Happy Holidays!

Here chez Knitting Libran we've just finished our annual Christmas Eve dinner and are preparing for the big day tomorrow. The haul is going to be slightly smaller than usual, given the economy and all, and the fact that neither of us feel secure in our jobs (but that's life in the software world, eh?). I still have to wrap presents and am considering the most expedient way. Would be presenting the gift in a grocery bag be too gauche? Yeah, I thought so. Sigh...

So, dinner tonight was a spiced roast pork, potato zucchini pancake, and a panettone bread pudding, courtesy of Giada de Laurentis and the Food Network. Unfortunately, I overcooked the pork (but the recipe is delicious). The potato pancake was an abject failure (but has potential with a couple of modifications), and the bread pudding was divine (but isn't that the way it always is with dessert?). Tom opened our bottle of 2005 Bogle Phantom, which was very tasty and complimented everything nicely, including dessert.

We're going to do a Christmas Day run tomorrow morning, open our presents to each other, and then drive down to my parents' house to continue the celebration. Then on Saturday, we're going up to visit Tom's mom and with any luck, most of the famiily will be there. It's going to be a busy weekend.

Running News
I've officially hit the 1000 mile mark for the year. Woo hoo! Somehow I still don't think of myself as a "runner." Although I guess if I'm running ultra marathons and logging that kind of mileage for the year, I really am a runner. I've set my goals for next year. They include a couple of 50Ks, maybe another 50-miler, and qualifying for the Boston Marathon. I think the last goal is going to be a stretch. I'm at the point where running that pace for five or six miles is somewhat comfortable, but don't know if I can keep it up for 26.2. We'll see...

Knitting and Spinning News
I'm still knitting, although I've pared my projects down to only one at a time, which is another pair of socks for Tom. The Tibetan socks are done, as are the Gumdrop socks (but I think I might have told you that). I'll eventually post pictures.

I've got a special, non-sock project in mind for the winter. It's a cardigan-like thing designed by Jane Slicer-Smith. It seems simple enough, but I'm suspicious. And I'm beginning to question my color choices. Oh well...live and learn.

And can you believe it? There has been absolutely no spinning! It's shocking, I tell you, shocking! I love to spin, but between work, running, housework, and knitting, there's precious little time (that's also why this blog is so infrequently updated). One of my resolutions for 2009 is to try to spin 10 minutes every day (and practice yoga, and meditate, and...).

Happy Holidays!