Countdown to GOODBYE Katie!

It has begun. The NBC Today Show's overblown goodbye to Katie Couric. But not only is the countdown on, dear old Matt is off by a solid week as to when the 31st hits us. Why, oh why, must we suffer through this self-congratulatory crappola every time a show member has a milestone? Is NBC truly so blind as to believe we, the viewing public, want to see this wanton display of smoke-blowing? Now before I get emails saying "change the channel stupid", let me just say that I program our satellite to auto-tune to the local AM news at 5am so I can hear the weather. I then fall back asleep and wake up to the IFOKCA (International Federation of Katie Couric Admirers). No, I cannot set the receiver to change after I hear the weather. Does.not.work.that.way. But I digress. Let Katie and her bubbleness slip quietly into the darkness and welcome Meredith within two seconds, then move on about life. Do not drag it out into 2 weeks of celebrity ass-kissing. That's all I'm saying.

In more personal news, I have hit the wall and lay crumpled on the floor. A solid week of rain (although not what New England has seen) has wreaked havoc on my body. Yesterday, it hurt to blink, let alone move. At one point, I was so cold, Rockin' R piled SIX quilts on me. Still took me 4 hours to warm up enough to move my fingers. That is 4 long hours of no knitting, folks. No anything except shivering and staring at Law and Order reruns on TNT.

Speaking of knitting, it has been, um, hit or miss. I have cast on and frogged more things in 10 days than I think I have ever even though about making. Since it drives me nuts to buy a new book of patterns and not cast on immediately, I have tried 2, yes,2 different patterns from KOTR. Friday Harbor and New England. FH was a dismal failure. New England, well, I used the pattern but not for socks. I really love the diamonds down the front but hated that lace stopping after 4" so I thought I could just carry the lace down to the heel with no problem. Whizzed through that like Bush through the National Budget, knit the heel flap, turned the heel and was ONE STINKING DIAMOND away from the toes when I tried it on. Would not go over my heel. I recalculated my gauge. Was I on or off? Dead on the money. Ok, should I frog and begin again or what? R asked if I could turn it into a wrist warmer for her and a solution was born! The second wrist warmer is a diamond away from completion and pictures. In addition to the wrist warmer, I have those Lovely Lace socks from the spring'06 IK on the needles. I fear the same problem is going to surface again. I've turned the heel, finished the gusset and the thing is so tight, I am afraid to try it on too many times. Maybe my yarn choice is the problem but I doubt it. I am using the cotton 8 Christine sent me for Yarn Aboard. The gauge is dead-on again. Maybe I am just not used to socks knit tighter than 7.5 spi? I will finish the sock and then try it on again. Will I be discouraged if they do not fit? You bet. I wanted lacey socks for summer since it appears I will never be warm enough again to go without socks. Oh well.