Julie and Julia

I did something very unusual today. I actually went to a movie! I'm not a big fan of movies. For some reason, they make me feel anxious and I have a difficult time sitting through them. But I love food and Julie and Julia opened on Friday, so off to the movies we went (it was also a hundred bazillion degrees outside).

We went to the 2:00 showing and after about 5000 commercials about nothing, they started the trailers. These are always anxiety-inducing because they are typically violent or suspenseful. The movies I won't be seeing this fall? The Lovely Bones and 2012. I'd be having nightmares for weeks!

Fortunately, Julie and Julia was neither violent or suspenseful (well, it could have been, but I had already read the book). Meryl Streep did an outstanding job playing Julia Child. The movie was delightful. I laughed, I cried (well, not really, but I did get teary-eyed more times than I'd like to admit) and I got very hungry. The movie, like the book, has inspired me to pull out my copy of Master the Art of French Cooking again and start cooking. The timing is poor, though, since August is upon us with a vengeance. Even though Julie Powell probably sauteed and roasted her way through August in New York (perhaps without air conditioning), I'm just not up to it. And the thought of eating cream- and butter-laden foods this time of year does not sound appealing. But once the weather turns? I'll be trying to master the art of French cooking once again.

Running News
Running takes a lot of effort these days. I went for what was supposed to be a 13-mile trail run yesterday and quit after seven miles. It was very humid and I was totally drained. It was fun, though.

This morning's run wasn't much better; too humid and hot. Oh well, that's August in Virginia for you.

Even though Tom's been saying that he probably won't run a 100-mile race, he actually signed up to run the Arkansas Traveller in October. I knew he'd do it sooner than later. I wasn't expecting him to run one quite this soon. And sadly, I won't be there to support him since it's the same weekend as the Hunt Country Yarns PJ Party knitting retreat. Oh well...

I was going to start running intervals this coming week to try to work on improving my speed, but it feels like I've pulled something in my thigh. Today's run was a little painful and I think my body is telling me in no uncertain terms that I need to start practicing yoga on a regular basis. So, tomorrow morning, after feeding the cats at some ungodly early hour, I will not go back to bed. I will knit for a while, then do some yoga. We'll see how long I can keep that up.

Knitting News
Knitting? What knitting? Move along...there's nothing to see here. Actually, as soon as I finish writing this entry, I'm going to try to find a comfortable place to sit and knit. That's easier said than done, since the TV room and the living room are adjacent and Tom's watching television (watching TV, unless it's a cooking show, makes me anxious). Even listening to TV music makes me anxious. Sheesh, what a wimp!

Anyway, I'm still working on the same project that I've been working on. I'm satisfied with how it's turning out, but I'm ready to be done with it. Unfortunately, I still have a long way to go. And then I'll work on a pair of socks for Tom. They were supposed to be summer socks, but summer will be long gone by the time I finish the first one.

Since I've started running, my knitting has dropped way off. They say the Hash Harriers are a drinking club with a running problem. I think I've become a knitter with a running problem! I need to find a way to knit and run at the same time; that would be much more productive.

Okay, enough rambling. It's time to put yarn to needles and knit before it get too much later.

Have a great week!

Today's the Day

Or maybe it's more accurate to say tonight's the night. Tom and about six other crazy runners will take off from Harper's Ferry at 7:00 this evening and run to Georgetown in DC. The crew (which outnumbers the runners) will be waiting for them at various aid stations throughout the night. After my yoga class this morning, I need to make chicken soup (about the only thing runners can stomach after running a very long distance), boiled salty potatoes, and oatmeal peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. At some time, I'll need to work in a nap. We stayed up way too late last night (and most nights this week, to be honest) to watch...

Ratatouille
You absolutely must go see this movie! It's excellent. The animation is beautiful, the story is cute, and...well, it's just a good movie. I left the theatre feeling delighted. I'd see it again in a heartbeat, which is high praise coming from me, given that I'm not a movie fan.

Knitting News
I managed to squeeze in a couple of rounds on the simple stockinette sock while waiting participate in the annual event that most of us have grown to know and love hate: The Annual Squishing of the Boobs. For the last several years, I've gone to a breast imaging center, which was tastefully decorated and very comfortable. Plus there were no men in sight. This year, in the interest of not taking more time away from work than necessary, I went to the imaging center near work. The reception desk was a teeny office down a narrow hallway. The waiting room was poorly lighted and was shared by a number of different doctors, which meant I was probably sitting with a bunch of sick people. And there were men going through the same door to get to the same reception office. When they were finally ready for me, not only did they instruct me to bring my valuables, but also my clothes. If I had known that I'd be hauling my bra around for everyone (including men) to see, I would have brought a bag to stash it in. The woman who was doing the boob squishing was very nice but even so, next year I'll go back to the breast imaging center.

Yarn Shop News
Due to a number of circumstances that I cannot control (ridiculously high rents and my husband's business unit being put up for sale), the bricks-and-mortar yarn shop is on indefinite hold. I'm contemplating an online shop and selling some of the hard-to-find yarns (like Sea Silk) as well as yarn that is produced (or at least dyed) locally. So, to my small base of loyal readers, I ask:

• What yarns do you have a hard time finding?


• What other things do you buy from an online yarn shop?


• What things do you wish online shops would carry?

That's it for now. If I'm coherent tomorrow, I'll report on the Mule Run. There's going to be a lot of waiting and I'll be either knitting or napping. Maybe I'll finish the second sock. Or at least the foot.

Have a great Saturday!