looking for my fandom stocking, it can be found here. I'll probably scroll through the community this weekend and make a list so I can check it twice. ;-)

Just off the top of my head: Touch. Yes I would miss tasting fruit and really good food, but that would happen if anything happened to my sense of smell. Which, while nice, has always been really strong and I've ended up with lots of smell induced headaches. Sight and hearing are also nice, but easily compensated for.

Nothing would make up for the loss of being able to feel Rob giving me a hug at the end of a particularly hard day. Or the happiness of my cat giving me a headbutt of love. Or the joy one gets from doggy kisses.

So, yeah. Definitely want to keep Touch.

Some people just make holiday shopping/surprises so difficult.

I'm just sayin'.

*put upon sigh*

I can't figure out how to decrease "1 stitch at the beginning and end" of the row when working in seed/moss stitch.

If I p2tog, do I purl the next stitch?
Should I slip the purl, knit the next stich, then pass the purl stitch over?
The last two stitches are k, p. Should I k2tog? Won't this bugger the pattern up?

WHAT THE FRAK PEOPLE?!?!?!

(For those who care: I'm knitting the Emma Peel dress from Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines. I have 75 stitches, so each row is p1, *k1, p1; repeat from * to end of row.)

This is why I like knitting scarves, and why I dislike trying new patterns. *cries*

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

of Birthdays to not_from_stars!!!

May this year bring health, wealth, and stability. You could use some of each. *hugs*

Tonight on Ace of Cakes (10pm EDT) on Food Network will be a special cake:

"Ben engineers an evil robot cake from the TV series ``Dr. Who'' that spins, yells and destroys; Duff and Mary Alice make their stage debut with the ``Annie'' national tour."

*squeee*

I'll be sooooo tired tomorrow. But I figure it'll be worth it! Hee!

ndnickerson wrote Tracing the Constellations for abby82
telaryn wrote for Sand and Black Rubber for larah33
brightnightie wrote What Remains Has Always Been for mikki13
malinaldarose wrote River's Surprise for telaryn
mikki13 wrote Full Circle Part 1 and Part 2 for ndnickerson
mikki13 wrote A Time to Unwind for malinaldarose
abby82 wrote The Fall Rolled In On The Back of Summer for brightnightie
larah33 wrote What Dreams May Come

Great job, everyone! I've already got thoughts on how to keep us busy until the next ficathon, but enjoy these in the meantime. And don't forget to thank your author!!!

Yes. I boycotted Granny Smith apples back in the 80's, to show my support for the end of apartheid. And I really love Granny Smith apples.

There have been other boycotts, but if I don't use the product or service regularly it doesn't carry the same weight in my mind. But I really missed me those apples.

John Hughes has gone to that big high school in the sky.

http://movies.msn.com/movies/article.aspx?news=424766

For me, Hughes's movies were the epitome of teenage life. (Even the stinkers.) He will be missed.

shanna_s has a great post up today about how to make time for writing. As a self-confessed procrastinator, she really knows of which she speaks. (And, no. It's not as simple as "write every day". Or at least it isn't always.)

Check it out here.

I give you David Vickers from One Life to Live in a new TV show coming this fall. (But not really.)

Heritage slander
Database still not working
Potato chips, yumm!

It's my bedtime, and I just saw a TV listing for the movie Teenage Space Vampires. Why are all the "good" movies on after I go to sleep? *sigh*

Where? On TV? That would have been Men With Brooms. (Love this movie and try to watch it every time it's on.) On the big screen? That would have been Terminator: Salvation. (Good, but not as enjoyable as Star Trek: Reboot.)

As you can see, I'm still alive with no new trips to the ER. Enjoying my day off in the middle of the week. (I could get used to working a four-day week, but only if I still got paid for five days. hee)

In case anyone was wondering, I am still alive. Had a second visit to the ER yesterday, but I'm at work today because I'm all out of sick days.

Don't know how long I'll last at work, but I have training that should be relatively easy on my body. Will keep you updated.

- Called to make an appointment to have my gall bladder checked out. Go me.

- Haven't knit in a few days. Getting a little jittery.

- Only five people have signed up for my latest ficathon at oldschoolfic. More pimpage needed.

- Training for this week is over. Two more days next week.

- Tummy hurt after eating an apple danish this morning. Ate a sald for lunch and am fine.

- That is all. I now return you to your regularly scheduled lives.

I am slowly going crazy. 1-2-3-4-5-6 switch!

Crazy going slowly am I. 6-5-4-3-2-1 switch!

(No tummy troubles last night. Third day of training and I'm booooooooored.)

I am slowly going crazy. 1-2-3-4-5-6 switch!

Crazy going slowly am I. 6-5-4-3-2-1 switch!

Yes. Over the last few years I've become very interested in the Jewish faith. There's just something very comforting about the traditions and rules, which was lacking in my youth.

When I was growing up, our traditions consisted of Christmas Eve mass, a box of Turtles chocolates on Christmas day, and ordering Chinese food on New Year's Eve. Nothing to do with either culture (Mexican and Ukranian). We have never visited the graves of loved ones. We do not honor memories in any meaningful way.

I often wish there had been more.