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We had a dresser with a glorious mirror. Once upon a time it was a nice dresser. Then it started to break down. The drawers fell apart. The dresser had to go.
The mirror, however, was still glorious and we didn’t want to let that go, so we contacted our expert on all matters wood. He said the mirror must be attached to the dresser with stakes of wood and screws (it was) and that we should detach the screws from the dresser, not the mirror, and set the mirror aside. He also warned me to have someone hold the mirror, and I didn’t think of that. I’m bad about doing this stuff alone.
The mirror came off, the new dresser arrived and we assembled it, and then he came over to do the magic of putting the old mirror on the new dresser. The way the mirror had been mounted, two beams of wood ran down the center line. This always made for a wobbly mirror. Bill pulled those off, grabbed another bit of wood, and ran three lines evenly spaced, along the back. This is far more stable.
Rather than just joining the center line, it’s attached to the supports on the top and center. Again, far more stable than the old arrangement.
He used a very clever trick when he wanted to line up the holes on the wood to the back of the mirror for the new holes. He put screws in until they barely protruded, ran a pencil along the tips, then lined up the wood to the dresser and banged the tips of the screws to leave dots on the mirror back. Instant guide. Those kinds of techniques always amuse me. Watching a master craftsman at work is always fascinating.
July 4th, 2010
This is clue 4
More beaded lace trees. This pattern is all about the beaded lace trees. The shawl is constructed by started on the outside of the V and working inward, so the rows are getting really short now. Clue 5, the last clue, is due out on the start date for Ravelympics, and I think I’ll finish up this shawl before casting on for Ravelympics.
I started a scarf with
Cascade Magnum, works up at 2 stitches to the inch. Sharron says it’s not yarn, it’s roving.
24 stitches worked for 26 rows yeilds
Seven repeats of this pattern makes a huge scarf. The strange thing is, even though this works up a lot faster than the shawl, it feels slower. I don’t know if it’s that there are no plain rows, or that the yarn is so thick it’s a bit harder to work with, or that the color changes in the shawl lead me along to see how it’ll form next, or if the shawl is just a more interesting pattern, but a row on the shawl, over 100 stitches even in clue 4, seems so much faster than a row here.
February 8th, 2010
On this week’s Knit Spirit I talk about Aristotle, and how his theories reconcile how the virtues of mercy and justice are not in contention with each other.
January 8th, 2010
On this week’s Writing Cast I talk about how different circumstances change who is the hero and who is the villain of the story.
December 25th, 2009
I’d say there no podcast today because it is Friday the 13th and I am a friggatriskaidekaphobe. The truth is, no one would have wanted to here me slur my way through podcasting last night. I was loaded up on Novocain.
Wednesday night/Thursday morning I woke with a nasty tooth ache. I thought I must have been grinding or something in my sleep, so I took an Advil and went back to bed. Thursday morning, the pain came back, and I figured Advil worked one, so why not give it another go? By about 10 am the pain was so intense I could not imagine taking the hour-long bus ride back to my dentist.
So I starting calling every dentist in my network local to my office. Most had nothing available same day, but one. “I don’t want you to be in pain,” Bridget, the receptionist, said. “Come in right now and we’ll take care of you.”
I got there. A pumpkin candle burned on the table, aromatherapy lamps were placed throughout a gently lit establishment (only the examining rooms were brightly lit) and soft sea music played in the background. A lady took my coat and offered water, or a Dental Clinique Cafe Menu. They serve fancy coffee drinks, like cappuccino, espresso, and chai lattes. “We want you to relax.” Now the chai latte I could understand, but I don’t know anyone well-served by loading up on caffeine while waiting to see the dentist. I know I’m jumpy enough without it.
Inside the examining room, there is more music, and a TV mounted into the chair. They took X-rays, well digital imaging, less radiation than you get walking out on a sunny day, or so they told me. “We take good care of you.” The doctor remained in the room to get the shot.
They they gave me the Star Trek Novocain. Instead of a needle, they have this weird looking tube. It hurts a lot less than a needle, and it sort of hums and vibrates. “We want you to be comfortable.” All the while, the dentist is talking me through a deep breathing meditation. “It’s easier for you if your calm.” After a few doses of that, she started poking around in my mouth.
“Do you feel pain, or pressure?”
“Nothing.”
“Good. Pain, or pressure?”
“Still nothing.”
“Great. I just want to check a bit more. Let me know if you feel pain or pressure.”
She poked. I tryed to figure out where this alleged pressure was, and suddenly I was out one wisdom tooth. “We want this to be stress-free.”
Then, rather than give me instructions and kick me out, they offered to put me downstairs with more aromatherapy candles, a bottle of water, soft lights, and more sea music. I had to head back to the office, or I would have gone.
The Novocain gave out around midnight. Did I mention they loaded me up? and today I’m doing salt water rinses, and Advil to help with the pain.
November 13th, 2009
It’s the new routine. Once a month, I walk out of the office, look around, then rush to an SUV parked illegally on Broadway near Wall Street. Nearby nearly 200 police officers watch the area and stop all trucks, checking for any dangerous content. Even before I reach the SUV, money is in my hand. I slip it through the window to the driver, and in return, he slips me a small paper bag.
This just can’t look right. One of these days someone is going to ask questions.
I’m glad the pharmacy is willing to deliver the cat’s tapazole, but because we have no parking in the area, I run down to pick it up. At least they let me sign for the prescription–according to the paperwork they need Dokuritsu’s signature.
The good news is, her T4 number is 1.9 (healthy range is 0.8 – 4.0) and she’s gaining weight. All indications that’s she’s doing much better.
October 26th, 2009
On Knit Spirit I compare the various increase and decrease methods, how they are done, and what effect each provides.
October 23rd, 2009
On Knit Spirit I talk about the Torah and Haftorah readings for the high holidays.
September 4th, 2009
On Knit Spirit I talk about surprises, good and bad, to us and to G-d.
August 21st, 2009
On the Writing Cast I talk about organization and writing habits.
August 14th, 2009
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