White Vespa parked in front of Yarn Store = Vanessa

There is this yarn/sewing place on O'Connor, last night in a last ditch attempt to purchase the'right' yarn for a project, I went there. As I was standing speaking with the lady someone came up and stood just off to my right. thinking it was another sales person, I didn't pay attention... I know, how rude... then I felt someone touching my hair. I turned around and it was Niall. He had seen me driving up Woodbine and called Chris. He saw the bike and came in. he is so cute. He hung around while I found the yarn I was looking for. It's really nice and pretty and soft. Super bulky so I only have to knit with one strand instead of 2 held together like the pattern says. YAY!

Sometimes you just have to roll your eyes at yourself

So this morning I got up and got ready to drive myself into work. I go outside, unlock Peggy or as Chris prefers to call her 'super fast go go bike', put on my helmet, get comfortable and off I went.

About 1/4 of the way down the road the bike stalled and I coasted (quite nicely) to the side of the road. I hopped off and kicked her over and nothing happened. Thinking it might have stalled because it is wet, I reach down to pull out the choke and that waswhen I noticed that I had not turned on the gas.

I am making a check list to go inside the glove box door.

Songs in my head

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Oh you pretty Chitty Bang Bang,Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
We love you.
And, inChitty Chitty Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
What we'll do.
Near, far, in our motor car Oh what a happy time we'll spend.
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend.
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend.
Chitty Bang BangChitty Bang
Chitty Bang BangChitty Bang

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Oh you pretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang BangWe love you.
And, inChitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang Bang
What we'll do.
Near, far, in our motor carOh what a happy time we'll spend.
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend.
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend.

Your sleek as a thoroughbred.
Your seats are a feather bed.
You'll turn everybody's head today.
We'll glide on our motor trip
With pride in our ownership
The envy of all we survey.

Oh Chitty You ChittyPretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang BangWe love you.
And Chitty, in ChittyPretty Chitty Bang Bang
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang what we'll do.
Near Chitty, far Chitty, in our motor car
Oh what a happy time we'll spend.
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend.
Bang Bang Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Our fine four fendered friend.....

(hold)Chitty Chitty Bang BangChitty Chitty Bang BangFine four fendered Chitty Chitty friend.

It has to get worse before it gets better

First off. thank you Chris and Niall for cleaning out the shed. On Wednesday night Niall was talking about getting his scoot on the road. He was looking for parts and I invited him to our 'place where parts go to die' to find some. He said that he would come over and help Chris clear out the shed (in which Mr. Raccoon had been living) and in turn take what he needed. Well it was raining when I got home so I didn't really expect them to have done anything but then when I went to the back of the house and looked out the door, this is what I saw.
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That's just what was on the ground. they hadn't even done the 4 6 foot shelves and what was hanging. I will let you know when the part sale is.

You have got to be kidding me

Just finished sock #2. All excited about wearing my first pair of hand knitted socks. Tried it on. It's too narrow.

Options (as suggested by Linzknits.blogspot.com)

1) rip one out, try again
2) hope you have enough yarn for another one... knit it, see which one it matches... rip the other one out
3) if you have a lot of yarn, knit 2 more, one in each tension so you'll have 2 pairs that match.
4) leave them how they are. If they're not that different, they'll shape to your feet anyway.

Well the only option that won't work is #4. The first one, that fits well by the way, ismuch larger. I might have to knit a new second sock.

Next time: 2 Socks on 2 needles. Knit them at the same time.

http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTstraightlaced.html

Initiation

Ahhhh the first kickstart bruise of the summer.

I have the utmost appreciation for....

Anita and Chris and all the other people in the world who choose to double up on a vespa. I just drove home with Chris on the back and it was HARD my arms are aching and I am exhausted from the stress of it. It's really hard to manage.

Let me tell you a little story.....

I started dating Chris in September 1996. In May 1997 was the annual Tundra Schmucks Scooter Rally on the American side of Niagara Falls. That year, Chris was riding his brother's bike which was only a 1 seater. I wanted to go but had no seat. Anita, graciously, offered to take me on hers even though she had only broken up with Chris just before I started dating him.

Well, that was a trip to remember. It was May, Raining, Midnight before we left and COLD. We (I use the royal 'we') decided that to make up time, we would jump on the QEW, just for a minute... Well, Dave who was our leader that night got ahead of the rest of us and although he wanted to get off and we wanted to get off didn't for fear of losing us (I think). So here I am, QEW 2 am, POURING rain, doubled up with Anita, following Dave on his cut down Lambretta, Niall on his Lambretta and Chris on his brother's P2 cut down. It was scary when I think about it.

We drove along for quite some time and I don't know what time it was when we were pulled over but this really nice cop stopped us and told us that we had lost someone. Niall had seized his bike ages back and these cops had who been watching us insane people on 150cc, 180 cc and 200 cc (the top speed on a vespa P200 is 120k and believe me you DO NOT want to do that) scooters drive along the freaking highway. Well, Niall eventually caught up and we managed to get to Niagara in one piece, 6:30 am on Saturday morning. I remember the time because we couldn't buy beer until 7 am. To finish this story quickly, we had a great time, drove back and I REALLY appreciate Anita for 1) driving me to Niagara and 2) Doubling me up all the way there and back. And people wonder why she was a bridesmaid?

I also Appreciate Chris who drove me to Mallory Town (outside Kingston) with the above mentioned people on his 150 cc Lambretta. The story is a good one, and I will tell it later but lets just mention that it took us 22 hours to get there and 18 to get back.

don't get me wrong, it is scary

but I LOVE riding my Vespa. It's unnerving being in traffic without anything but air around you and the uncomfortable lacking a seat belt feeling. Sadly I won't be taking it to Port Burwell next week. It's nearly a 3 hour drive in a car, on a scoot it would take over 6 probably more and how can I enjoy a rally if I am sleeping????

I forgot

How incredibly hot Chris looks on a scooter. ME-OW.

what do these things have in common?

El Chupacabra, The Sasquatch, UFO's, the Lochness monster and DeeDee Armstrong

They are seldom photographed.
For some unknown reason, DeeDee runs everytime you show her a camera.
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have you seen my sock?

This is how the conversation went.

Door opens, chris pops head out....

'what are you doing?'

Vanessa with Leg up on Vespa ...

'taking pictures of my sock'

Chris says

'okay, just wondering'

and closes door.

Nothing, not even a double take. He just accepted the fact that I was standing outside at 9 pm on a monday night, leg up on the vespa taking photos of my sock. I can't shock him anymore. Here is my sock (and my Vespa)

Look what Natalie and Glen sent me.

You bet I am making it though not as ugly.

The Lord of the Rings

a good story for today. I really have to sit down and blog.
Last night Chris got free tickets to Lord of the rings through his work. The show was okay as long as you forgot it was about Lord of the rings, it really didn't follow the storyline well but the show was good (you should have heard the singing).
Anyway... It was intermission and they were calling for people to go in (I didn't think it would be that short) so I ran into the bathroom just in case the 2nd part was going to be long.. unable to go cause of the time pressure (equivalent to someone standing outside the door yelling I can hear you peeing) I washed my hands in the weirdest most annoying sink in the world and ran to the door. I stopped dead in front of this lady who was coming in so i stepped to the right, she stepped to the left, I stepped to the left, she stepped to the right. I was starting to giggle about doing this dance when I realized that the person I was dancing with was ME. The door had been polished to a high black sheen and it was dark and I was in a rush and I never look people in the eye on account of my eye-phobia so all I saw was a body in front of me.
thank heaven I was alone in the bathroom. I can't imagine what someone might have thought seeing me dance with myself.