Reports from Florida

I spoke to Josh on Saturday. He said that Katrina was big and rainy and windy, just like a big storm up north, but that they faired pretty well. He said they lost a tree and that was about it. Now of course, Katrina is tearing through Louisiana, and our prayers and thoughts are with those people.

On the homefront, Chris and I went to the Champlain Valley Fair yesterday with our friend Kate. We ate lots of bad food and saw a lot of cool stuff. We didn't go on any rides though. They are just too expensive for what you get. Is that a sign of being an adult when you realize that the things you loved so much as a child just aren't worth the money as a grownup? Wow, that's kind of scary.

Anyway, that's about all I have to report right now...maybe more later depending on what Katrina does. The weather guys are saying that we might get something from this later in the week.

Later Days.

Katrina, Kathleen and Hannah

Well, Tropical Storm Katrina is moving in on Hannah. Lucky Kathleen just arrived yesterday, just in time for the arrival of Katrina. She is scheduled to stay through Sunday, and since it's not supposed to be a big storm, I'm sure she'll be out in time. She isn't due back in Ireland until September 7th, so she's in no real hurry.

I've been playing with the Breadmaker with limited success. I can't seem to get the water/flour/yeast balance correct. It's been fun trying, but I would like to get a loaf that actually comes out right. Trial and error is getting a little old.

Chris and I are planning to go to the Champlain Valley Fair this weekend. I won a free VIP parking pass, so we even get free parking!

Later Days!

Pictures of the car

I finally remembered to take pictures of my new car. Isn't she pretty!!

On a completely unrelated side note, it came to my attention this weekend that people actually read this blog...speak up people! Knowing that you're out there, I guess I'd better update more often.

The major event of this weekend was further use of the new breadmaker. The first loaf I made was terrible, it barely rose at all, and weighs a ton! The second loaf rose like crazy, but it was nothing but air. It was delightfully doughy though...mmm, bread dough, yummy!

I've joined Freecycle.org and gave Chris' old picnic basket to a good home on Saturday. That leaves us with just one picnic basket. I have people coming this week for the books, scanner and printer. I love this place! It's nice to be able to give the stuff that we don't need a home where it will be used.

I spent Saturday reorganizing the downstairs closet. I bought a broom/mop hanger and hung that up and I also bought a utility shelving unit and the closet finally looks a little more organized, though looks can be deceiving.

I had a minor panic attack this morning when I couldn't find the cat. I looked everywhere I could think of, and then I remembered I had been into the spare bedroom last night...so I looked there and Sophie was very happy to be freed from that room. I'll have to check it later to see if she did any damage. **fingers crossed**

Later Days

Jane and Lucy, but what is the car's name?

There are new pictures of Jane and Lucy. I send a great thanks to Mary for sending them along.

I picked up my new (to me anyway) car yesterday. I've decided that it is a girl car, but I haven't settled on a name...I kind of think Betty, but I have the feelingsomeone else has a car named Betty. I haven't taken pictures of it yet, but hope to soon.

As you may or may not know, Chris and I went to Fenway Park on Saturday. We watched a triumphant victory of the clan of the Red Sock over the clan of the White Sock. I am just reminder of the movie Black Arrow which was about red roses and white roses. Odd. Anyway, back to the point at hand. The game was briefly interrupted by a forty minute rain delay. The best part of the experience was seeing Curt Shilling pitch in relief, that was fabulous! Manny Ramirez was also fairly amusing as he spent almost as much time sitting in the Green Monster as playing on the field.

Here is the official story from mlb.com.

BOSTON -- There's no better feeling in the world for a starting pitcher than having a red-hot offense behind you. Such was the case on Saturday night for Tim Wakefield, who shut down the White Sox hitters and let his batters do the rest in a 7-4 win at Fenway Park. Boston's sixth straight win allowed them to stay five games ahead of the second-place Yankees in the American League East.

Wakefield (12-9) captured sole possession of the team lead in wins by holding Chicago to seven hits and two runs over 6 2/3 innings. The victory ran his personal winning streak to four and the club's home winning tear to 13 straight, now 11 shy of the MLB mark set by the 1988 Red Sox.

The game was halted in the bottom of the sixth due to thunderstorms, lightning and heavy rains. The delay lasted just over 40 minutes.

Wakefield's only trouble came when he took the mound following the delay. He allowed back-to-back homers to Paul Konerko and Aaron Rowand to open the seventh before being relieved by Jeremi Gonzalez following a two-out double by Joe Crede.

For six innings, Wakefield, who with the victory matched his win total of a year ago, allowed just four hits and kept the White Sox off the board.

"I had it going on for the first six innings, and my rhythm and timing got off after the rain delay," he said. "I tried to stay loose and stay focused mentally within the rain delay. I made two bad pitches to Konerko and Rowand."

"He was so good, and then he went back out and didn't look tired to me or anything," Red Sox manager Terry Francona added. "He didn't look stiff, but a couple of balls rolled and they hit home runs."

The knuckleballer outdueled the Chicago right-hander, who entered the contest leading the AL in wins. But Jon Garland (16-6) couldn't collect his 17th victory on this night, as the Red Sox tagged him for nine hits and five runs over 5 1/3 innings. With a heat index of 98 at first pitch, Garland threw 75 pitches in three innings and reached the 90-pitch mark by the end of four.

"When you get good defense and great offense and you can hold a team like the White Sox down like that, it's going to give you some chances to win," said Wakefield.

Leading the offensive charge was Roberto Petagine, who belted his first Major League homer in nearly seven years and drove in a pair with two hits. His homer deep to the right-field grandstand seats opening the second against Garland gave Boston a 1-0 lead and marked his first homer in the Majors since his roundtripper for Cincinnati on September 27, 1998.

"After six years of playing in Japan, it's been a long time for me to hit on in the Major Leagues again," said the 34-year-old native of Caracas, Venezuela, who has driven in eight runs in his last four games. "I'm very happy to get it but, actually, we won, and that's more important to me."

Tony Graffanino doubled twice and joined Friday night's hero, David Ortiz, in collecting three hits. Both have had key roles in helping the Red Sox beat Kenny Rogers, Mark Buehrle and Garland in succession.

"I think we've been taking a good approach, making them throw a lot of pitches," Graffanino said. "When they make a mistake, we've been taking advantage of it and hitting the ball hard. Tonight, Garland had a lot of pitches early in that ballgame, and in that kind of heat and humidity, it looked like it wore him down a little bit and we took advantage."

The Red Sox strung together four straight hits to open the third against Garland to extend their lead to 3-0. Then, with one out, Doug Mirabelli was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Bill Mueller. The Sox third baseman lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Manny Ramirez with the third run of the inning and giving Boston a four-run cushion.

Mike Remlinger relieved Gonzalez with two outs in the eighth, but allowed a walk and a double. The lefty reliever has faced six batters in two outings and has failed to record an out.

Curt Schilling came on with two outs in the eighth in relief of the struggling Remlinger and recorded the game's final four outs.

Chicago's Jermaine Dye led off the ninth with a home run, but Schilling buckled down to close the door on the White Sox.

Mike Petraglia is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Later Days!

I'm Interchangeable

I've been reading my knitting forums and found this cute quiz. I think it is most appropriate, though I had to laugh since I just barely bought a set of interchangeable needles that I love.

You are interchangeable. Fun, free, and into everything, you've got every eventuality covered and every opportunity just has to be taken. Every fiber is wonderful, and every day is a new beginning. You are good at so many things, it's amazing, but you can easily lose your place and forget to show up. They have row counters for people like you!

What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Later Days!

Mission Accomplished!

The Space Shuttle Discovery landed today after 14 days in space. Congratulations to the entire crew for reinvigorating the nation's interest in space and space exploration. I still wish I could have been an astronaut! Hannah took pictures of the launch that I hope to add at some point.

Another mission accomplished of an entirely different type...I have actually finished a knitting project! I know, Chris is shocked too. I have completed the Tri-Aran-Angle from knitty.com. I can't tell you how excited I am by that!

Those are the major stories of the day.

Later Days!

We have actual news!

The best new piece of news belongs to Chris. He has been hired, part-time as a reporter for WTWK 1070 AM. You can check him out at www.wtwk1070.com. His first official broadcast is Wednesday. I can't help but hear "Video killed the radio star" going around and around in my head. We are all very excited about this, both because it is an amazing opportunity that landed in his lap and because it will be some extra money that we can sock away for future (ho)use.

The other piece of news is mine. Frank has found me a car. It is a 2004 Ford Focus. It is cranberry red and has 7,000 miles on it. It will be the youngest car I have ever owned. To say that I am excited is the biggest understatement of the decade! I was even more excited when I found out it was rated a best pick by Consumer Reports for 2004 AND 2005. I'll post some pictures of my new baby when I pick her up, but in the meantime if you can come up with a name, I'm open for suggestions!

I was very saddened to learn of the death of Peter Jennings. It sounds silly, but I feel like my parents must have when Walter Kronkite died. Peter Jennings was always my go to news guy and it is odd to not have him around anymore. Dan Rather got me through the Challenger Explosion, but Peter Jennings got me through the fall of the Berlin Wall and the attacks of September 11. Good Morning America pointed out this morning that one leg of the Rather/Jennings/Brokaw triangle is gone. It's odd since the three of them all went off the air in the same year.

Later Days!