These are the blocks after their first trip through the washing machine. They will need another 1-3 trips before I think they will be done.

The Bullet train behind me hit and killed someone this morning. It appears the woman was trying to cross the tracks to get to her bus stop. Trying to beat a train is always a bad idea. The train always wins.

The final results of my recent eBay binge arrived today. I now have a big stack of knitting magazines & patterns from 1949-1969.

These magazines cover more than knitting. They include all sorts of 'craft' projects. I think it is this kind of project that gave 'homemade' a bad name. Many of these projects are just strange.

This morning, the train was VERY crowded. I suspect the extra passengers had been on the train yesterday that hit a person. I wonder if they decided to take the earlier train instead of the one they had ridden the previous day.

This is a blood orange.

Yesterday's influx of passengers on the early Bullet train didn't hold. This morning's train had the usual number of people.

I take Light Rail to get from my office to CalTrain. In the evening, there are often people on the Light Rail who are talking with imaginary people. This morning, I was listening to "Wait Wait, Don't Tell Me" on my iPod. I kept giggling. I realized that I'd become one of those people who randomly laugh on public transportation.

It's getting to be that time of year. The freesia in my garden are starting to bloom.

Cala lilies are always reliable this time of year.

We chose to go grocery shopping during the Superbowl. As expected, the grocery store was pretty much empty. There was one man sitting in the corner of the (closed) in-store bank outlet, watching the game on the tv. There was a woman who knew where the spices were but who couldn't seem to find celery salt.

Hint: if your computer is in danger of being replaced, it's a good idea to wipe the drive or at least remove any digital photos, especially if those photos include a male stripper.

I don't know who the people are in these photos. Some of them will not be running for public office.

I found this on Light rail on my trip home. It's a Jack Chick comic.

This is the second trip through the washing machine for the blocks.

I'm taking a box of nails to work. This is a visual aid.

This is my attempt to knit a nail shaped object.

This is my 'knitted nail' after being sewn together, stuffed, and run through the washing machine. I was on the phone with a friend while I finished the sewing. All of a sudden, I realized what I'd knit. "This looks like a giant dildo!" I said. My friend, lacking the visual context, replied, "Excuse me?" I think it looks a little too phallic for use as a visual aid at work.

I spent my Friday night reading the Bible. I read the Book of Revelations.

Now my question: how did something like Revelations become labeled the Word of God while something like Coleridge's Kublai Khan is labeled "literature." Kublai Khan might be opium-inspired literature, but it's still literature, a work of art or fiction. Somehow, someone decided that Revelations was the word of God. I'd rather take inspiration from Kublai Khan than Revelations. Maybe this is one more indication that I'm going to Hell.

It's time to declare War on Snails in my garden. They're eating my hyacinth.

For Darwin Day, we rented two movies: Inherit the Wind (about the Scopes Monkey trial) and the original Planet of the Apes, starring Charlton Heston (aka Moses from the Old Testament).

Would you like to knit a Flying Spaghetti Monster? Here's the pattern.

I detest this holiday. For anyone in a relationship, there is pressure to have the perfect romantic dinner. For anyone single, it's time to have a date with a pint of ice cream. As an alternative, we hosted an 'ice cream anti-social' where everyone brought pints of ice cream to a bar. Someone actually made ice cream in the bar during the gathering.

As a side activity, we planned to have our wills notarized. This bar has a notary public. We made an appointment but then the notary cancelled at 10am. Our wills are still not signed or notarized.

This is a lemon in my garden. I want to know what kind of pest eats the skin of lemon while leaving the lemon on the tree.

Kaiser seems to have lost at least part of my medical records. I am not happy.

Here in sunny California, it's never supposed to be cold. This morning, I saw frost.

I started the morning at DMV which really wasn't as unpleasant as the reputation. Seeing Krispy Kreme across the street, I stopped for donuts. I took donuts to work.

I have driven to work exactly three times. I usually take the train. Today, I drove and ended up with a flat tire on the way home. Then it started hailing. I think I will not drive to work again if I can at all avoid it.

Next week, a group of us are going to see the Dick and Dubya show at the Marsh. We will be dressed in hunter orange. I'm knitting an orange Hallow-wig.

Tonight, we watched The Guru which I think is a great date movie.

I'm reading the Bible again. Sharia Law has nothing on Leviticus 20.

Time for another run through search terms used to find this site.

This month, "jello wrestling pictures" is on top, pushing "trebouchet" down to #3. The jello wrestling is probably a reference to the night we made 14 gallons of jello. There are several references to a knit flying spaghetti monster. I guess I should finish writing up my pattern. "steamies san mateo" is one of my favorite bars. Once again, there were several variations of searches for a knit dildo cosy. "porn craft" is also on the list. There were two searches for the Astro motel in Fresno, CA. I find this unfortunate because, while the bar is interesting, the motel is the worst I've ever experienced. Whoever searched for "anti valentine yarn" should have come to the Ice Cream Anti-Social on VDay. I'm curious about "fire burned wedding dresses." I don't know what a "fish yarn machine" might be but I want one. "www.stuffonmycat.com" is, unfortunately, no longer relevant. My cat is dead. I can pile stuff on her ashes but it isn't the same. "pictures of cats in a dryer" doesn't sound like a good idea...although I know there is a picture of my cats, as kittens, hanging out in the dryer. "whole wheat sourdough bread and san francisco" is difficult to make, at least if you want 100% whole wheat. someone found this site by asking "why is my bread not growing mold after day 27 it is store bought bread" I can't help. I'd recommend against buying someone else's bread. Learn to make your own. It isn't hard & it tastes much better. Next to each other, I found these terms: "how to encourage myself" and "how to make x-rated cakes"

This is some of the yarn I picked up at Stitches West.

We're having a bit of cold weather. This is not a good time to have problems with the furnace. The problem turned out to be with the thermostat controller, not the furnace. I'm glad this is better now.

This is a new railing in the garage.

We went to Ikea in the evening. Ikea is quite the place for couples. Almost everyone I saw was part of a couple.

This is the bookshelf we brought home from Ikea.

Light Rail had another meltdown tonight. I'm usually home by 7:30pm. Thanks to VTA's difficulty with removing an incapacitated train from the tracks, I didn't get home until 10:30pm.

This is more of the yarn I bought at the knitting convention.

This is the Hallowig from Knitty. We went to see the Dick & Dubya Show. Given recent events, we decided to wear orange to the show. The actors made a few references to us throughout the show. When the "Dubya" character went to put on an orange vest when the "Dick" character entered, he said that this was a lot more funny before THAT GUY (pointing at my companion) showed up.

More yarn from the knitting convention...

These are more flowers from my garden.

This is a big crane at Mare Island. I decided that my co-explorer is an interactive How Things Work. I learned about gate valves and the difference between making a drydock floor out of granite or concrete.

This looks like a serene path through a park. The right side is full of concrete "Civil Defense" bunkers.

This is a wide shot of Mare Island.

This is the final Hallow-wig.

My car is getting old.