This Neglected Blog

I've had a decent week, busier than I had hoped but somehow didn't accomplish what I'd hoped. How does that happen? I'll tell you: there are NO laundry, house-cleaning, or put everything away fairies to be found here. None. Not one. Zippo. Ninguno. So. If I didn't do it, "it" didn't get done. Go figure.

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So, Flight of the Conchords is back for Season Two. I love Jermaine and Bret. I'm not sure which I love more, actually. They're such cute dorks. Bret actually looks much like my long-time friend Scott who I'm *actually* in real live person going to see play drums tomorrow night (One Ton Wonton, Clare and Dan's Beach Shack, Falls Church, VA) for the first time since High School.... I've been trying to make it to a gig of his for several years but its just not that easy when you have wee kids at home.

Amusements
Reading: Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman. A fantastic book about America losing its global edge of leadership in so many regards, how these situations point necessarily to some very big change, especially in energy and environmental policy and how America may be able to rally by taking a strong role in this change. I don't find the book to be at all partisan but there's no shortage of responsibility assigned to certain leaders for failure to progress thus far. Its a thoughtful piece of work.

Music: I'm very Wilco these days; have been for a while. I'm currently OBSESSED with this song

"Either Way" -- Wilco
Love the lyrics, love the melody, wanna scream about the big fat guitar sound in the bridge. Wilco is usually more "noisy"---lots of odd instrumentation, much more jangly and I love that but this song, Tweedy's voice and control....its right up there with David Baerwald's more optimistic (she laughed!) stuff.

I'm also growing very fond of Bon Iver; thanks to Lyman for assembling and sharing his top 25 albums of 2008.

Handiwork: Knitting; trying to finish a pair of socks (the second-sock curse all knitters know). They're possibly the ugliest socks I've ever knit but they will be warm and lord knows we've been needing such things... Also spinning lots and LOVING it. Only problem? I have lots of full spindles but I'm not so motivated to set the yarn and liberate the spindles so I can move on. Of course, there's always the option of procuring MORE spindles.... which I can't deny I have begun to do...

Occupations:
This whole working thing: love the cash, don't like the time-suck. I'm learning to deal with it. With the inaugural fast approaching, the project I've been engaged on is rolling. Its good, I like it but I am feeling the loss of autonomy a bit. Did I ever mention that I'm really pretty undisciplined? yeah, its true. sorry.

Jewelry: I haven't made in any for a while. I've ordered a bunch more materials so I've got plenty of ideas for fabulous stuff but I'm waiting for the arrival of key items: watch heads, wire, that stuff. I can tell you that the inventory piece is kind of laborious...pricing the materials, labelling them, organizing so things are accessible and visible...

Inaugural 2009
Well, since I really missed the entirety of the holidays we've decided to make a winter festival of this four-day weekend. I even have a few little gifties for my family of citizens. Since the people who know are projecting really long waits for transportation, we've opted out of attending in person. Instead, we'll head into DC tomorrow to take a look at the bunting and stuff and spend Tuesday watching on TV with a holiday breakfast and general happiness.

I hope you all have a great weekend and a great, historic observation of MLK Day and the Inaugural. I must away now to get the party started with knitterly fun with Jill who has promised home made bread...twist my arm, sister!