Biscuit of the Day - iPod socks

Today's Biscuit of the Day is iPod socks. Something that not a lot of people know about me is I'm a really good knitter. I prefer difficult items like socks and lace, which require a lot of tracking to make sure the texture of the pattern turns out right. Well, I was looking at the iPod site when the socks first came out and was just amazed at how much they charged for 6 of what was basically sock knitting mistakes. :)

I've been hunting down good yarns to make an iPod sock for Charles. I think I will go with a nice handpainted yarn for my iPod sock. For Charles, I may either pick a handpainted yarn or see if I can find a nice manly plaid pattern that he would like. I have the circular and DP (double pointed) knitting needles I need for socks somewhere in my room, just need to pick out a yarn. Since it doesn't take much yarn to make a single sock, I can get super premium merino or even make something silk. :) I can even do the seamless seal at the bottom of the sock so there are no seams whatsoever in the case, so the main technical problem will be finding the right gauge. (otherwise if the gauge is too big, I'll have an iBook sock)

If anyone has any suggestions on good knitting stuff for guys or has a freeware pattern for their own iPod socks they would like to share, please leave a comment.

Joy to the World!

Gift wrapping's done!



I got bored of the standard out of the box red 'n green, so this year the theme was blue with snowflakes in a style that would be at home in the 50s. :) I was pretty happy with how everything turned out, considered I'm not the world's best gift wrapper.

I put a little bow on the fish tank too so the fish could join in on the celebration as well. He's swimming down around the red plant trying to figure out what the silly human has done and if the change is edible.



All that's left now is to decide if I'm going to make Christmas sugar cookies tomorrow. Normally, sugar cookies don't appeal to me as they taste sort of mushy, floury, and bland to me. Yuck! :/ However, I found a wonderful recipe several years back that is irresistably delicious! When I made them last year, I sent some home with Charles, and he complained he hardly got to eat any as his family and grandmother had dibs on them first. :) Well, I'm going to go dig up my cookie press and see what ingredients to fetch from the store tomorrow. Maybe I'll make holiday fudge too.

Merry Xmas!

Vacation! :D

Starting this weekend, I have 7 days straight of vacation! My payroll folks contacted me to notify me that I was at the 300 hour limit of vacation the company allows you to accrue, so at this point it's use it or lose it. Charles is out of town this week in Orlando hanging with Mickey Mouse so I get lots of time to sleep and relax.

I've been contemplating my goals for the New Year and for longer term into the future. Overall, looking back, this has been a good year for me as I've been making awesome grades and really cutting into finishing my associates' degree so I can retire at the decade mark as an engineer and pursue my 2nd career as a nurse. I have a happy relationship with my boyfriend, and we are rapidly working on the 2 year mark of being together. I really don't have all that many material wants or needs. About all I'm wishing for is for time to pass faster, so I can be done with the first part of college.

This week, I hope to catch up on some reading. I want to finish more of the Decline of the Roman Empire and I'll probably post about different poetry and short stories I love (as well as coffee and tea!).

To all that read this post, Merry Christmas, and may you and your loved ones be happy and safe!

Fish Tank Update

Well, my tank finally finished cycling and I figured out what species to put in my tank. I decided on a cute Red Top Zebra cichlid. :) He is a beautiful blue cichlid with black vertical bars and a red dorsal fin.

After transporting him home and getting him acclimated to the tank, he is busy patrolling the perimeter making sure all is well and no other fishes are intruding on his territory. He is also quite industriously working on his own little civil engineering project in the aquarium to excavate the caves in the rocks and make a home for himself. Cichlids love to dig, and every so often, I see him swoop into a cave. After a short pause, he darts out a short distance from the cave and a shower of white sand appears as he spits out the sand scooped into his mouth.

Since my tank is really too small to keep a herd of cichlids, he will soon be joined by some dwarf australian rainbow fish. These guys will keep him company and help reduce any nervousness on his part, as mbuna (the native African name for my Malawi cichlid) are fairly social fish despite their aggressive nature.

It's been fascinating watching my fish patrol and work in his little home. Definitely a great stress reliever.

Biscuit of the Day: An Engineering Joke

Here's a funny joke at the expense of my profession's need to replicate problems multiple times before we will fix them. Enjoy!

Four engineers were travelling by car to an IEEE seminar. As they went down a fairly steep grade to a hairpin turn, the car's brakes went out just as they reached the bottom and the car went off road into a ditch. Fortunately, the car's velocity was low, so everyone was ok and got out to survey the wreckage.

The chemical engineer said "Obviously, some constituent of the brake fluid has caused this failure to occur."

The mechanical engineer replied "I disagree, I would surmise that a brake component has suffered a catastrophic structural failure."

The electrical engineer also had a theory. "Fools, it is obvious an electrical component has ceased operation, thereby causing the brake malfunction."

The software engineer thought for some time, walking in circles around the mangled vehicle. When at last he spoke he said "Hmmm.... What would happen if we pushed the car back up the hill, got in, and tried the turn again?"

Biscuit of the Day - A Blog a Day....

Helps keep the doctor away! This tidbit from Wired discusses the therapeutic side of blogging and how this form of journaling has improved the quality of life for Alzheimer's patients. Apparently, blogging has helped out victims of this debilitating disease by allowing them to record daily events and milestones so they can track their lives and leave records for posterity. The article also stresses the role intellectual activity throughout one's life plays in staving off dementia and other geriatric mental disorders.

Another ongoing case study emphasizing the importance of mental activity to successful aging is the study of the Mankato nuns.

I think this research is absolutely wonderful on two points. #1, it helps dispel the stereotypes of the elderly as stagnant beings and that mental decline is inescapable. #2, it's good to see that blogging is good for you in addition to being fun! (Too few things in life are that way!)