Almost all over again

When DC and I parted as a couple, he wanted to stay friends.  But I thought it a bad idea: if we remained friends and one of us started seeing someone new, we'd basically have to break up all over again; why go through that heartache a second -- and potentially more painful, because we'd be that much more invested in each other -- time? I needed to protect my heart. So we went our separate ways, as difficult as it was, and as certain as we were that we weren't quite done with one another.

I did entertain hope that one day we could be friends again (and to be really honest, I even entertained our breakup being a precursor to rebuilding a better, future JDC). In fact, what I missed most about JDC were all the seemingly mundane things we did -- talking about our days, our thoughts, our plans -- I missed my best friend, who also happened to be my confidant, travel buddy, supporter, challenger, and, of course, my lover.  It took a while to separate the love feelings from the friend feelings; indeed, for a long time I thought the two were inextricably mixed.  As my heart healed I realized that more than anything, I wanted what was best for DC, and I wanted, in some way, to be a part of that.

But how?  DC would faithfully honor my request not to be friends.  So I knew that if we were to move forward in any way it would have to be upon my initiation.  I tarried with timing, at times feeling ready, at times not.  I introspected -- Do I really love him or am I afraid that I will never find someone like him, whom I will love as much or who will love me as much?  Is my hope based on romantic ideals of my first relationship being my last?  And especially in light of these thoughts, whom do I choose to love?  At the end of the day (really, six months), I just wanted to catch up with my best friend.  So last week I picked up the phone.

In doing so I found out that DC is in a new relationship (in short: he didn't answer either of my two calls but responded with a very brief email). My think-the-worst tendency had prepared for such a possibility, but the recesses of my heart secretly hoped that our love was unshakably deep, or at least deep enough that we would still care for one another.  The reality of the news was shaking, but more so was its delivery.  I'm sad that DC did not wish to hear what I had to say and closed himself off to me entirely, unwilling to receive my peace and good tidings.  I typed out a reply and sent it off immediately, so as not to edit away my gut response.  As I look back on that email, the only changes I would have made were, in addition to thanking him for telling me about his new relationship, to let him know that I wish he had been more kind about it; and I would have signed off with "Good-bye" instead of "Peace."  Ideally, though, our final good-bye would have been one with mutual peace, love, and blessing.  Is that too ideal?  Is it too much to ask?  I thought of the song "Hate Me" by Blue October, whose lyrics read, "Hate me so you can finally see what's good for you."  Does that apply here?  To whom? I don't know. I don't know that it matters.

For all the sadness I feel at having lost any semblance of relationship with DC and having that (frankly, terse) interaction as a last memory, I am glad that he responded at all and that he told me anything at all; he didn't have to.  So now I know, and I can in turn close the door.  I've had the weekend to feel crestfallen, to ponder and mourn and, yes, get a little crazy (in my mind), but in the end as in the beginning, my heart of hearts wishes DC Every Good Thing.  I don't know whether he read my response or simply deleted the email, but that's what I wrote to him, and I would never wish otherwise.

Rather than getting caught up in thinking about (or imagining) what I did or didn't do, or what DC did or didn't do, I am focusing on what God is doing.  At church yesterday we sang, "It is Well with My Soul," a hymn written by a man who suffered not a simple heartache, but unspeakable tragedy.  I went to bed praying that it would be so with my heart.  And I know it will.

Bling

Text of an email that circulated my entire contacts list:

DC and I got engaged.  On March 8th.  At 36,000 feet.  Somewhere between Iceland and Greenland.  On the flight back.  From my surprise birthday trip.  To London.  After the first movie (me: New Moon; him: Couples Retreat).  He slipped me a note.  I read it.  Looked up.  Speechless.  Nodded.  He slipped me a ring. And we landed back at LAX: betrothed.

[self portrait, 'Bling']

And some of the responses (quite a few, but not all! Bear with me; I wanted to remember them all in one place):

• best.  email.  ever. :)congrats.


• omggggggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! omedetoooooooooooo<3<3 congrats!!!!!!!!!


• That's fantastic! I love the note-passing story! You're a true devotee of written correspondence, aren't you? I'm so happy for you. Many congratulations and best wishes for a happy future.


• WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATTTTTTTTTTTT???? OMG, friend Congrats!!!!! I am so happy for you! Why didn’t I see this on facebook??


• I feel like saying it, wait...SHOUTING it again, CONGRATS! I'm so happy for you! Finally, the details.  I'm writing to you with a HUGE smile on my face.


• This is WONDERFUL NEWS!!  Congratulations to you and DC.. I have never met the lucky fellow but he must be something to win your love and affection!


• WOW! Congrats!  So many questions.  Like, How was new moon for instance?  I have yet to see it.  And did they leave it open ended for the next ... Ok, I'm kidding.  But seriously.  Congrats!


• CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAHOOOO!!!!!!!!  And thanks for the point-by-point description!  I felt like I was right there!! :)


• What a story!!!  He sounds like a keeper the romancer :)


• YAY!  Congrats, my dear!!  The second I saw the subject line, I knew it was an engagement announcement!  Yay!  Ok, so I want to catch up with you.  It's been waaaaay too long!  Plus, I need to give you hug and jump up and down with you!  Or something to that effect.  Maybe a drink and some karaoke wouldn't hurt, either. :)


• I am overcome with joy for you! Such providence is so like Jesus!


• Wow - congratulations, Jean! Do not know who that is, but if he makes you this happy and brings blessings to your life, amen.


• i knew it! i'm prophetic. CONGRATS!


• This friend from afar is wishing your fiancee and you a wonderful and glorious life together. Looking forward to hearing more about the lucky guy (lets not be sexist here.... lucky girl also).


• Congratulations, Jean!! That's fabulous. Who is DC?  A wonderful blessing. I hope you are well. I'm sorry I've been MIA. Complicated.


• Wow, Jean! This is wonderful news! Looked on your facebook page for a clue about who DC is, but no dice, so I'm hoping to hear more from you sometime, or maybe a picture? Anyways, I'm thrilled on your behalf.


• Omg.  I'm so happy for you.  And what a spectacular proposal/engagement.  When is the wedding?!  Ah, too soon to ask, eh.


• Big kisses from your frenche cousin in Toulouse!  Give me some more news, ++


• I am really happy to hear this wonderful news.  To be honest, somehow I felt/knew this will come sooner and later.


• Jean! Congrats on the engagement. D is the man!


• Congratulations from the deep, dark past, darling girl.


• Jean-sama! OMEDETO!!! I'm so happy for you dear.. I'm deeply pleased that your relationship has reached a new level and that marriage will bond you closer and happier. you both deserve it!


• Dear Ms. Jean....soon to be Mrs.
  Congratulations!! We are excited for you. From what I know of him, you two make a great couple. It sounds like plane rides will always be special to you and what a great story when you take your kids on a trip. Blessings on your future together. What a great journey when two people really love the Lord. Thanks for sharing your joy!


• Congrats! It was not surprising given how I felt you two were right for each other.


• Congratulations Jean.  You and D make the perfect couple.  I'm so happy to hear the great news.  I can't believe he held on to the ring the entire trip.

It's been about three weeks, and I've regained my ability to compose complete sentences.  We're talking about dates, venues, and details, but nothing has been decided for sure.  We want to keep things simple but don't want to underestimate the time and work we'll have to put into this.   Among other things this will be a huge communication project -- between us and our families.  So far, DC and I are on the same page, which feels good, natural.

I'll keep you posted!  This is exciting!

Birthday surprise: London edition

At the beginning of February, DC casually asked, "What do you think of going to London for your birthday?" 

To which I responded, "You don't have the vacation days!"

To which he blithely said, "Yes, I do.  So... what do you think?"

"I think it'd be great!"

Within a day or so I got an email from him with our itinerary.  So we started to dream.

This was our first international trip together.  But since we'd each spent an academic year in England, it was (and will always be) a friendly, familiar place.  We decided that in addition to showing each other our 'versions' of England, we'd do things that neither of us had done, together. 

Unfortunately, my uncle and another friend would be traveling at the same exact time, so we missed seeing them.  But I did get to meet DC's friends, with whom we stayed the first few nights in London.

I can't tell you how wonderful it was to be there again -- my last trip was 10 years ago!

[westminster abbey]

We stopped a few stations shy of our destination on the way to the V&A Museum, just to say hello to Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and their neighbors.  Lots of crowds and full regalia (even a horsedrawn coach sighting) at Buckingham Palace.  We learned that it was a state visit from South Africa -- but didn't want to wait the 90 minutes (they'd just left to collect PM Zuma at the airport).  Onwards!

[london homes]

[more london homes]

I particularly enjoyed the lace displays and embroidery samplers at the V&A.  I confess to short power naps in the fashion exhibition area -- dark lighting and Louis Ghost chairs were sleep inducers for us!  Then a bit of shopping at Liberty, where I ogled all the eye candy, especially fabrics.  But I decided my interest and skill aren't high enough for me to put down GBP19.95 for a single meter of fabric.

[liberty]

[fish and chips, near st paul's]

The highlight of our days in London were the museums (we also visited the Tate Modern and the Royal Observatory in Greenwhich), pubs, fisn n' chips, and friends.  We also managed a bus ride, which was a nice alternative to the Tube.

[dc and me, represented in shopfronts, greenwhich]

We opted not to stop at DC's university town, since he hardly knew anyone there anymore -- I'd met one good friend in London, and the other is now at Oxford.  So we went to Oxford earlier to spend more time with said friend.  And I'm glad we did!

If one is a visitor or tourist to Oxford, one can see the facades of the colleges, but must sign up for a tour in order to get in (we passed by a lot of "___ College is not open to visitors" signs).  Since JHJ is a student there, we got to see the inside of both New College -- where several of his family members, including his youngest brother, a first year, attended -- as well as his own, St. Antony's.  Each college has its own living quarters, library, bar, dining hall... so the students hardly have to leave.  It's like a whole other world behind those thick, centuries-old walls!  The highlight for me was a quick look into the dining hall that was eyeballed (but in the end, not chosen) for the filming of the Harry Potter films.  JHJ also took us to Turf Tavern, the pub at which Bill Clinton famously did not smoke pot, and, 'American Night' at his college -- beer pong, American music, and a room plastered with American celebrities.

[oxford with jhj]

My birthday fell on the day we were in Oxford, and DC made me close my eyes to receive my birthday gift.  "What?! Isn't the trip itself the gift?"  I opened my eyes to discover the Book of Common Prayer, which I'd been wanting, in my lap.  A nice leather version at that (not the cheaper clothbound one I was going to get for myself).  Spoiled!

Our last two full days were spent in Bristol, where I studied abroad back in the day.  I have kept in touch with one friend there over the years, who stayed at Bristol University through to her Ph.D. in Medieval Literature, and now works there.  She also met her husband there.  What a great history with a place!

Walking around, it seemed like Bristol was a completely new place.  I was totally disoriented as we walked from the train station to city center, so much more than usually so that DC joked, "Are you sure you've been here before?!"  In the couple of days we were there a lot became familiar, but there were many new discoveries as well.  Bristol and Clifton (the suburb where my dorm was) were much bigger than I remembered!

I was able to take DC to Christ Church on Sunday, which was meaningful because this was the first church I ever voluntarily went to as an adult.  I don't even know what entered my mind to make me come there!  But I remember that people were really nice, and I even started taking the Alpha course.  I never finished it, but started exploring church after coming home from that year, and eventually became a Christian.

[christ church, clifton, bristol]

Before leaving Bristol, my friend made sure I got my pint of Guinness!  After that, we went for Sunday roast, which is a traditional British Sunday meal -- DC's first.

[guinness]

It didn't rain at all the entire week we were there, can you believe it?!  Don't let the blue sky fool you, though: it was cold!  In the high 30s/low 40s!  We stayed warm with accessories and all the walking.  I had a wonderful time, not just because it was England, but because with was with DC.  Thanks, love, for the best birthday ever!

Seriously: never idle

Friday: 

• Arrive home from work to the sounds of apartment maintenance (thankfully, once the paint's dry, it's done!)


• Go for a drink (but it's never just one)


• Dinner back at home


• Packing + more drinking


• 1:00+ -- crash

Saturday:

• Up at 7:3045


• 10 minutes on the 110 to Dodger Stadium; 20 minutes from there into DTLA


• Exit freeway, get a little lost in Downtown, get back on at Convention Center


• Drive in good traffic to LAX


• 3:30 p.m. local: arrive in Kansas City, MO


• Taxi to hotel


• Transfer hotels due to plumbing issue


• Get ready at new hotel


• Taxi to church; attend wedding


• Reception


• Taxi back to hotel


• 1:00+ crash for 5 hours

Sunday:

• Up at 6:0030


• Shuttle to airport


• Sleep during most of the 3-hour flight


• 10:00 a.m. local:  arrive at LAX


• Receive call from DC's visiting friends


• Meet them in Redondo Beach, hang out for the day


• 4:30 p.m. head home


• TJ's run


• Make hodgepodge dinner


• Crash

Happy, happy birthday weekend, DC.  Very-very love.

Alameda

Tons of traffic made the drive down to the Bay Area much longer than it's meant to take.  But when we finally got to Alameda, the salty breeze in the air -- and a hearty lunch -- restored our spirits.  We fell into a food coma and had a slumbering siesta well into the afternoon.

The smell of a neighbor's bbq wafting through the open windows roused us.  We took a long walk down the shoreline and through a nearby lagoon area where each of the houses had its own deck and dock, with rowboats and canoes and the like.  Willow trees, ducks, yards with grassy knolls.  It was idyllic.

   

The walk really worked up our appetites -- we could hardly wait for the pizza to be ready!  Thank goodness the trip back from there wasn't too long.  DC had seen "The Ramen Girl" on a plane during a recent trip, so we rented it because he thought I'd like it.  The story line was so-so, but the scenery made me nostalgic for Japan.  Though I didn't notice it at the time, DC later said that I genuinely laughed a lot as we were watching it!

What a lovely wind-down to our busy weekend!  Just what we needed to power-up for the six-hour-straight-shot back down to SoCal.

Roadtrippin': Sac-town

This was our second road trip to Northern California for a wedding (DC's grad school friend); first wedding on a week-day.  In addition to taking Friday off, I made arrangements to leave an hour early on Thursday.  DC picked me up from the office, which meant leaving two hours before we would've if I'd worked a regular day and then taken the bus home.  It shifted traffic conditions in our favor, and it was still light before we got to Fresno, where we spent the night (so nice to be able to break our time on the road in half!).

[one minute: cornfields aplenty!]

[next minute: deserts]

I brought my current knitting project, the Whisper Cardigan from Interweave Knits, Spring 2009.  Stockinette stitch is perfect for roadtrips!

[Why so many safeties? Very rudimentary counting ability...]

We awoke on Friday morning entirely refreshed, and after a quick breakfast, were on the road again by mid-morning.  It only took about 2 1/2 hours to get to Sacramento.  Our destination: along the Sacramento River, just outside of city center.  A quick lunch, an afternoon siesta, and a quick change, and we were all set. 

The couple is techinically already married; that's why you don't see any chairs set up for a ceremony.  In fact, they live abroad, and their summer vacation is actually three weeks on tour to have various celebrations with their friends and family who are in the U.S.  The weather couldn't be better: a sort of cold-snap had Sac-town and its surrounds about 20+ degrees cooler than they usually are this time of year.  Lucky us!

[open bar + hors d'oeuvres -- yes please!]

[dance floor?! boo yah!]

Our friends are Muslim, and had an Arabic-style celebration.  Samosas, skewers, lamb chops -- yum.  Ladies in beautiful, glittery, sheer, floaty saris and dresses -- beautiful.  Arabic music, clapping, cheering -- interesting, and fun!  Bon Jovi and ice cream -- typical of the groom.  Table names of cities with significance to the couple and their courtship -- educational.  Congrats, N+N!

Being so close to the capital, I had to stop by and see it (I hadn't been since the 6th grade California History field trip)!  Unfortunately, deterred by large crowds of (loud) Asian tourists, we didn't stay too long.  But I still managed to take a few cool shots. 

  

   

All this in 20 minutes -- justapeek indeed!  We spent more time and were at greater leisure at our next stop.  And it was just Saturday morning!  More (pictures, mostly) later!

Bay Area getaway

Drove up for the fourth wedding in as many months.  My first time to Stanford.  It was as beautiful campus, a gorgeous wedding.  Sorry, no pics of that part.  The DSLR didn't go with my dress.  Some pics of the rest of the long weekend should more than suffice, however.  Enjoy! 

On the road. Up the 5. First time in years. 
Blown away by how awesome and varied it looks.

 

Well pruned sycamores. And beautiful buildings. At Cal.
Visiting DC's friend.  The rocket/planetary scientist. (Really.)
Second time here ever.  DC can't believe it.  Thinks I should get out more.

 

Caltrain station.  And awesome skyline. From F17.  Where J+B live. 

 

View by day. Equally awesome.

 

Mission Beach Cafe.  Yum.

 

Near AT&T Park.  Can you tell by the hats? 
Basically: one huge tailgate party. Wish we were going. 
Kenny!

 

Just under the Bay Bridge. 
Not the camera.  Not the photographer.  But the day itself: 
Picture perfect.

 

Cherry blossoms in summer?! Crazy!

No idle hands

Or, in other words, explainin' where I been...

DC came home last week, after having spent a fortnight in Africa (+ nearly 2 days' travel each way).  Just in time to celebrate the 4th of July.  Which is also our Y1 anniversary.  Luckily, he broke me in to his summer rovings by taking a monthlong trip to Europe when we first started dating last summer, so two weeks really was nothing.  It gave me some time to do stuff around the apartment (rearrange, again) and work on my gift.

The idea that We. Must. Have. A. Logo. got into my head a while ago, and stuck.  So, with the idea of getting the image in my head down on paper and framing it, I sat down with Microsoft Word and my extremely mediocre design skills.  I wanted something plain and graphic, and was going to put it over layers of security-lined envelopes of different patterns.  After nearly an hour of making text boxes, scaling, and aligning, I got it the way I wanted, and hit Print. 

Then I decided that it'd be better to print on the laser printer at work (shhh!), so I saved it to a thumb drive. 

Then I decided to print on my cotton blank postcard stock, so I dove through my stationery stash to find it. 

Then the idea came to me to do a cutout, so I traced the logo onto the blank card, and got out my knife and ruler.

Then I decided to make the cutout circle of the "d" into a heart.

Then I decided to do another "frame" of the security envelope pattern around the outside of the logo.

Then I chose the background color (chose the black over baby blue, to highlight the heart).

Here's what the final product looks like:

Not what I had in mind at the beginning, and certainly not perfect, but organic and spontaneous -- which reflects us.  The second part of the gift is the requirement to take a picture with it every July 4th!  I'm thinking of making a smaller version that we can take along on our trips, too (he doesn't know this yet, but will be happy to oblige, I'm sure!).

* * *

Whenever DC is away, I take out his letters and read through them again.  Not only does he write beautifully -- both in penmanship and content -- he shows his creativity, too.  Here's an example, which I'd been meaning to frame for a while but just got to recently:

[with new succulents!]

It's a little puzzle he made for me, using a coffee cup sleeve!  Cute, no?  I used another security lined envelope innard for the background, it's a subtle gray color that adds the right amount of texture.

For my Y1 gift, though, DC completely surprised me with:

[lovely! green!]

After exchanging gifts, we headed out to meet our parents for brunch.  Interesting way to spend our Y1 anniversary, don'tcha think?!  We celebrated in the evening -- just us two -- with wine and sparklers. 

* * *

In my last post I mentioned that I was already putting the Kacha-Kacha Counter to good use.  I got to over 100 rows much faster than I had time to take a picture, and then got to the point where I don't need the counter anymore!  This morning I finally snapped a couple of shots before heading out the door.

This is Forecast, by Stephanie Japel for Knitty W05.  Yes, I have wanted to knit it for that long.  But I was daunted by something sweater-sized and held off.  For a long time.  During which I knit shawls and socks and other little things.  One day, a couple weeks ago, I decided to cast on, and from there I kept going.  And now I'm almost done!  I got some knitting done during lunch, and am over halfway done with the ribbing on this (second) sleeve.  If I don't have to stand on the bus ride home, I think I can finish by the time I get home today!  So I can start picking up stitches for the button band.  Which shouldn't take long.  Which means I will have an FO to show you shortly!

The full story when the time is right.

Happy belated 4th of July!  I hope yours was good, too!

Another year older

It's a funny thing to say that my birthday kind of snuck up on me this year because, well, the date never changes.  My friends and DC had actually been asking me what restaurant to go to and what I wanted to do for weeks leading up to it (a Friday this year, no less), but I couldn't think of any place, and I could think of only one thing that I really wanted  to do: go apartment hunting (more on this in anther post).

DC surprised me by actually starting off on the day before my birthday, leaving this cute succulent for me to find after work.  He even cut little hearts out and taped them to the vase (awww...)!  You can't see it from the photo, but the top leaves are variegated green and white, with pink tips: so cute!    I'd been wanting a succulent for a while, so it was the perfect gift.

Then, on the day itself (March 6) he presented me with various gifts throughout, when we took breaks from apartment searching.  I was totally spoiled!

One of the gifts was a little stuffed teddy bear, from where he works, which says, "Someone at ***** loves me." Cheesy, also but totally adorable!



Later in the afternoon I opened yet another couple of gifts: a light and a compass, both suitable for my keychain.  No longer will I have to carry my heavy mini Maglight in my bag!  And I will always know what direction I'm going, which will be especially useful in Orange County because I'm always, always lost there.  But DC's reason for gifting them to me was to prepare me for camping!  We'll see, friend, we'll see...



These types of everyday gifts are the best ones for me because I get to use the gift and, in turn, think of the gift-giver, on a daily basis. But moreover, they're items I wouldn't necessarily go out and buy for myself.  So: I'm very grateful.

In the evening we went to Camilo's in Eagle Rock: a place I'd heard of and been meaning to try, but hadn't gotten around to yet.  It was a nice treat!  I liked the decor of the place (we sat in a cozy corner, near the faux fireplace?), service was good, and we had an excellent, romantic meal.  I ordered a penne dish and went on a limb to eat the olives and red peppers in the dish as much as possible; DC had the evening's fish special, and declared it, "Excellent."



During the apartment hunt I requested a pit stop at the local yarn store (LYS) because we were just a couple blocks away.  I picked up a couple self-birthday treats (but really, I was redeeming a store credit that I'd had for nearly a year).  The spring issue of Interweave knits is one of the best I've seen in a while; I like the cover sweater, the ruffle halter, a shrug/sweater, and the shawls featured (sorry I don't recall any of the names).  The yarn is a laceweight cotton made by Araucnia, out of which I plan to knit a summer scarf/shawl.

Over the weekend we had dinner at the izakaya side of Shin Sen Gumi in Fountain Valley, another place I'd seen but never eaten at.  Despite the LONG wait (though pehaps typical for SoCal), I had a good meal with good friends.

Here are a couple of other gifts I received this year, which I totally love.  From my BFF Myko: beer, a purse, and an ecobag (she knows me so well)!  And from Jaxs, a set of napkins and some salve (from Anthopologie, a treat!).

  

The following Monday during our family dinner, Mom prepared a special dish to celebrate both my brother and me.  It was nice to end such a delightful and busy weekend with an intimate, home-cooked meal.

One year, I'll love myself enough to throw me a large party and invite a lot of people.  I've given myself until 35 to do that.  In the meantime, I'm entirely happy with a birthday celebration like the one I just had.  Thanks, friends and fam, for the company, gifts, food, and lovin'!

Twice trippin'

Two road trips in as many weeks will leave one with a lot to tell, I declare!  In a nutshell: many miles traversed, many laughs, and much food and wine consumed.

My first trip to Fresno proved successul on many accounts.  Like I said, I got to see my DC's hometown, including the old elementary and high schools, houses lived in, and even the hospital in which he was born (and where his mother still works)!  And I must have done something right, because the folks dug up old footage of the violin- and viola-playing (and contest-winning) days.  It was adorable!  DC's dad seemed to have more of a tickle as we watched, laughing over bygone fashion and hairstyles.  Then came karaoke--which allowed me to score a few bonus points (thanks to those years living in Japan).  One of the best parts of the trip was Sunday morning brunch.  I'd sung the praises of brunch and the self-serve waffle bar of college days, and then awoke to find that DC's mother had pulled out their old waffle machine and run to the store for batter mix and fresh berries.  It was such a treat, and I felt truly, truly blessed.  As if that couldn't be beat, the folks presented me with an early birthday present, since they won't be down when my actual birthday comes.  It was, really, the sweetest thing.



Don't think I left the agricutural heartland without any homegrown goodness.  We stopped by a local specialty shop to stock up on goodies for me to take back to fam and friends.  The Sierra Nut House is such a cool place!  I chose Jordan Almonds for my dad (his favorite), ginger candy for mom, cantaloupe candy, mixed nuts and berries, and dried cranberries for myself, a treat to sprinkle onto salads (and a substantial difference in freshness compared to what you can get at the supermarket).  Yum!

In addition to that, the entire family called, searched, and brought me to a local yarn store!  Janna's Needle Art was a great store, full of a variety of yarn, a table full of laughing ladies, and a very cute poodle.  Of course I had to get something.  After a lot of ogling I chose a skein of sock yarn in a purply color that I don't have much of in stash--and that DC's mother liked.  I'm going to knit her a pair of socks.  I later found out from the proprietess that it was dyed by a friend of hers.  So I am glad I chose something unique and local.

   

Neither of the photos above shows the beauty and depth of the yarn's variegatedness, but I'm including both as examples of the effects of light and background on photography (something I'd like to learn about properly).  The one on the left was taken in natural morning light; the one on the right was taken at night by (harsh) flourescent light.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to share some of the more interesting photos I took of on-the-road scenery because the files are way too big.  It was a bit of a gray weekend, but I had some cool shots of the ribbonlike car lights along the grapevine, fruit orchards in bloom, and snow on nearby hills (it's been chilly!).



I remembered to change the camera settings for last weekend's road trip to Phoenix, but ended up not taking so many photos.  I also brought along some knitting, but hardly got to it, despite six hours on the road each way.  DC and I hardly even had any music on; we just talked and enjoyed each other's company.  I managed one photo shoot for the socks, though.  The camouflage blends right in with the desert scene!

In Phoenix we stayed with DC's friends and had dinner with each of their parents the two nights we were there.  On Saturday afternoon we went to visit an old college friend of mine, who I hadn't seen in years.  I finally got to meet her husband and her younger son, who is now two!  He and his older brother (now a very precocious five-year-old) are the cutest!  It was the greatest type of weekend--full of friends and families.

This was the first real roadtrip for DC and me (he says Fresno doesn't count); and it really solidified that we are good travellers and good companions.  Which is great news.  I'm looking forward more and more to our upcoming trip to Washington, D.C.  And we're planning another roadtrip to the Bay Area for later in the summer.  It's nice not to always travel alone!



A couple days of focused knitting on the bus and I am already further along than this picture, snapped yesterday morning.  One great thing about the pattern is that it lends to ease of row-counting.  I go by "section" as my ribbing shifts back and forth, so the going along is quick.  Huzzah!  I've finished both short-row heels and have moved on to the leg cuffs, which means these babies will be done, blocked, and ready to give well in advance of my dad's birthday.

Two road trips in as many weekends is as much as a girl can handle.  We did indeed have a good time, but I like that we will be at home the next few weekends.  There's much going on and much to be done before we take off again.  I'll come up for air here every now and again to keep you posted!

Mini-trip

The week has gone by quicklier than usual on account of the Presidents Day holiday and being out of the office all day on Wednesday.  It's also been quieter because a VIP visitor we were expecting (and had been planning for madly) had to cancel.  Suddenly the weekend is here, I'm going up to Fresno, and I haven't even packed yet.

Thankfully it's just three hours away, we're only going for a couple of days, and I've already decided what knitting project to bring.  All that remains is to do a quick search on any knitting shops in the area.  (Priorities: got mine straight!)

The only things I'm bringing are the socks and Shetland Shorty--which I started long ago and only last week picked up again, only to discover a pretty huge mistake I'd made, which meant  I had to frog it pretty much to the beginning and basically knit it all over.  But that process has shown me that this is a project I want to and can finish, and one that I will definitely wear.  I'm just worried that I won't have enough yarn (it calls for 490 yards for the smallest size, and the Handmaiden Sea Silk I'm using only has 435).  But I will knit onwards anyway, fingers crossed.

I'm excited for this weekend trip: Fresno is not only the Raisin Capital of the World and the Gateway to Yosemite, it is DC's hometown. I'm looking forward to seeing the house he grew up in, baby pics, and -- maybe, if I'm lucky -- old videos of his orchestra and sports team days.  His folks have the karaoke machine at the ready, too.  Nice.

Last week I found the battery charger for my digital SLR, so I'll be bringing that up with me.  Here's to a great weekend of family, fun, inspiration, and simply getting away!

Valentine hunger killer

You read my last post right: DC has gone out of town this weekend.  The person who chose the date for this conference must've been single.  That's cool.  He's off visiting an old friend, too, so it's all good.

He didn't forget me, though. Last weekend, I got a pre-V-day homecooked meal.  From a man who doesn't cook (very often).  He got the recipe from Saveur magazine.   It's called "Matambre," an Argentine dish which, in the native tongue, means, "hunger killer."  Check out how hard he worked:

      

Marinating, slicing, chopping, placing, rolling, sautee-ing, baking.  Such a darling to watch: he worked so hard! And a few hours later, done!

   

It was a beautiful meal.

And before he left, he gave me a great book, which we will read together.  On the first page he wrote a beautiful dedication, which is something he is wont to do, and something I have read every day he has been away.  It makes me swoon.  Thanks, DC!

Today I got to hang out with my parents and some of my siblings.  It was a great day!  Happy Valentine's Day!