Boo!

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Finished! New socks to wear to the Renaissance Festival tomorrow!Specifics: No pattern: Generic cuff down socks, heel flap, wedge toe.
Needles: US 2 Circular
CO: September 1, 2008; BO: February 14, 2009 (I don't feel so bad, Gladys took even longer!)
Yarn: Deathly Hallows based on the American cover art of the J.K.Rowlings book.
There are no words.....

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Keeping the "We" in "Yes, We Can!"

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Where to watch TV shows online.

Grampa's Hints:

• Always remember that advertising can sell junk as needs, garbage as food.
• Be attentive and be suspicious. Buy where they will cheat you the least.
• Foxymoron: A store's loss leader is your loss when you leave with a bundle of overpriced goods.
• Pre-purchase thought: How much more would you have if you didn't buy those things which you later wish you hadn't bought?
• Don't be cool be kind. You'll spend less and friendship grows easier in a noncompetitive environment.
• Instead of driving your SUV to the gym just jog there and back.
• Know the strategy of marketing for your money: Attract. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
• Watch less TV, it's full of persuasions to buy more stuff you don't need. My two favorites on TV are MUTE and OFF. Or use the DVR and fast forward through commercials!
  
• The most expensive products are at eye level. For cheaper alternatives, look up and down.
• Many generics are identical to the name brand items just with different packaging. Give them a try to see if they're acceptable. Read labels. Often they are identical.
  
• Not all generics are equally discounted. I was looking at ibuprophen at Target. For the store brand, the price seemed to be heavily dependent upon the shape and, no kidding, color of the pills. Orange oval shaped pills ("Similar to Motrin") were almost twice as expensive as brown round ones ("Similar to Advil"). The ingredients were identical other than the colorings. It pays to compare all of the alternatives.
• The largest packaging may not offer the best per unit price. At my Kroger, two one pound bags of carrots are cheaper than one two pound bag of carrots. Cheese is similar. Always compare the per item/per pound cost.
• Manufactures and stores offer rebates because most people won't complete them. Don't let that be you.

Happy Valentine's Day!

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I have made great progress on my Deathly Hallows socks! I started them last September when we were on the way to Disneyland, and just got caught up in other things. It took me forever to finish up the toe on the first sock. Now I'm hoping to get the second one done by Monday. I want to wear them to the Renaissance Festival on Monday.

John Elder Robinson has written a book, Look Me in the Eye about his experiences growing up with Asperger's Syndrome. Check out his address to a Random House audience.

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Keeping the "We" in "Yes, We Can!"

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President Obama's Weekly Address

One more panel

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I actually did two panels as one (second from the bottom) had to be frogged and redone. Again, it felt good working with this nice yarn. I also worked a bit on the work socks I need to get done this week for Third Son. I'm going to have to discipline myself to work only on them for the next few days and get them done.

I had one TV show to watch downstairs, so worked a bit on the long forgotten Deathly Hallows sock, too. These were my vacation project that got very little attention while on vacation.
Vicki, at Simple Knits, is having a hat design contest. The pattern for the hat is here Freedom Hat. The challenge is to use it for a base line and create a new hat from it. There is also a challenge to knit one of the hats and donate it to charity. Seeing that Hatz at Native American Support is in full swing.... Unlike a lot of design contests you can enter this one as often as you like. However, the deadline is November 3rd..... So hurry up!