Slice of the Big Apple #10

OK, this isn't really from New York itself, but on the way home we stopped at Chix with Stix in Forest Park, IL. Great LYS, and friendly, too! We ran in the door about 15 minutes before closing on a Sunday afternoon, and still the two women behind the counter never made us feel rushed (Mom and Dad at the counter below).A large space, open and (fairly) bright, with yarns clearly displayed and several work areas.

I came away with three in-house souvenir patterns from this shop - adorable boy and girl booties (left), and a market bag (right) with both short and long handles. I'm working the bag in Cascade Sierra as you read this. OMG - I might have actual knitting pictures in the not-so-distant future!

And this, my knitting friends, is the mother of all ball winders (a BFBW, according to Papa) - smooooth! You can't see from this photo, but it requires two clamps, one on either side of the counter corner. This winder means serious business.And for $200, you can have one, too.

Slice of the Big Apple #9

(This ain't no wimpy slice of fruit - it's a huge careful-you-don't-choke-on-it-and-if-you-do-I-don't-wanna-hear-about-it chunk.)

Friday in Manhattan was just Nana, Papa and Meema. Despite getting shut out of our first two chosen activities (#1: not having the correct portions of receipts for the harbor tour, and #2: not reserving tickets ahead of time for the Tenement Museum, which had THE BEST LOO IN THE CITY - I swear I took pictures of it), we made our way uptown. Lunch was taken at an amazing Greek family-run restaurant on Madison Avenue. Then...

Ah, Le Guggenheim.

Leaving the museum, we took a really fast cab ride across Central Park to catch a train to our next destination. Good timing, to be on the Staten Island Ferry at sunset; I'd love to say we planned it that way, but we owe it to good tourist karma.

The last stop on our last night in NYC was Grand Central Station. Dang. What an impressive structure, to say nothing of the thousands of people sifting through it each day.

Anyone else a fan of The Untouchables? Couldn't help but remember the movie as we walked down those stairs. (That's red-shirted Dad, heading down them much more uneventfully than did Mr. Costner.)

Whew. Big chunk of apple, that. Thanks for playing.

Slice of the Big Apple #8

We started our Big Apple Thursday in divide-and-conquer mode: Ness and Dad trained over to visit Shea Stadium, and Mom and I headed south downtown for our second yarny indulgence, purl soho. Ooh, it was nice.

See the storefront photo? See the little metal cellar doors in the sidewalk on the right? That's their stockroom. Yes, it was quaint and very Soho on a lovely summer day, but I can't imagine it holds as much charm in a rainstorm or blizzard.

See the (negligible quality) self-portrait of me and another in the shop? I was looking for souvenir yarn and heard a voice behind me mention something to the effect of "we used to carry this at The Yarnery..."

"Excuse me? The Yarnery in Saint Paul?"

Yup. That's me with former Yarnerista Kristi. It's a small yarny world out there.

The souvenir which leapt out of the cellar and into my bag was Lorna's Laces sock yarn, exclusively dyed for the shop.

Slice of the Big Apple #7

The 'Buck stops here... and here, and here, and here. I had no idea how far a company could take the concept of market saturation until we took this trip. Starbucks is freakin' EVERYWHERE. All the way out and back again. I will say this: their omnipresence in Manhattan provided delightfully predictable opportunity for a certain physical relief.

The first of many 'Buck moments, this one in WI Dells:

Here we see Ness modeling her purse-turned-headwear in a freshly caffeinated moment; M&D are bedecked in South Park shorts (yup).

God only knows where this one was on the night bus tour.

Bear witness to the (frequent) frappuccino carnage.

At least in the Twin Cities there are a couple other coffee chains with a strong presence, and some seriously fabulous indies. Me likes home.

This got a triple take

From the Just Say No department's regional office in Scary, Indiana:That's right, they're pre-frayed for your immediate casual enjoyment. And you spindly mama's boys will have to shop elsewhere - these beauts are available only in L-3XL.

What I learned from my sister on The Trip

Always visit the loo in any tourist destination you can; you never know what gem you may find.

taken by 'Ness in the WC of Lettuce Knit, Toronto, ON

Slice of the Big Apple #6

The theatre, the theatre, what's happened to the theatre...

I'm probably one of the few voice teachers who, on a trip to Manhattan, didn't see a show. I even have the pictures to (dis-)prove it.

p.s. Mom and I did sing "Gary, Indiana" as a distraction whilst travelling through said city. Audience participation credit, right?

Slice of the Big Apple #5

token photo by Jason R. DeCesareWe rode the subway A LOT. If there were frequent flyer miles for riding the trains, we'd have come close to cashing them in for a free trip to Antigua.

The mosaic art on the station and platform walls ranged from old-world classic to vivid contemporary expression, and was a beautiful distraction while running around. I was a bit fixated.

This billboard from the tunnel didn't quite fit into the rest of the slide show. It cries out for its own classification, but which I'm not sure. Oddity? Just Say No? Feel free to express your opinion in the sidebar poll.

ADDENDUM, to record the sidebar poll for posterity:
"This photo is..."
choice 1: "... sooo what I need! Does Walgreens carry it?" (1 vote)
choice 2: "... an ad. No big whup." (3 votes)
choice 3: "... odd. Where else but New York?" (1 vote)
choice 4: "... insane! OMG - Just Say No!" (1 vote)

Slice of the Big Apple #4

After leaving Canada we drove through western New York, then headed south into PA on our way to the hotel in NJ.

I loved the landscape in the Allegheny-Pocono-Appalachian-whatever-range-I-forgot.

Why I Am a Lesbian, Reason #37. (If you can't read the back of his jacket, it says "White Trash Racing Team." Yeay, baby.)

This rest stop was stunning. Gary IN, please take note.

Dad shows his affections for East Coast driving.

Travel tale: the hotel where we were staying is literally one mile from the George Washington Bridge into Manhattan, on the Jersey side. Needed to make some very specific road maneuvers to get there; we didn't. Meema's new phone with GPS capability to the rescue!

The next picture doesn't give you any idea of the sheer terror that was our hotel's driveway. Imagine whipping around a corner of the New Jersey turnpike, then immediately veering right and sailing up the incline of a 75-foot jet carrier landing strip. (I'm standing in the doorway of the hotel lobby taking this picture.) There was much nervous laughter after we executed our first entrance, let me tell you.

Slice of the Big Apple #3

Twilight at Niagara Falls, Canadian style:

(BTW, je déteste the pastel spotlights that broke out as the sun went down; the white ones were enough.)

There is something completely mesmerizing about being near that much rushing water - it's no wonder people have been drawn to leaping in and being carried away.

More to come...

Slice of the Big Apple #2

This slice should have appeared before Slice #1, but I know you all can roll with the punches.

Here are photos to accompany the second on-the-road post: the trip to Lettuce Knit in Toronto.

Saw it, loved it, recommend it.

Mom came away with two pairs' worth of Jojoland Melody sock yarn.

My Toronto souvenir stash: Fleece Artist Flaxen, hand-dyed in Canada; Socks That Rock superwash, in Kawkaw; and a button jar of pinks for Kidlet's amusement.
Stay tuned for more...

Slice of the Big Apple #1

This being the last season for The House That Ruth Built, the Twins graciously handed the Yankees win after win.

Our seats were pretty fine.

Mom thought she'd eat her hot dog and then disengage from the game; truth be told, she and I never picked up our knitting.

If you look very closely, the Saint Paul's Episcopal youth group is situated under the DONUTS sign. Freaky coincidence.

Now batting for the Twins: Joe Mauer. Some guy in white pitched.

Granted, they only appeared when the Yankees were celebrating, but the dancing Fisher Price Little People made me smile.

Not a bad first night in the Big Apple.

The need for strategery

For those who may not know me well, a confession: I can be a bit compulsive with a camera in my hand.

On two separate choir tours to the British Isles (back in the days of actual 35mm film), I shot between 25 and 30 rolls on each trip.

In college (film again), I was the queen of dorm life photo documentation.

Now, with the digital age upon us and without the constraints of film processing loans, I often run amok with the camera, knowing things can be deleted and easily stored away without paper. On this road trip, I cruised through many, MANY batteries while snapping in tourist mode. And what, pray tell, was Meema's magic number of vacation shutter clicks?

1 , 5 6 3

Papa and Sis took an enormous pile of pics as well. We plan on getting together this week to help each other remember what the hell we were pointing our cameras at. Seriously, details have already begun to blur:

Look, there's a building.
Hey, another building.
See that building?

There are a lot of freakin' buildings in New York.

Don't expect to see all the photographic goodies right away; this girl needs her vacation recovery sleep. I'll start editing and making slide shows suitable for posting, for which you may ooh and aah appropriately.

Home alone

Just got dropped off by M&D.And yeah, it's a crappy nighttime photo of your average Saint Paul 4-unit building, but it's mine, dammit, and I get to sleep here tonight. Ahh.

More - so much more - in the very near future.

So tired

Aren't vacations supposed to be restful?

We're on our way home, one person lighter (no pat-, mat-, or soro- types of events; sister just had to fly home early), and hanging our hats in lovely (? it's dark) Toledo, Ohio for the night. I wanted to scratch a few words to say
I MISS MY PEEPS.

Oh, yeah, and I love New York.One could even say that I [heart] it.

O Canada, and then some

Pictures later. Just use your imagination for now.

Second day of the trip is behind us. We criss-crossed Michigan, entered into Canada without so much of a cursory glance at a driver's license, and made it to our first tourist destination: Toronto, specifically Lettuce Knit. If you don't read Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's blog regularly, do. It's so worth it to read this one all. the. way. back - she's that funny. Anyway, this is her LYS of choice, and I can see why. After visiting the neighborhood and shop (and purchasing several skeins - souvenir yarn doesn't count as stash, right?), I am completely chartreuse with envy. I came away loving Toronto as a whole and that 'hood in particular.

Second tourist destination: Niagara Falls, the Canadian side. Didn't intend to make it a nightfall trip, but it was quite lovely. And damp. Screw the hair, eh? The only complaint I and the rest of my crew have is that Canadians need BIGGER SIGNAGE in heavily touristed areas. It took us almost a friggin' hour to find the durn bridge to get across whatever water that was to the New York side. BTW, apparently the US Border patrol is trying to thin the herd. Just let us in, already...

Heading to New York today for the Big Game. Pray for us.

On the road

A brief note of howdy from the open trail. We travelled about 750 miles yesterday, stopping for the night in Lansing, MI. We have neither killed nor abandoned any member of our party as of this posting. More photos to come.
(DISCLAIMER: Readers from the great state of Indiana, please do not take this personally; you've overcome great hardship in your lives, and we are all proud of you.) Gary, Indiana is a most unfortunate selling point for the state of Indiana. Definitely looking for another route home...

End Times, and other things

from the editor: I'm a bad LYS employee. I've really done scant knitting this week, and thusly another fiberless post. Le sigh.

This is the last week of school for my studio singers. I know, everyone else under the sun is done but us. Graduation is on Friday (the 13th - don't think the irony is lost on some of these "adults"). And although most teachers spend the next three months travelling on vacation improving themselves at workshops, I teach a summer studio. As an independent contractor, if I want to be paid, lessons are taught.

I've never really been a get-the-heck-outta-Dodge vacationer - nor have my people - but this summer is proving to be different. The third week of July will be a Genuine Road Trip Vacation, the likes of which haven't been experienced by my family for over 20 years (ahem).

Destination: The Big Apple :-D
Motivation: seeing the MN Twins play at Yankee Stadium before they tear it down
Participation: mom, dad, sis, and moi

Driving halfway across the country.
In July.
Watching outdoor baseball (here's the view from our slice of Yankee heaven):No me gusta the potential heat/sweat/humidity factor with this itinerary, but I will shut my yap and deal with it.

OK, one question: I am certainly not the most sportly-minded lesbian to walk the face of the earth (though I have been known to cheer on a championship whatever in a social context), but shouldn't it be illegal or unethical or something to tear down Yankee Freakin' Stadium? It's like the Mecca of baseball, isn't it? Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle and all? (Heh, I didn't even google those names. Pretty impressed right about now, aren't you?)

side note: On this day in 1969 the Yankees retired Mickey Mantle's number, 7. Ironical. (This factoid was looked up after I wrote his name above, thus the ironicalness. And yes, I know it's not a real word.)

Lay it on me, readers. What should I petition the fam to see whilst in Nueva York? Leave me a comment with your favorite tourist-y spot, off-the-beaten-path eatery, or whatever. You're going to be listening to me blog about it, so the sights might as well be something we'll all enjoy.

Road trip

My little family unit and I have just returned from our extended weekend trip to Chicago. Squee! The fall colors along I-90 through Wisconsin were breathtaking around every turn - I'm sure J grew tired of hearing me say, "Ooh, look at those!" Kidlet was surprisingly amiable during the long hours in the car. What a trooper.

Being the responsible blogger I am, I scoped out yarn shops along our route. We stopped on Thursday afternoon at Off the Beaten Path Yarnhouse in Monona (a suburb of Madison, where my family lived for 3+ years). Their focus is natural fiber yarns, and lots of them. The ground floor of this large house serves as the shop, and is filled with lush displays of woolly-silky-planty goodness. J picked out Austermann Bamboo Soft Color for an everyday scarf. This was new to me: Bamboo Soft Color is a 65/35 blend of superwash merino and bamboo that is so soft and sproingy, I hope I can hand over the finished project when I'm done...

On to Chicago, where the yarn crawl came to a screeching halt, but family vacationing ensued. We stayed with J's brother and sister-(in)-law in the western suburbs, arriving for a late dinner on Thursday evening.

Kidlet was thrilled with the train ride into the city on Friday morning. We scaled the Sears Tower, walked around an appropriately windy downtown to explore statuary, then took the bus to the Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier. We apparently chased the Curious George exhibit from MN to IL. A quick rush-hour taxi ride back to Union Station, and dinner with family out in the 'burbs again. End of Busy Day.

Start of Next Busy Day. Brunch, some time to veg while watching School House Rock (one of Kidlet's many fixations), and off to the Cosley Zoo in Wheaton. It was a beautiful fall day to be outside, and the zoo was a great fit - familiar animals, smaller facility, and a pumpkin patch over which to obsess. Kidlet was very particular, but we all agreed she did a fine job selecting which was to come home with us. Another family dinner (great food!), and End of Next Busy Day.

Which brings us to yesterday, the day of travel. Brunch with Kidlet's cousin and his 10-week-old son, whom Kidlet absolutely adored, then into the car and homeward bound. It was a lot of travel time, and I have a lot to do in preparing for this week, but it was a great trip. I'm glad we took the time and made it happen.

Oh, and knitting? I took many things with me - a pattern for the yarn I planned on buying at a shop in Chicago that I didn't visit, a pattern for the yarn I had with me but left the needles I needed at home, blah blah blah. Instead, I made a preliminary swatch for J's scarf and have knitted several more kernels of candy corn (felted three before leaving town - very cute). I would have started the trick-or-treat felted bag for Kidlet as well, but didn't have the needles... Who packed my bags, anyway?