Pieces, picking up...

* First of all, I"m overdue for a me-me from Knit-tech--I haven't forgotten you, darling, I'm just distracted. I'll get there:-)

* Second, I finally managed to post my package to my blogoversary winner--here's hoping she's not disappointed. She got signed books and yarn (the yarn was, fortunately, not signed;-) and some goodies for the kids. I liked doing that--I may have one every 100 posts or so!

* Thirdly, in addition to fingerless mitts, I also finished a pair of sportweight anklets for a friend of mine-Colinette Jitterbug, a yarn I REALLY love, but I need to go back to Samurai's color workshops to figure out again why blue dye is softer than green dye. It's true!

* Fourthly, I celebrated by casting on another pair of socks, this one with a pattern, but I'm not sure. The yarn is sort of obscure, and although I still love it, I'm not sure I love it as socks. I may rip out the socks and go for a baby sweater or something...it's got this real earthy, homespun texture and the colors are stonewashed--like I said, I love it, but maybe not so much for socks.

* Fifthly, Chicken appreciated all of your good wishes--she's feeling much better, but I swear, if she yaks before she leaves for Australia, we're pumping her up with dramamine and giving her an extra-strength barf-bag. I don't think she can live with another heartbreak like this last one!

* Sixthly, we went to Mate's softball practice yesterday, and the short peoples got to play at the Stepford park with the water fountain. I hate Folsom. (Folsomites, forgive me--the people who read this blog are, odds on, probably not the people that bother me...) Let's just say that I always feel like I violated the weight limit/dress code just driving over the line from Citrus Heights. And none of the women want to talk at the park! I mean, seriously--who else is there to talk to--not the kids, they're going bananashit in the kid fountain, right? And there was this serious black-rubber stench coming upwind--I had to break into the most awkward conversation with a woman who looked at me like I had pitt-rott in order to confirm that wasn't just me, suffering from a brain bleed! All in all, it made me glad to be white-trash, because the other side of that picket fence looks REALLY BORING.

* Seventhly, I made a narrative breakthrough in Bitter Moon I, and I'm torn between wanting to chat about it in the blog and wanting to surprise people, and wanting to just present it to my cracker-jack editing team carte blanch and hoping they like it... all in all, this is why people have writing groups, and the hornet's nest of uncertainty in my gullet is almost as busy with their fuckalific stingers as it is when I just release a book. Shit.

* Eighthly, I've got two more Mondays to go. (And one Tuesday, because next week is Memorial Day.) We are officially close enough to summer vacation for me to get excited about it. And have I mentioned I'm taking no classes this summer? WWWWHHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And, uhm, that's about it. If anyone wants me to get neurotic about narrative technique and Bitter Moon II, let me know... I could use the sounding board!