No more excuses, I post when I can  This one is for the sewers!

I’m in Vancouver, BC a with a few days free before a business conference.  I stopped for a coffee break in Yaletown and when I left I looked down the street and saw this sign…

I ran over to see if my eyes were decieving me…

They weren’t!

And my head exploded when I saw they had bolts of fabric…

And the SALE table, 50% off fabric!   (All the fabric retailed for $48 Canadian/metre)

Le sigh!

Lovely clothes and bags…

A wonderful, brightly lit shop with helpful staff.  I ended up with 2 metres of this blue poppy for my stash… (I had not  budgeted for fabric on this trip but it was on sale!)

I want this wool coat!

A pink poppy vinyl bag (for knitting projects) and some socks may have also have been purchased!

There were lots of housewares like duvet covers and placemats and even kids tights.  There were also some pattern books you could order wallpaper or fabric.  Oh to be rich!

If you’re ever visiting, or need to order something, check them out at Marimekko Vancouver!

This was taken a few minutes before I sprained my ankle in December.

Whew!  Finally made it to Texas and back.  I had a wonderful vacation and here are a few photos I managed to capture.

Snowmageddon still continuing here.  Most December snow in 40 years AND IT IS STILL SNOWING.  Contemplating hiking 3/4 mile to bus stop with backpack if I have to make my plane Thursday.  No one may get any presents, but they’ll get me!

Gresham and Vernonia have just declared “Emergency Status” and help from the National Guard.  Too much snow, too many power outages, etc.

My car is in this picture.  It’s like Where’s Waldo!

It’s also my birthday today.  Ick.  I decided I was going to make a cake.  We’re down to 3 eggs and a little over a cup of milk. The mixes take 3 eggs.  I found a “One Bowl Chocolate Cake” recipe in the Better Homes and Garndes New Cook Book that takes 1 egg.  I had to substitute butter for shortening (woo!).

Here’s my sad little chocolate cake iced up…

Bah. The whole Portland metro area is stuck indoors. I’m supposed to be in Texas. Crazy week that ended with a sprained ankle, ER visit, broken car, snowstorm and no way to get to the airport (I called two cab companies for 15 minutes and all I got was busy signal). That’s all I have to say about that I now have a Continental flight scheduled for Christmas Day. Will I make it? Who knows.

View out the front door… there’s more today! Plus a nice hard layer of ice.

Huddling under blankets….

*yawn*

Has it melted yet?????

Hunkering down at the BFs with him and his cat and my knitting.  I need more wool sweaters!  Still can’t believe my sister got snow in Texas before we did!

I think I forgot to wrapup after the 30 day challenge! Summary: 6.5 pounds lost.  (I could have done better)  I got lazy at the end (shocker!).  I really enjoyed it and I think I’ll try it again in January, after the holidays!

I did get this done yesterday… very little processing done on it.  Wandered down to the Eastbank Esplande with Devin to attempt to get some sunset shots.  The sunset we pretty uneventful but we stayed a while later on a floating pier and kept shooting long exposures.  This was probably 45 min after sunset.  30 sec exposure at f/29.  I love the blues.  You can click and go to the flickr page and see bigger versions.  I’m so happy with it!!!!!!

And here’s a very short video.  No set up… i just heard the geese coming and hit the video button.

Still getting over cold, worked half day yesterday. Very very tired! Turned in my ballot Sunday though and finished a pair of socks I’d been working on since July.  Sitting here amazed that this day and age people would have to wait hours to vote in this country.  Happy to have all voting by mail in Oregon!  I think I’ve only voted once in a booth, probably 1992 before vote-by-mail… and that’s all the energy I have to write today!!!

Went out wandering after the Knit and Crochet Show today. It was 90 degrees out but lovely in the shade and with the breeze over the river. I walked from the Convention Center to 14th and Lovejoy. Hopefully I don’t have a sunburn!

I want a DSLR

Please excuse the sleepy post…

Went to the premiere of I.O.U.S.A tonight with boyfriend and his mum.  We were surprised it was sold out! It’s a documentary about the growing national debt and it’s impact on the citizenry.  Good movie, not as boring or as over my head as I anticipated   And non-partisan.  It was over 2.5 hours, please excuse the bleary eyed post…

Description from their page:

Wake up, America! We’re on the brink of a financial meltdown.

I.O.U.S.A. boldly examines the rapidly growing national debt and its consequences for the United States and its citizens. As the Baby Boomer generation prepares to retire, will there even be any Social Security benefits left to collect? Burdened with an ever-expanding government and military, increased international competition, overextended entitlement programs, and debts to foreign countries that are becoming impossible to honor, America must mend its spendthrift ways or face an economic disaster of epic proportions.

Throughout history, the American government has found it nearly impossible to spend only what has been raised through taxes. Wielding candid interviews with both average American taxpayers and government officials, Sundance veteran Patrick Creadon (Wordplay) helps demystify the nation’s financial practices and policies. The film follows U.S. Comptroller General David Walker as he crisscrosses the country explaining America’s unsustainable fiscal policies to its citizens.

With surgical precision, Creadon interweaves archival footage and economic data to paint a vivid and alarming profile of America’s current economic situation. The ultimate power of I.O.U.S.A. is that the film moves beyond doomsday rhetoric to proffer potential financial scenarios and propose solutions about how we can recreate a fiscally sound nation for future generations.

Pointedly topical and consummately nonpartisan, I.O.U.S.A. drives home the message that the only time for America’s financial future is now!

At the end there was a town-hall discussion with Warren Buffet and some other people I’d never heard of before.

Interesting points brought up at the end about what the average American can do to help:

• Medicare: preventitive medicine, take care of self (Medicare is by far the largest portion of government spending)
• Save (Currently the US is at a negative savings rate for the first time in history).
• Vote (Let the politicians know you want something done)
• Work until at 70, putting more into social security
• Government has no money (we have trillions of dollars of debt!), so stop expecting them to bail you out (home loans, etc)

That’s about all I have to say tonight, I had to write this down before it left my head!