June Begins!

This was taken last night at what turned out to be a free preview for Educators of The Merry Wives of Windsor at the California Shakespeare Festival (aka CalShakes) (before they told us no pictures).

Darn, because the puppets they used as half the cast were amazing. The staging, blocking and realism were incredible. Not so Shakespearean, but then again, when has that Festival ever? It's the old Berkeley Shakespeare Festival relocated to its own amphitheater (maybe ten years ago?)

The Summer Reading Challenge (forum) officially starts today and of course, I'm not starting with anything on my list, I'm not done with Frederick and Fredericka yet, Aunt Dimity is due back on Saturday, and four of the books on hold came in. (The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, The Last Days of Henry VIII: Conspiracies, Treason and Heresy at the Court of the Dying Tyrant by Robert Hutchinson (I love non-fiction titles. They're so.....overwrought in a descriptive kind of way), Nine Gates: Entering the Mind of Poetry by Jane Hirschfield and To the Tower Born by Robin Maxwell.

I can't get into the Summer Reading Challenge Forum either because evidently I'm not the Carrie K registered and it hates all my attempts to stay close to my name. It was a little disconcerting to see a CarrieK listed as a homeschooling mom - I've got no kids, definitely not bothering to school, home or otherwise, the imaginary spawn.

Neither back-ordered yarn has shown up for my Elizabeth I for the Tudor Roses KAL. Not that I'm done with the shell of the Twin Set - and I love that 3 foot rule, Jay! "If someone notices it from three feet away, poke them in the eye!" Advice that brings tears. Or I can go with Knittin Brit in WI said, it's a design feature. Like Jay made on his shirts. Go check out his "mistake". I should wish.

Got quite a bit done on it at any rate at the play last night, it's a fairly mindless pattern, and not nearly as boring as plain garter stitch. Argh! Why didn't I hold it up in front of the players/puppets & claim to be taking a pic of it?


In defense of Magneto and the X-Men 3 movie stunt Allison pointed out that the the distance to Alcatraz is 1.5 miles and the length of the bridge is 1.7 miles so considering that part of it was destroyed, it was almost a perfect fit. How is that too geeky? That's marvelous! I still maintain it'd sink like a stone, suspension cables intact or not, but at least the logistics work out.

In honor of the (still uneaten) Chocolate Lab, a way to keep track of your dog:
GPS Dog Collars. And you can get text messages from Fido! Well, not that kind, but still. I'd hate to see what Hez would send me.


Kelli crocheted a gorgeous dog collar. I keep seeing all these pet doodads, both because of Rebekah's Charity Pet Drive and Sheri got a cockapoo puppy yesterday that I haven't even seen yet. Puppies! Soooo cute.

. The knitter's version of Fuzzy Dice. (It's cold in the Orinda hills at night. Wool socks are awesome. Even better when they're dry.)