Dorie's Different Reality

I’m still here, but the address is changing….

Dorie — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 15:13:21 +0000

I’m still here using the fabulous WordPress blog, but I’m switching to a new server- admistered by certain New Yorkers I know! Sooooo same Dorie- new address which will get you to the latest updates:

http://dorier.mosiejczuk.net

The nerve of some….

Dorie — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 17:15:45 +0000

I got a letter addressed to me personally from the Bank. Seems a site of a “nationally known businesss” got its datebase hacked and my Visa check card # was in there. So they’re sending a new card. The odd thing is I don’t use that card for purchases online that much. Somewhere I read that you have specific rights with credit cards and goodies like fraud insurance, but “debit cards” are a grey area so now I use a regular credit card. Although in the past, I think I might have used the Visa debit for things like airline tickets. I did see a weird charge last month and called the bank right away. I looked up the name of the company and it was a firm that sold laboratory equipment. The charge was reversed in a couple of days. Now I’m imagining a young mad scientist financing his crystal meth operation with hacked credit cards!

The Dogs : Tesla has been having a lot of digestive troubles and Vera definitely has allergies, so I’m going to vary their diet more. For a few months they’ve been eating a venison/rice kibble. Then I read a distressing article that said sometimes that “venison” is road kill! Silly me- guess I thought there were deer farms raising venison for the pet industry! Doh! So, I bought a small bag of a lamb/rice formula (with no obvious bad components- like corn) to see how they do with it and mixed it half and half with the other kibble. Tonight for their evening meal they’re getting chicken stewed with barley and peas & carrots. So many dogs now (like ours) have allergies. Also, it seems like pets get cancer has much as people. The crap they put in their food has to have something to do with this. On a happier note, I offered Vera some plain yogurt and she really likes it!

Knitting: Sock # 1 is well on its way. I’ll probably start making the heel later today. I won’t take a picture to show you until it really looks like a sock!

Mystery Bug!

Dorie — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 15:39:40 +0000

I noticed this guy (circled) yesterday buzzing the Russian sage (which smells wonderfully sage-y). They are big, more than an inch long- bigger than a honeybee. The wings make a “hover” sound. At first I thought they were hummingbirds, then realized it was an insect. The top of their body is fuzzy like a moth, but the abdomen is shiny with stripes like a bee. I looked close at it’s head, which is light colored with a long ”tongue” like a butterfly. I didn’t have any luck looking it up online. My best guess is some kind of carpenter bee. They sure liked that sage.

Where are all these things coming from? While I was off working full time, Maryland was invaded by exotic creatures!

The next project….

Dorie — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:29:03 +0000

will take a while! http://cache.lionbrand.com/patterns/60049.html I have two unused packages of Wool Ease in the stash. Love that stuff- very light and the added wool makes it soft not scratchy. I have size 7 sock needles and the pattern calls for size 5. But I need socks with wider calves, so this may be a good thing. At any rate, a learning experience. So now I’ll do housework for a bit, so I can start later today. Oh boy!

Back from Shore Leave 29!

Dorie — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 12:43:56 +0000

I’m not putting up pictures because everybody knows what the Starship Enterprise looks like! Although I could put up a picture of the Hunt Valley Inn- but hey, all hotels look the same at that….

The SciFi/Fantasy convention I’ve attended semi-regularly since the mid-80s. I always have a good time. Note to self- if I go next year, I’m getting a room at the hotel before it sells out. Better than commuting both days and it makes for such a nice little vacation! The con is put on by a club with lots of volunteers, who make sure there is lots going on. There’s live music, lots of humor and lots of opportunities to get up close and personal with the guest stars. Funny how this year there were a couple of guests whose shows I’ve never seen- because we don’t have cable!

The “big star” for me was Nichelle Nichols,, Lt. Uhura. She wears amazing clothes and projects the elegant lady of the world- very fun! Also a pleasant last minute addition was Herbert Jefferson Jr., who did a lot of television- Battlestar Galactica, TJ Hooker. He was a theatre major so he’s an actor that works “the craft”. I suppose he’s in his 60s, but he aged to perfection- he has the most noble face. Next time they do a historical epic movie, like 300, he’d be a perfect king.

The audience was much smaller than in years past. I think it reflects that we’re in sort of a fanish doldrums compared to the late 80s when thousands of people came to this convention. When people my age had little kids, they came along too. Now the kids are grown and there’s lots of grey hair in the audience. There are so many new interesting things to do today: great video games, DVDs to watch, cruises are cheap- people have lots of options for entertainment. I know I’m old and stuffy about going to live concerts anymore. There’s one in September called VirginFest in Bawl’mer with The Police headlining. The cheap seats are about $75. For the same money I can buy 3 CDs, Chinese food and stay home in air conditioning. No crowds, traffic or porta-johns- it’s just not fun anymore.

On needles: Nothing!!!! I need to figure out the next project. Got some Red Heart Baby Clouds with the idea of making a hooded sweater- but forget it! The yarn is awful. That which makes it puffy, also makes it tangly and scratchy. I’m going to keep away from the “boucle” yarns hereonout. I might even take the unused yarn back to Wal-Mart- it was that icky! The bra project didn’t work either. I’m going to make potholders and hotpads with the yarn! I checked out the book “Stitch and Bitch” from the library, so today I’m going to check out the patterns for inspiration.

Film: Poseidon really was pretty bad. Mike and I both like Emmy Rossum so we wanted to see her in this film; the only reason I rented it. Blah! I’ll blame the director. Millions of dollars for special effects won’t fix bad acting. Emmy screamed and yelled “Daddy” a lot. She has so much talent and yet even Phantom of The Opera wasn’t a break out role for her. I think it’s because she’s an ingenue in the old Hollywood sense. Oddly enough, as she gets older, I think she might begin to resemble Ava Gardner. Like Dorothy Parker used to say, “good girls go to church- bad girls go everywhere!” The other film was Where the Truth Lies with Kevin Bacon & Colin Firth. More film noir! Reminded me of Chinatown. It had a surprise ending that I should have seen coming, but didn’t. Again, I’ll blame the director because the top three female parts were played by attractive blondes, nobody I even recognized. Sometimes I’d get one female character mixed with another. I’ll give it a big- eh, 2 stars. I hope Colin goes back to romantic comedy (soon!) although he would make a cool starship captain!

June projects….

Dorie — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:30:49 +0000

Made two California baby blankets. You take 2 pieces 1 1/4 yds. flannel, prewash, trim and then stitch together- I use overcast zigzag. Then with a sewing awl (they sell them with the gadgets at Jo-Anns) pierce the fabric edges at a regular interval and crochet an edge all around, using the holes as the base for the edging. I’ve used #3 size thread on The Dog and #10 on the Little Ducky one. I think I like #3 more because it’s a weight for clothing and heftier- plus comes in lots of colors.

The time, I vouchsafe inpertinently, has come….

Dorie — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 16:29:40 +0000

to offer translations of older works of English literature in contemporary English! I have a theory that 19th century writers were wordy because they had more time to write- no movies or TV! After discovering “Knit the Classics” knittheclassics.blogspot.com , I got the July book- The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte, out on loan from McDaniel college Oy vey- if the book were “translated” and all the subordinate clauses removed, the book would be a hundred pages shorter! It’s tough trekking! (or would it be labourious fell walking????) The mysterious lady character, Mrs. Graham, paints pictures under a false name for money and lives alone with her young son. Right off the top she’s alienating the new neighbours because she keeps to herself and seems to hate spirited drinking. That’s got them all wondering what’s up with that uptight widow? It’s awfully hard reading for this 21st century person, used to “hurry up and cut to the chase.” I’m sure the plot will thicken and I’m hooked!

As for the “Knitting the Classics” if I were inspired by this book to knit something (and the ladies in the book do seem to spend a lot of time at the fireside knitting) I imagine it would be a long, lacy shawl- perhaps in a blue-gray. Perfect for walking the Moors!

IN the meantime…On the hook: I’ve got some Cotton-ease yarn and I’m trying to make a “bra”- a bikini top actually. It’s been sooooo hot and nobody makes cotton bras anymore- just hot stretchy stuff. So I’m trying to come up with a natural fiber alternative that will keep my attributes where they’re supposed to be, but will let my poor skin breathe!

Bug Update- The beetles seem to have flown away. I guess they had a few days to reproduce and lay some eggs in the ground and that’s all the fun for a year. Now we have gypsy moths hatching and flying around the evergreens. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gypsy_moth Some towns around here spray all kinds of things for gypsy moths. I guess the caterpillars eat pine needles, but we’d have to live in big cloud of poison to not have creepy crawlers around here. Just as long as they stay out of the house!

Hot Weather = Lots of Reading….

Dorie — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 11:07:51 +0000

Just finished: Back When We Were Grownups by Anne Tyler I was more than half finished with this book when I remembered seeing a movie of this a couple of years back! Amusing tale of a woman with an eccentric family looking back at her life- the forks in the road and second guessing her choices. Blythe Danner was good in the movie, btw.

Now reading: I wasn’t sure at all about this- Navajo vampire and bad guy hunter, Lee Nez, a character created by the Thurlos. The first book is called Second Sunrise. As vampires go, he’s much nicer than Lestat. So Lee Nez has been a “night walker” since 1942, trying to live among his people and get rid of the bad guys. There’s four or five books in this series, so I’ll be having a good time. Subtle points of humor too- like mentioning that he really likes to watch “Buffy”

The Music for my Desert Island….

Dorie — Sat, 07 Jul 2007 14:13:14 +0000

well, it would come from several different genres (the Duck will now drop- I said the secret woid)

Only 3 of each- the CDs have to fit in my desert island backpack. I’ll just put in titles and skip quotes and stuff:

POP – Can’t Help Falling in Love by Elvis Yellow Submarine by the Beatles Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by the Shirelles

Rock- albums on the whole: Days of Future Passed, Abbey Road, Led Zeppelin 2–I’m not including Dark Side of the Moon because Pink Floyd makes me feel suicidal and it would be a short trip to the desert island!

Folk- Verites and Balderdash- Harry Chapin Best of Peter Paul and Mary and probably a Woody Guthrie anthology

Country- Johnny Cash Live at San Quentin Time-Life Classic Country 1959, which has nearly all my favorite songs on it Cattle Call by Eddy Arnold

Hymns? yes Hymns- I’m a singing Protestant with Hindu undertones after all-To God be the Glory, Fanny Crosby Eternal Father Strong to Save Can I count Spirit in the Sky by Norman Greenbaum??? “when I die and they lay me to rest, I’m gonna go to the place that’s the best…”

Classical Mozart, Jupiter Symphony Beethoven Symphony #5 Schubert’s Unfinished Symphony I’m just a sucker for a full orchestra making music that soars!

well that’s enough- that was fun!!

The bugs of summer….

Dorie — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:54:50 +0000

Bugs must come in cycles and I just never paid attention. I have my favorites- like praying mantisses (Manti?) or fireflies. Some are just creepy crawly- like potato bugs! Every Spring for years, around Memorial Day the loathsome earwigs appear. Once I was sitting on the porch and one started biting my toe for all he was worth! This year, I’ve noticed more grasshoppers- eating my flowers to shreds! July brings Japanese beetles and I’ve set up a couple of ‘bag a bug” traps because last year they devoured the grapevines. Also the clover in the lawn is blooming and I’m happy to say bees are everywhere. One has to wear shoes in the yard because if you step on a bee, she’ll go all kamikazi and sting your foot! This morning, I thought there were bumblebees working the lawn until I looked closer. There are big green beetles flying everywhere. They’re an iridescent green and rather pretty- http://bugguide.net/node/view/1245, I don’t know how destructive they are. Perhaps because it was another mild winter, we’re getting bugs that used to live south of here. I don’t trust ‘em; they look like alien spacecraft