Evidence that I actually still do knit. First a finished hat.
I had to make a new word to convey my thoughts of Trans-Siberian Orchestra's concert Wednesday night. It was frantabulous! Excellent music delivery, extensive lighting and laser effects, and fireballs. Tell me, how can a concert go wrong when fireballs are included? I could watch a K Fed concert if it included synchronized fireballs going in the background. Maybe I’m part insect, I’m just drawn to bright flashy lights…I digress.
Upon arrival, we were met with big warning signs that strobe lights will be used. That would have been really useful information to have known when I ordered tickets since my mom gets massive migraines from strobe lighting. Mom spent a decent chunk of the concert covering her eyes to not get sick when the strobes were in use. Luckily, it wasn’t too often, and she had no ill effects.
For ordering four consecutive seats a week before the show, I couldn’t have asked for better ones. Kris was really happy that we had an aisle seat, so he didn't have to keep his legs folded for three hours. :) I was actually pretty glad I wasn’t able to get floor tickets as, you know, it’s a floor and not staggered in height so short folk like me couldn’t see squat. We were seated in the lower level a few sections in front of a massive stack of amps. One of these days I’ll learn to take earplugs to rock concerts so I can actually hear after them.
Guitar Hero 2 was released today, and I picked up our copy after casting my vote this evening. Kris and I spent the evening running through career mode on easy mode to open up new songs and such. We finally have two guitar controllers for the game so we can play co-op or versus. (I totally beat him on "Heart-Shaped Box".) I'm rather shocked that my fingers are working well enough to type now. Best part of the game, the Trogdor song from Strongbad Emails is included as a song that can be bought with in game cash earned from gigs. Can't wait to get access to the Trogdor song!!
**Side note, the title is a reference to Strongbad's Guitar email if you're not familiar with SB emails**
As alluded to in my second to last post, Kris and I went to speak to the surgeon on Thursday. I'll be sans gallbladder as of December 12th - joy. Nothing like recouperating from surgery right before the holidays. :-/ I had Kris go in with me to keep me honest and go through with scheduling the procedure because I'm basically scared to death of surgery. Feh. Thanks for all your words of support to this scardey-cat :)
With the possibility of being laid up for up to a week or more, I went Friday morning to stock up on sock yarn at my LYS. 'Cause, you know, I might need more sock yarn... Pics will be forth coming later on this week as we've had crummy overcast weekend weather which doesn't help my poor photo skillz. :) I got Koigu, Wildfoote, and Fleece Artist sock yarns, so I have to be able to do these colors justice.
I finished my second Christmas gift knitting project this afternoon. A pair of socks!
Out of character for us, Hubs and I have been taking in more concerts than usual lately. Yeah, that means we'll be going to at least two this year. For me to justify laying out money for concert tickets, I have to be damn sure I'll like the way a band sounds live before I order tickets. I'm picky about live music; performing for a few years through high school and college with some fab musical groups have spoiled my ears. Live music just isn't enjoyable to me if I hear warbly out of tune notes.
On a surprising move from my snobbish concert goer ways, Hubs and I went to see Joseph Arthur with Zoe and BP last month. Before going to the smokey bar to see him perform live, I'd only listened to the first few seconds off a CD. "Cool, it's acoustic. I'm in." was my only precursive reaction.
What I hadn't counted on was a fab, rockin' three hours! My favorite song of the night performance-wise was "Slide Away". Holy crap, does he have vocal range! Oh, and a theremin. :) We were TP-ed by a leaf blower towards the end of "Electrical Storm". I really enjoyed the off-the-cuff antics and improvisation, particularly around a story of the varicose veins on a fake leg they had on stage. The highlight of the evening was during the finale of "Honey and the Moon". Joseph came out into the small crowd at Birdy's and went right up to BP and had her sing along with the chorus into his mike. Thus sealing the deal that I had to buy a copy of that concert's live album. I still get a big grin on my face when I hear that song on my iPod. Fun times, good friends, and wonderful music! :) Yeah, I listened to the Joseph Arthur playlist for the majority of the drive to PA the next week.
Next Wednesday, we'll be catching Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Conseco Fieldhouse. As I got my mom and sister hooked on TSO last year, they'll be coming, too. Nothing quite like Christmas music in early November. :) They tour with a 14 musicians, 14 vocalists, and 2 narrators. I've heard that they're fab live, so I'm really excited about this show. I wanted to get tickets to last year's concert, but cashola was no-go-a. Look for a write-up maybe late next week, or hell, almost a month from now if I'm as up on my blogging as I was for the Joseph Arthur concert :)
Crap. I go tomorrow morning to speak with a surgeon about my gallbladder. I went to my primary doctor today for a sinus infection and asked for his opinion regarding my pesky gallstones. He recommended that it needs to come out. *sigh*
Can't wait to see what type of reaction I get when I tell the surgeon that I'm terrified of being put under. Too many Discovery Health Channel specials of "the paralitic drug worked, but I was still awake and congnizant" to leave me with warm fuzzies. :(
My write-up of our trip to Pennsylvania!
Hubs greeted me yesterday morning with a package from my Spooky Secret Pal. Wow, what a haul, too!
Yeah, I was hoping to post my PA trip recap post tonight. My gallbladder had other plans and decided to act up an hour before I came home. :-/ Hopefully, I'll get to write up that post this weekend and not spend all my time in bed sleeping wanting to feel better.
Tonight, I was met by two packages from online secret pal exchanges. Do I feel spoiled or what tonight! It was so exciting to see a mailbox stuffed with packages and not with bills or junk mail :)
First off, I received my package from the Knitted Thing Swap from Celtic Coyote. She knitted me a fabulous Booga Bag from Noro. 
That's how I've felt for the past few days. I didn't follow directions, so I've placed the proverbial pointy hat on my head and sent myself in the corner. As identified by my grade school teachers long ago, I haphazardly breeze through driections unless a task challenges me. My second go around with the Clapotis pattern is a textbook example of my stubbornness regarding my skimming of directions. For reference....
Today is Hub's 28th birthday. Not too much celebrating was had since we're still a bit groggy following the looooong road trip yesterday and due to the fact that I have no patience for keeping presents from him. He's had his birthday iPod since the second or third week of September, and he received an FM transmitter for it today. :) We also met up with my dad and stepmom for hers and Kris' birthday dinner at Texas Roadhouse. Yummeh!
When I asked for a birthday photo-op, all I received in reply was "You have plenty of pictures of me all ready." So I snapped a pic of the back of his head doing some beta testing this evening. 
We're back home again in Indiana. (Yes, too little sleep makes me quote corny songs!) Quick highlights tonight from the road, more tales later after mucho sleep.
Best Bumper Sticker Sighting: "I'm only speeding because I really have to poop." Potty humor gets my vote every time :)
Most Annoying Road Hazard: A convoy of 5 charter bus, 6 Indiana State trooper cars, and 2 sedans going under the speed limit in the fast lane for a huge stretch of highway around Dayton, Ohio today. As we finally passed them, we found what ranks such a high security patrol, the IU football team. :-/
Best Breakfast Stop: JP's Family Restaurant in Waymart, PA. We stop there every year for breakfast on the trip home.
Scariest Driving Moment: Going through the tunnels under mountains on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, I felt like I was playing Gran Turismo. Then, I remembered how the electronic car I drove in that game always pinged off the sides of tunnels rapidly.
Iron Buttcheeks Award: Given to the license plates I saw from the furthest states. All these were spotted while in Pennsylvania - Oregon, New Mexico, and California. I will not complain about a ~700 mile drive ever again.
Hubs and I are headed out Saturday morning for our annual trek to see my grandparents in Pennsylvania. Wooo for vacation! I'm really excited to have some time off, but it's been hectic and stressful getting arrangements and last minute things done.
I'm cooking up a huge pile of knitting projects for me to take along for the trip. My grandma also mentioned that she has a half finished afghan that she'd like me to take a look at. She's had it for years and wants to find out what can be done to finish it.
My hopes are to have a few more posts up here before Friday night. So much to say but so little time!
I've been spooked by my Spooky Secret Pal from the Knitty boards :D Perfect timing to get something fun in the mail.
This past weekend held quite a few hours of knitting for me. Even if they weren't exactly normal circumstances to knit under. Clapotis 2.0 came with me to take care of my college roomie, Mary, after she had her wisdom teeth removed. It also saw some happier less painful knitting hours at a barbecue on Saturday. 
Ok, technically, it wasn't a yarn fair. This past weekend was the Fishers Renaissance Faire. But, within three booths of entering, I spotted handspun for sale!
