Knitting Olympics 2006 – Team Australia
It looks like knitters all over the world are gearing up for Yarn Harlot’s 2006 Knitting Olympics. Even more amusing, people are forming “teams” and making buttons so you can show your participation. There’s Team Boston, Team Wales, Team Germany, Team South Africa, a bunch of American and Canadian Teams… even Team Goth and Team Caffeine. Yet in all my wanderings, I have yet to come across an official mention of Team Australia. (It was suggested on gadgetgirl‘s site, but interest kinda petered out.) Folks, it’s time to rectify that. Who’s with me? I know crumpet and gadgetgirl are in. I’m definitely “competing” but I haven’t decided on the project yet. Anyone else want to join us? Leave a comment telling us what you’re going to attempt!

 

Feel free to grab one of the buttons above, or make your own and leave a comment so other folks can find it. (If you use one of mine, please right-click and save the image to your own server.)

Two social engagements down, one to go. I’ve been sticking to my healthy-eating plan pretty well. It helps that I’ve been making healthy salads and dips to bring to each gathering. The big winner so far was the home-made guacamole. I doubled the garlic and added loads of fresh coriander. Delicious! I also tried out the curried yoghurt tip (I didn’t think it was very special, but other folks liked it) and beans with tomato (which I liked a lot).

I’m almost embarrassed to post this…
One of my WW tasks this week is to sort through my clothes and get rid of all the too big, “just in case” stuff. So I was poking around in the underbed drawers today, and I pulled out a Notre Dame tank top completely *covered* in cat fur. Upon cleaning it off, I realized that it’s the same top I’m wearing in my “before” picture, the one I keep posted on the fridge and carry with me to meetings for inspiration. (Everyone I show it to refuses to believe that it’s even me. I look like a fatter, older distant relation.) Curious, I tried the top on and took a picture of myself in roughly the same sort of pose. And now, of course, you all want to see the comparison.  

The “before” shot is from a barbecue in 2002 over at the Snook’s sister’s place. Pretty night and day, huh? Who knew that I had collarbones? I’m swimming in this top now. It’s stretched all to hell. In fact, it’s so loose that it probably borders on a little skanky, what with my bra occasionally poking out, but I think I’m going to wear it outside today anyway. Skank it up, baby! I’ve earned it.

After squash this morning, my bathroom scales read 83kg. I know that’s not an accurate reading, but it’s still the lowest number that thing’s ever given me. I’m excited.

This one’s for the boys: Top Ten Cricket Sledges. (Not safe for work, and probaby not interesting for anybody who doesn’t know cricket.)

Anybody got a spare half-million lying around? I’d like this for my birthday, please. *sigh* That place looks nice, and it’s only about a block from where we are now. I wish we had a deposit!

Okay, so I just finished Volume 2 of The Astonishing X-Men, and I’ve got some more questions for you experts…Overall impression: I definitely agree with John that the “Danger” storyline wasn’t quite as interesting as “Gifted,” but it was still a fun, enjoyable read. You’re always going to have that disappointing discrepancy between major story arcs and “Monster of the Week” storylines (as on “Buffy”), but I liked that they still threw in a little bit with Ord so you remembered that the Breakworld storyline was still simmering in the background. There was a lot more cool fighting in this one, and I definitely laughed out loud a few more times. (Joss’s Canadian jokes always crack me up.) That said, I have a ton more questions after reading this one. I realize some of these might not have definite answers though; we may be dealing in the realm of speculation. It’s just that with characters so well known, I can’t help but wonder if other people read the clues differently than I do. So any help or even wild guesses are welcome here…

– I haven’t read any Fantastic Four (or seen the movie, for that matter). Is there anything I might be missing about their brief appearance here? Seems pretty straightforward. But hey, aren’t they “mutants” of a sort? I remember from the trailers that they got blasted with radiation or something. The one bit I didn’t get was the Torch guy asking if they could be evil now. Some reference I don’t know? And – forgive me if I’m attacking a sacred cow here – what the hell does the stretchy guy do? They’re fighting the big huge monster and the chick’s shooting him with a force field, and the Torch is flaming him, and the Rock guy is bashing him… and Stretchy’s just there in the background, all stretched out. Seems a pretty useless superpower.

– Who is the mysterious voice talking to Emma at the end of Volume 1 and while she’s unconscious in book #8? At first I thought it was the Danger-bot, but now I’m pretty sure it was someone else. Do we know or is there some common speculation? Is it the same person she talks to in the shadows on Genosha? Was it one of those Hellfire guys on the last page? Who are they, anyway? Are any of them supposed to be recognizable? I know that they were baddies and she used to be one, so I’m guessing that they’re hinting that she’s really still a villain all along. Is that what the Danger-bot is referring to when she says she knows “the truth”? Is this how she knows that the last Sentinel is designed to use Cyclops’ power against the X-Men?

– Jesus, can Cyclops really take out a Sentinel just by removing his glasses? He’s a *lot* more powerful than I realized. I like that Wolverine gave him some small props there.

– My only knowledge of Professor Xavier is from the movies. This Xavier is a lot younger and stronger looking, and seems to take a lot more violent action. (Hello, semi-truck?!) I’m assuming that the friend he mentions who puts out a magnetic pulse is (the real) Magneto. If he’s helping Xavier, then is he not one of the Hellfire baddies Emma (might) be allied with? Or does this mean Xavier’s evil too? And what’s with that ending, where it comes out that he knew the Danger-bot was sentient all along? That’s way more morally-ambiguous than I thought the movie Xavier would ever get. Is this characterization of Xavier new, or is this how he always was in the books? What does the Danger-bot mean when she says no one really knows who Xavier is? If Jean knew, does this mean he’s some sort of Dark Phoenix-like thing?

– When they’re getting ready to go to Genosha, Hank mentions asking if “the Avengers” have anything lying around. Who are the Avengers?

– So Kitty’s dad was on Genosha; does this mean he was a mutant too? I somehow got the idea that the mutations didn’t necessarily run in families.

– Wow, did Hank go totally “Beast” there at the end when he attacked the Danger-bot? I got chills with that “MINE.” He was worried about completely devolving. Or is it just sort of a battle rage thing?

I think that’s everything for now, except… when does the next one come out??

Trail Note
Happy Australia Day! As this marks the start of three straight days of social engagements, I thought I’d better get in some exercise before the beer starts flowing. Today I headed out on a long run through the city to see everything going on for the holiday. As I jogged down George Street, I was amused to see the number of people wearing Australian flag T-shirts increase as I got closer to Circular Quay. Everywhere along the harbour was just packed with tourists and residents alike. (Only at Circular Quay would people pay money to watch two Aboriginal guys covered in mud smoke pot.) I zig-zagged through the crowd and went past the Opera House, where a big screen is set up so everyone can watch the Australian Open live. I chugged around Farm Cove to the Botanic Gardens, smiling as families spread out picnic blankets and waited for the festivities to begin. I walked up the steep hill to Macquarie Street and found myself in the middle of the Hunter Valley Classic, which featured several blocks’ worth of classic cars and trucks. (Only one made me stop dead in my tracks – a classic red convertible Beetle. My dream car. And it was for sale! Only seven grand!) Soon I crossed over into Hyde Park and had a peek at the food stalls lining the grand tree-lined avenue. There were stages set up elsewhere and families were settling down for lunch. Next I cut over to Castlereagh and followed it down to Belmore Park, where tents were being erected for tonight’s Hawker Food Market (as part of the Chinese New Year celebrations). We definitely need to head back there. Then it was up to Central and back down Broadway to home. Total time: one hour and fifteen minutes. Whenever I do stuff like this, I’m reminded why I like living in the middle of a big city. I’m sure I’ll want peace and quiet some day, but for now, being able to leave my house and jog down to the Sydney Opera House – one of the most iconic buildings on arguably the prettiest harbour in the world – is just too, too good.

Me: I might be awhile. I’m gonna shave my legs.
Him: Really? Huh.
Me: What?
HIm: I’m just wondering if you’ll weigh in again afterwards…
Me: Oh, HAR HAR.

From the Dictionary of Snook: “Bus Panickers” – A name for idiots on public transport who seem to worry that they’ll be trapped on the bus forever. You can usually spot one by his reluctance to move down the back of the bus (away from the back doors), or by her insistance on getting up five minutes before her stop and pushing her way to the doors, without regard to the fact that half the people she just shoved out of the way are getting off there too. I hate bus panickers.

I just made a connection. Those stupid “zeromovement.com” thingies that were spraypainted all over the city’s sidewalks a few weeks ago are part of the marketing campaign for Coke Zero! Those asses. I take back my compliments about it. There’s nothing I hate more than vandalism masquerading as advertising.