All Tank, All The Time

Sweet Jebus, how time has flown! Have you guys seen how big Tank Boy has gotten?

From the feet he looks like he could be a college student...

We've had some setbacks here at CasaHoop, that had me feelin' kinda crummy. The above tankster has decided to un-pottie train himself. We had been fighting it tooth and nail, causing all sorts of domestic strife and despair. But then upon the recommendation of our favorite medical professional, we decided to back off for a bit. We've been looking at any possible medical causes, but so far he seems healthy as a wee stubborn horse. So we might just be buying stock in Pull-ups.

On happier fronts we've been getting out to do lots of stuff. Tankster comes ice skating with me once every week or two, he's getting to be an old pro...



His skiing skills are also improving, necessitating the purchase of the official new goggles... I keep forgetting the camera on the actual hill.

Tune in next time for more toddler trials and tribulations!

Devolution

I love the holidays so much. I love the industriousness of it all, starting with Halloween and the home sewn costumes, building through the Thanksgiving domestic rush, and the grand crescendo of Christmas gift crafting, wrapping, and sending.







And then after the flurry comes the slide into New Years, accompanied by excessive alcohol, hangovers, and sluglike behavior. Must. Fight. Off. Post. Holiday. Blues.

(And get back to being industrious, as I have yet to mail out ANY long distance Christmas presents!)

Right This Very Minute

It is too bad that the Huzbunkle doesn't want a sweater vest for christmas, 'cause then I might make it on time...

But since he wants a whole actual sweater, those pesky sleeves might put me closer to his February birthday than Christmas morn... But I do have to say that it is begining to look a lot like a sweater these days, a nubbly, cabled, and complex sweater! Yay!

As for our train ride last week, Tank Boy and I had a fabulous time! We made the 6:20 am bus (a small miracle, if you know my preferred sleeping habits!) and then made all three subsequent transfers from bus to train to bus to train! We ended up in my old hometown of Truckee, where a friend picked us up and fixed us dinner while we waited for the Huzbunkle to fly back from a business trip in GA and then drive up from Sacramento. All together the logistics of this trip were akin to an algebra word problem, but it all went surprisingly smoothly in the end. We made it to the work holiday party in Reno, and rubbed elbows and white elephants with the big bosses, despite the fact that I had pretty much lost my voice to the hacking cough that had taken up residence in my torso region.

This weekend we're all considerably healthier and homebody-er! We got our tree up, and some lights on the entry way, and are tackling the two weeks of back laundry! Funny story about the tree though, last night, a mere 8 hours after getting the darn thing up and decorated, it decided to take a swan dive in to the middle of the living room floor. The Huz and I who had been dozing on the couch watching the tube, bolted upright ready for action at the surprisingly loud noise a fully decorated tree makes hitting the hardwood (and the family dog, totally uninjured btw.) An hour and three vacuum passes later we were back in business. Lets hope the bugger stays put this time!

We've got non-stop carols on the sound system, and a ham in the freezer! I loves me some holiday cheer!

Raffle Ho!

Ye gad, its been a while since I've been on here! We've been all over for the holidays, then been sick, well, and sick again. We are heading out again soon, (we've got a housesitter you thiefy types!) but I enjoyed being home for the week like one who is about to leave again only can! I got to do some nice cooking in our fully functional and stocked kitchen, and crafting in my stocked and cozy craft (/guest) room! We are missing the daycare fundraiser this weekend, so I guilt crafted this little choker necklace jobber and matching earrings for the raffle. I think they came out rather festive!



Tank Boy and I are off on an exciting train adventure soon, so I'd better get packin!

Finished Object!

I knit a quick hat for a coworker who has retired. He plans on riding his Harley around the country for a few months. I hope he likes it!

... And A Pony, And A Racecar...

Now that November is here, I'm sure you all know what is fast approaching...

Gifting To Suzie Season!

Yes, seeing as my birthday and Christmas come bickety bam, one after t'other, this is the only time of year I receive heaps of pwesents! Yay! So without further ado, here is my List Of Things That Are Wearing Out But Still Hard To Justify Purchasing New Ones Because The Old Ones Work Well Enough List:

TTAWOBSHTJPNOBTOOWWE: (in no particular order!)

I would love me a new women's specific climbing harness, something like this one here. Specifically what I'm looking for is something designed for women's hips, that has lots of gear loops, that stresses comfort and strength over lightweight-ed-ness and comes in a size small.

***Edited to add that The Huzbunkle has crossed the above item off the list! Yay!***

...and/or a new climbing rope like this here beauty. Or something like it that has a differential pattern for pinpointing the center of the rope , a more than generous 60 meter length, and is approximately 10 mil thick or so. I likes me a thick durable rope! (Eeek, does that sound naughty?!)

I am also sorely in want of a new climbing helmet. My current one immediately sloshes over to a jaunty angle on the right where it thunks against my glasses frame and right ear and stays for the rest of the day. I'm guessing that something like this or this might work well for my smallish (~21 inch diameter) very narrow (pinhead!) noggin.

And what's that you say, doesn't she do any team sports? Why yes, and it too, is very gear intensive. So therefore I desperately covet a pair of hockey pants that wasn't purchased (all pre-smelly) at a thrift store for $7 in something like a size mens XL. I'm sure anything here would do me quite well. And no, I'm not referring to the fuzzy leopard gloves, alas, I already bought a new (not quite as snazzy) pair of hockey gloves last year. And I'm pretty sure that I could use a new hockey stick too, but all I can tell you there is that I think I shoot (oddly enough) left handed. I don't know anything about new hockey sticks. Someone gave me my current one, and everyone at the rink laughs at it because it is so old, funny, and worn down.

And now back to climbing for a tick, there are two more items that I don't currently have, but would love to welcome to the HoopGearRack. The whole flam damn set can be seen here, but I am only missing the 0.75 size and the big ol' number 4.

Wow thanks for tuning into Wish List '09!

Now its your turn! What in the world am I going to give YOU for the holidays? Help a gal out here, throw me a bone! Love you!

That's The Way (Uh Huh Uh Huh) I Like It!

And once again the weekend was full of wonderful (in addition to the aforementioned Halloween) and surprising experiences that I just have to share!

Friday was Gal's Climbing Day, so another Gal and I did Little John Right. Now if you pop over to that description you might see that this climb is on El Cap. Yep, El Capitan. The big one. I do have to clarify here, and mention that we were merely climbing about the feet of The Captain, probably not even up to his knees. And yet. Nontheless. That is one big rock. There is a sober sense of seriousness about being at the base of such a colossal beast. A three thousand foot reminder to check all of your knots and anchors not once, nor twice, but three times. And yet, thankfully, he was a gentle beast that day and let us off with nary an abraded knuckle nor knee. But we did however gain a great big whooping sense of yeeeehawww! The other Gal took a ton of pics, so I'll post one or two when they come my way.

Then Saturday was more scootering in Yosemite Valley with one of Tankboy's little buddies. He is now such a speedy scooter, we have to jog at a lively pace to keep up.


Then of course, the trick or treating. Oh the treating!

Then Sunday The Fam Damily had nothing more planned than a quick and dirty run up the unpaved road behind our neighborhood. Afterwards I was hoping to jump into some knitting, and drink some tea maybe. Big day.

Then a friend called. She knew this gal who is in a band who was playing relatively close to our rather isolated area, and would I like to go along for the ride? Little did I know that we were jumping in on the tail end of a zany four day music festival with three stages, multiple camping areas, remarkably good food, bubbles, costumes, hula hoops, and a surprisingly blatant prevalence of mind altering substances. But jump we did. The friend of a friend, and two other acts were so achingly good, that we both confessed to the chills at times. We danced quite a bit, ate some tasty (thought slightly expensive) snacks, had our one alcoholic beverage (Bloody Mary's my fav!), bought some CD's, and then cut out before our terribly staid parental bed times. Did y'all know (or remember from your misspent youths) that seeing live music was so fun?!

So then on Monday (after a rousing round of Potluck Preschool with the neighborhood kids) Tankster and I took a three hour nap. And then a few hours later the two of us were in bed konked out by 8:45 pm. Party am-in-als. We have been doing it up right!