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December 29, 2005

definitely red lettuce.

What is it about getting your hair cut that can turn your whole mood around? Ah, I feel so much better! Its short, short, short, and longer in the front, with itty bitty bangs, and being two colors, its a kind of split level affair! Interesting. Because a lot more of the darkness underneath is showing, its been inverted. Where it was mostly blond, its mostly dark dark brown, my weird, long-lost natural color. The thing I like most about short hair is the bed-head effects one can achieve by wearing hats in winter, which tend to get interesting in unexpected and pleasing ways. At least this has been my experience. Plus now I feel about 10 pounds lighter, mood-wise, hourah! And the back of my neck is pleasingly fuzzed. A new year, a new haircut, a new pair of underwear, to embellish Andy Warhol. He also said that everything is more glamorous when you do it in bed, even peeling potatoes. Did you know it?? My hero.
I also finished a pair of slightly belated but worth it multi-colored socks, which I am about to throw in the mail, and hope they get there fast!! With a thousand of my humblest apologies for this inexcusable tardiness, I am a bad knitting e-friend!! If you are reading and you know who you are, you've probably given up on me by now! Oh, I am so bad, but look for them soon, so soon!!!
I have also begun a new pair for a secret birthday surprise for another Capricorn whose January birthday always sneaks up and bites me, unless I am diligent. I'm using this Regia 4 color sock yarn stuff that I got for $1 at Sea Needles last summer, in Delaware. Its really beautiful and it knits so nicely. It also looks like I might be able to get a pair out of this one odd skein, its hard to say, but as is my custom I intend to hop on that wave of single-skein anxiety and most likely end up with socks, slightly odd though they may be! Hide and watch, as someone once said!
Hey, just fyi, has everyone seen this book?
The pitchers are also here, along with other good stuff.
Plus, if you are ever bored at work and need to surf, or just need to surf and are looking for a friendly place, go here and see John P.! Oh, how we love John P.
Tomorrow is my actual birthday. Will I ride in the Critical Mass ride?
The Pippy's Birthday Critical Mass, oh yes, how fortuitous! And will anyone buy me a big giant polynesian drink at Trader Vic's beforehand, maybe with a plastic hula girl with pointy plastic boobs stuck in it?? (Carolyn??) Which I will definitely not drink all of, because I never do, but maybe just enough to get a warm birthday buzz?? We'll see!

Posted by pippypippy at 02:59 PM | Comments (3)

December 28, 2005

Pippy you hot

Go, go, go, go
Go, go, go shawty
It's your birthday
We gon' party like it's yo birthday
We gon' sip Bacardi like it's your birthday
And you know we don't give a f***
It's not your birthday!
-50 Cent

Ah yes, my birthday comes early! In the form of a beautiful spring day in Chicago, a little bit misty but otherwise not bad for biking!
Today I took My Little Pony over to the bike shop to get the tack – yes, a thumb tack! I don't know how it got there, and suspected fowl play at the time I discovered it, when I came out to the bike rack outside the Jewel, and there it was, on the top side of the tire! And wondered what this world was coming to, for gawds sakes, what with lunatics running around with tacks just to harrass hapless bicyclists! Just a little bit of my thought process at the time! I got over it! – removed from her front tire. The bike shop boys were flirty and unhelpful as usual, but did pluck the tack out (Complete with funny cartoon hissing sound! Oh, it was a sad moment for Pippy and her tire! ) and patch the tire up. (Somehow I couldn't flirt them into patching it for free, am I losing my touch??) Anyway, I chalked it up to a birthday present, because now I don't have to think about it, and also picked out a shiny new blinky light, with optional helmet or seat-post mounting, while I was waiting. And how can one be uncheered with a shiny new blinky light, I ask you, in spite of the depressing fact of turning 34 in a matter of days?? Ah yes, 34, and yet am told I look not a day over 27, unless you look closely, because then, if you know what you are looking for, you can tell. I had an inkling that this was the case, but it was also pointed out to me recently.
So anyway, after the bike shop I rode a bit on my bouncy, freshly patched and pumped up tire, oh yes, and stopped for a celebratory pre-birthday muffin, and did some sock knitting.
Its a slow news day.
More later.

Posted by pippypippy at 01:59 PM | Comments (3)

December 26, 2005

The fat man let me down.

But it was not entirely unexpected. I knew it was a long shot. I'm sure he had more pressing matters to deal with.
And plus I wasn't really all that good this year anyway. And have had a distinct lack of holiday spirit. Indeed, I may have been heard to utter Bah, Humbug! At times when I could overcome my absolute indifference.
Marcel wasn't so in the mood this year either, even though he generally likes a party. Mostly he was just glad that I didn't try to make him wear antlers this time around. Its happened! Its never worked out well!
But in spite of it all, I did get a really nice set of jammies with snow-globes on them (Ooh, so cute!! I love them. Thanks again Beez and Lorie!) and money for a bike basket from the Mums. Not to mention some rather lovely, somewhat gothic looking Christmassy flowers, arranged artfully along with sprigs of eucalyptus, from a certain koala-ish character.
Oh there was other good stuff too! A hat from the Mums with little Marcel-looking dawg heads on knitted antennae (for lack of a better word! See? See how I need a camera!?) But alas and alack! No camera! Thus a word-filled but somewhat visually lacking Knit-A-Log, for the forseeable future. Sigh.
And we are visual critters, aren't we? I tend to gravitate to the blogs with the nice pitchers.
Well, here is what else I would show you, if I could. A pair of lovely handmade socks from Mindy, in cooler shades ranging from royal blue to purple to sea green to a creamy white, and which I am keeping pristine, though I am dying to put them on, in order that I might get a picture of them in their unspoiled splendor! And plus the other wonderfulness, which arrived just before Christmas, along with the socks, in particular, the button of a skull with crossed knitting needles, which I've been wearing with pride on my messenger bag. Its awesome! Thanks again, Mindy!!
My brane feels all fuzzed and furred, for the most part.
Haaarroooo! Is anybody out there??? Send a friendly word!!!

Posted by pippypippy at 02:04 PM | Comments (5)

December 16, 2005

Devil Don't Claw II ~ The Clipping

Marcel has got one black claw on his back foot, which wards off The Devil and of which he is very protective.

Like Bigfoot, The Loch Ness Monster, and most UFOs, its hard to get it to appear on film, but the Knit-A-Log obtained this (ahem) footage. Its in there, and its powerful mojo, believe it!!
Plus the merest mention of (whispers it) nail clippers sends little doggies running for the hills! Or at least hiding under the kitchen table!
Thus, we have to call out the Big Guns!
The Intrepid Dr. Dobner and Equally Intrepid Julia, who comprise Veterinary Home Healthcare, who make house calls, and handle just such situations, and fear not the Devil Don't Claw, nor filthy-pawed, wriggling, slightly chubby little hellions!! (they've seen more hellacious nails, believe it!) Plus, Marcel even tried the old muddy-front-paw-to-the-face routine on Julia! Did it work?? Nope. See what I mean? Intrepid.
Thus, the Don't Claw was exorcised!
Thanks to Dr. Dobner and Julia for always taking such good care of my boy!

While the clippers were out, Marcel gotta full manicure into the bargain, so he's all set for those holiday parties. Once he takes a bath. Right now he says he's being "European".
The whole nail ordeal kinda wore the little guy out.

He had to put down his holiday sock knitting and just chill.

I promised him I would finish it for him today.

Posted by pippypippy at 08:01 AM | Comments (1)

December 14, 2005

What I learned today about winter biking

Let me tell you, I learn something new every time I venture out, in my layers. Today I was unclear on the whole precipitation thing. It seemed like nothing was coming down from the sky. Note to self- check for sleet!! Just put a hand out the window or something, for dogs sakes. Because did you know it?! Sleet will smite you. In leeetle teeeny chunks that sting your nose and make it pink!! It kinda feels good, though. And makes a nice clicky sound on one's helmet. If you think you are clever, and can ride up the driveway from an underground garage, you will learn that sliding backwards is a real possibility and also gives you that nice little edge of adrenalin. Also, I learned today about fish-tailing, because people driving cars are a bunch of oblivious homocidal maniacs. Nothing new here, I guess, but it really became clearer to me today. Call me overly anxious about these matters, but I can honestly say every driver that I encountered was going too fast for conditions. I'm serious, man. Which brings me to another interesting thing that happened~ being passed way waaaaaay too close by a driver who was, I kid you not, dialing his cellphone. And just fyi, for those familiar with my *ahem* slightly maybe too relaxed biking habits, I was persuaded to wear my helmet on my head today. Egads.

Having said all that, 2 strangers called me courageous! Yes!
Hear me rowr.

Posted by pippypippy at 04:40 PM | Comments (2)

Olive branches extended, accepted. Plus, snow ride! Maybe.

Ok, so maybe the title says it all. The situation has resolved itself. Or, like the Onion headline said, so long ago, and yet it still makes me laugh, (and one has to laugh at oneself or one would be humorless, in my opinion, anyway) the dorkwads and gaywads have made peace. Oh yes! In time for the holidays. But we won't even go there! Alls I'm saying is, all's well that ends well.
In other news, its supposed to snow, big time! How do you say it again, in Russian, snyeg? Something like that! Oh yes! Snyeg, many, many snyegs!! Lets put on giant fur hats and drag Pippy around like in Doctor Zhivago, in a bike sled drawn by rats! Would it not be beautiful and romantic?? Swigging vodka and whatnot to keep warm, across the frozen steppes to Belmont and Damen! Will the dream come true? Stay tuned!
Oh, and holiday knitting is giving us fits! Fits!

Posted by pippypippy at 08:40 AM | Comments (3)

December 12, 2005

Blinded by the cuteness~!

Guess which Palomine turned 3 this weekend!

The one whose Fairy Godmother sends birthday presents on Valentine's Day, but she's used to it, its been happening since she was 2. Ooh, I am a bad bad Fairy Godmother!! Maybe I will even lose my license! I should, because look, just look at the cuteness! Anyway, happy belated, Palomine, and look for that package any day now.
Plus, here is some extra bonus cuteness, for your viewing pleasure

The grinning anarchist is our new little comrade Joey, and the small print says "Anarchy In The Pre-K". You better believe it! A little future hell-raiser. We're looking forward to it!

Other than that I have been frantically knitting some gorgeous gift socks. Not having a camera you can't see the gorgeousness but trust me, its true. Yesterday I fell asleep while knitting in bed, and woke up with yarn on one side, knitting on the other, size 0 dpn digging in my rib, not at all sure what time it was, what day it was, or if I'd missed some pressing appointment! No stictches were dropped, believe it! I was dexterous in my sleep!
Today was spent painting, and now I have 4 more grooving right along for I am on a roll.
What's bad for the heart, as they say.
Misunderstandings among friends have got me down, a teensy bit. How does it happen? One minute everything is fine.
Sigh.
I am inclined to forgive.
And to apologize, if I knew for what.
Its a simple thing.
That's all I'm saying.
Don't overthink it.

Posted by pippypippy at 03:02 AM | Comments (1)

December 10, 2005

In The Land of Dreamy Dreams

Last night, last night, I remember it! Were you in it?? Were you naked? Was I? No!!! But there were rats, life size, human scale, friendly, happy rats! Giant rats on freakbikes, in the frozen arctic landscape! Their collective ratty breath in crystalline clouds in the night air.. oh! But I get ahead of myself, because the rats came in later!
First I looked for a bus that never came, shared a cab with a friendly, scraggly-haired stranger named Paul, and we (mostly I) carried on about Hugo Chavez, the cost of heating one's home, the reasons education should be free, and why I wasn't on a bicycle. "I'm looking for a horse barn," I said. And a Redmoon! Where is this horse barn!? And then we saw it and I hopped out into the frozen tundra again, with all good wishes to Paul, and pulling my scarf over my face, searched for freakbike tracks in the snow.
Was there a Payphone in the house? The man sitting under the crescent moon was not sure there would be, until Saturday, 9:00 show. I milled about. Wait! There is no 9:00 show Saturday! I will wait! Just then my 7th grade teacher walked into the room, wearing hospital slippers.
An angelic young woman in a nightgown spoke in a reassuring voice. "You can still go in til 9:00" she soothed.
Twinkly music came from beyond the wall.
Enter 5 pink-faced rats!
Introductions are made, we put on hospital slippers, (dear readers, don't be ever daunted by hospital slippers!)
And the rest,~ Oh not to give away too much, for you must drag your collective behinds and shell out (a mere 10 bucks, hey if I could do it) to see for yourselves, but just to tease~
imagine an adult size playroom, based on stories of creation, and where your job is to explore, to play, to dream. Its up to you and you must- because really you can't help yourself- fly, (although it took me a minute to catch onto that one!) peer into tiny doors at magical pictures, sit inside a cloud to hear the story of the great flood, as you steer the wheel of the imaginary ark, and turn the knob to generate the rainbow. Climbing the blue stairway you are inside the cloud that rained the primordial soup, surrounded by chirping birds, fluttering butterflies, the dome of sky both night and day, and flowers!And Moss! And oh, the flowers! The flowers smiling at you with cherub faces!
The ratty friends and I lay on a big, fluffy white bed with a canopy-funnel to the pretend-sky, and rolled about the room. We jumped on the bed in our nightclothes, laughing for joy and naughtiness, just like 5 year-olds, and fell into the pillows, breathless. The boys spun crazily from the rope swing and stumbled away, dizzy!
You see, I've given away too much already!
Oh, do go there!
And thanks, ratty friends, for a lovely and dreamy time!

Not to leave anyone out, the rats took me to the bus and then I found the warm and sleepy Travesty, (Travesty who was unmoved by a Pippy's mewlings for coffee, but did provide a nice natty sweater to warm one's nose against. Travesty of the smoky whiskers.) at the messengers union benefit, which was wrapping up. But I was in time to meet her! The puppet girl, oh yes, the pigtailed, platformed Leslie, whose adorable face I had never seen! Oh, dear readers, if you are lucky, and you are out prowling a corporate bookstore on Michigan Ave, next to the park where they park the horse carriages, any day now you can see her and her rolling puppet theater too! And if you see handpuppets beneath a diminutive disco-ball, a bunny and a kitty, ask them who's inside! Or at least give them a dollar, and maybe a kiss, because they are awesome!

Posted by pippypippy at 07:41 AM | Comments (3)

December 08, 2005

Pippy Bikes Winter, sort of. Plus, Lookin' for the Rev.

Pippy is very proud these days, of piling on the layers and bravely venturing out into the chill! It wasn't looking like winter biking was going to happen, but Tuesday was my first time out, since its snowed and been less than 30 degrees, its interesting. Very. For one thing my lucky cat squeaker froze solid, before my toes did, even.

Yesterday in particular was a test of the Pippy resolve, when a tall bikey friend and I attempted to find the Right Rev. Billy and his choir, taking the Shopocalypse tour to the belly of the beast, North Michigan Ave. So, running late as usual, we made our way from Humboldt Park eastward, along Division Street, and over several bridges. It was then that it truly hit home~ dragging layers of clothing, a messenger bag full of yarn, a cranky bicycle, and a sleep-deprived body over bridges and between cars in the cold is not for the meek! (is it official, Pippy is not meek?? Oh, but that's part of the charm of Pippy, isn't it? I'd be loathe to let it go. It keeps things interesting. Anyway~)
So we made it to Michigan Ave, but alas and alack! No choir!! No white suited guy with megaphone! Could we have missed them entirely, being as we were 45 minutes late?? I asked the Streetwise lady (and politely bought Streetwise, and considered returning later with a warmer pair of socks for her, egads) "have you seen a choir, a man with a pompadour and a megaphone? Making a joyous noise??" Nope. No choirs passed this way. She and I wished for god to bless one another, several times, and I suggested maybe she was underdressed and she suggested it was too cold for bike riding. No way, man, I said (ok I lied). I said "you try to stay warm! For gosh sakes!" So the search continued. Where but where, besides in a $tar*****, would one find the Rev. ?? The disney store~! So we tried there and it was then I noticed I could no longer feel my toes.
No action at the disney store.
We tried the Apple store, and I went in to warm my toes while bikey friend watched the bikes. Setting the tall bike (with drum kit for added intrigue!) in the glass window of the Apple store was something of a subversion, as it set up an inverse display, which grabbed more eyeballs than new imacs could hope to! So I wandered around approaching employees with the query "Have you seen a choir, a Rev. in white suit, pompadour, megaphone?" No, but I may have missed him, some said. No, you'd know him if you saw him! I said.
Oh, and I was so in the mood for a glorious and rousing ruckus too!
Ok, so. The feeling came back in my toes and it was then that a young man approached to talk about the tall bike and he knew! It seems the tour bus for the Shopocalypse tour had been in a bad accident, somewhere in Ohio, he thought!!! Some choir members were hurt!! (pitchers of wrecked bus at linky page!)
We are hoping and praying everyone is all right!
Praying along with the folks at the Friendly Towers, where we stopped on the way home to see if any bikey friends were around.
They weren't.
But had a sign on their window about the Rev. and the accident.
Here's hoping the Rev. makes it in to town in one piece, for the Revival in Rogers Park~! Still checking on developments..

Posted by pippypippy at 09:37 AM | Comments (1)