HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Nat and Staci on the arrival of their daughter Margaret Jane Cunningham. Ooh, I’ll have to start looking through my knitting patterns!

Training over. That was fun for a bit… but man, eight conscious hours a day without Internet access is just too, too many.

When you’re sick, it’s really, really hard to resist the temptation to bake things like Cinnamon Bun Bread…

Michelle Obama blogs about equal pay and Lilly Ledbetter. Lilly worked at Goodyear for 20 years and was a plant supervisor. Someone sent her an anonymous letter with all the salaries of her male counterparts, all of whom were making way more than she did. She took the company to court. The Supreme Court ruled that, according to the law, Lilly only had 180 days to complain about the discrimination. So because the company had hid the truth for 20 years, she missed her chance. Now legislators are trying to pass the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

“But this April, Republicans in the Senate blocked it. Now, Democrats in the Senate are working to bring Lilly’s bill back for another vote this fall. My husband is a proud supporter of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Senator McCain does not support it. In fact, Senator McCain said that what women really need is more education and training. But Lilly Ledbetter had plenty of training. What she doesn’t have is the right to fight for the pay she deserves.”

My Grandma worked in a tire plant for years and years. I wonder how much money she lost to discrimination. But I suppose she deserved it, on account of not having enough education and training, right?

“Jesus is My Friend” by Sonseed. Snookums sent me that link (which I think he got from Toast) presumably so I could laugh at the cheesy Jesus people. But little did he expect that his plan contained the seeds of his own marital downfall, because now I have to leave him for that AWESOME GUITAR PLAYER. (Also, that is a seriously catchy song.)

Apologies for the radio silence. I’m on Day 3 of my “Object-Oriented Design and Analysis using UML” course, and we don’t have computer access in the classroom. I’ll be done tomorrow…

The Devil in the White City
Since I had nothing better to do on Sunday than lie in bed and read while the Snook fetched me warming drinks – sometimes being sick is okay – I finally finished off a book I started back in L.A.: The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. It’s a fascinating piece of historical narrative. Larson weaves together the true story of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with the shocking tale of H. H. Holmes, America’s first serial killer, who prowled the Fair for his victims. I was surprised at all the other notable “firsts” that premiered at the Fair: Shredded Wheat, hamburgers, Juicy Fruit gum, the Ferris Wheel (which was America’s answer to the Eiffel Tower, and seriously, how awesome is that?!), Aunt Jemima pancake mix, and best of all… squished pennies. Beyond the pleasures of the Midway though (which was a term also coined at the Fair), Larson succeeds at evoking the beautiful yet melancholy mood of the Exposition. With its dazzling white neoclassical buildings shining under Tesla’s electric bulbs, the “White City” was an ideal and a dream that lasted less than six months. That’s why I was so surprised to realize that I’ve actually been inside the only two buildings that remain: the former Palace of Fine Arts (now the Museum of Science and Industry) and the former World’s Congress Auxiliary Building (now the Art Institute of Chicago). If you’re a lover of Chicago – or history, or true crime – you should definitely pick up this book. It’s compulsive reading.

Doma Bohemian Beer Cafe
I must have subconsciously known I was getting sick on Friday, because as the day rolled to a close I started craving some real sustenance. MEAT. After a quick perusal of Grab Your Fork and a chat with the Snook, I booked us in at Doma Bohemian Beer Cafe. As soon as we saw the menu, there was really only one option: “Bohemian Platter for Two.” Half a roast duck, chicken schnitzel, pork schnitzel, two types of dumplings, smoked pork loin, roasted pork neck, cheese kranskis, red cabbage, and sauerkraut. I mean, HOW COULD YOU NOT? It was pretty daunting when they brought the enormous platter out though. Folks, we barely made a dent in this thing. (It could easily serve three or even four people.) We had our pig, we had our excellent Czech beer, and we took the leftovers home in a box. It was an excellent way to end the week.

KIP Update
My knitting mojo seems to have returned! I realized that the Rhiannons were just sapping my will to knit, so I officially moved them into the “to be frogged” pile. I feel so rejuvenated. I’ve got two new projects on the needles, both for the Snook. The first are these socks using Cascade Fixation. The pattern is Ann Budd’s “Flame Wave Socks” from Interweave’s Favorite Socks, which I’ve modified to use a contrasting colour on the heel and toe. (I’m actually thinking of picking up and adding some ribbing to the top in the red as well.) I couldn’t find my long 4mm circular at the time, so I actually was FORCED to knit one sock at a time! Ugh. I hate Second Sock Sydrome. (That’s why I’ve only got one done.)

Next is a very special commission and co-design for the Snook. We’re calling it “Blockhead”… for the obvious reason. I was interested to try knitting with a cotton/wool blend (especially since they’re more suited to Sydney’s climate), so I organized a group order on Ravelry to import some Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. It was a very special morning last week when this arrived! I am LOVING this yarn. It’s 80% cotton and 20% merino, and it comes in a zillion colours. It knits up as an 8-ply, but it’s not nearly as splitty or heavy as a normal 100% cotton. I’m using the same pattern I used for the long-sleeved orange polo. Snookums graphed the zig-zag himself, and I’ve knitted it in using intarsia. I’ve actually been knitting both the front and the back flat at the same time (that’s the other piece bunched up on the right). Once I get to the armpits I’ll join up the sleeves and do the raglan shoulders in the round. I can’t wait to see him actually wear it!