FINISHED!

Well, it took me a year, but I finally finished the Harry Potter scarves. My nephews were quite patient, waiting silently - only asking once or twice. But this xmas, they got their scarves. Each scarf has 19 stripes. Each stripe has 22 rows. and each row has 70 stitches. All knit on size 5 needles. and then there are 11 tassels on each end. And their initials sewn in so that each boy knows which scarf belongs to which boy.

I miss you San Francisco!

I had a great time in San Francisco last week. It was sunny. I wore a sweater and no jacket. I wore high heels.

And the shopping. Sigh. The Shopping.

You know, when it comes to retail, sometimes being Canadian is like being a younger sibling locked out of your big siblings birthday party. You have your face pressed against the window and inside you see lots of grown up things going on. Cake. Ice cream. Shiny wrapping paper. and none of it is for you.
Shopping in the US is like being invited into that party and smashing yourself nose first into the cake and mashing it all into your face and loving it! I saw Macy's! Saks Fifth Ave! Nordstroms! Bloomingdales! Victoria's Secret! Juicy Couture! Betsey Johnson! Bath and Body Works! DSW! [and now I've exceeded my maximum number of exclamation points for this blog].

Of course I was there for training so the days were spent in an office building behind a computer. But at night, Kristen [my partner in Crime] and I shopped! and Shopped. And shopped.
on our last day there, we went to Alcatraz and then the Aquarium of the Bay - which were both awesome. We had crepes for breakfast and soup and a sandwich for lunch. It was a fabulous trip!

A Conversation with Portia

Me: Portia! I can't believe you ate a bag of M&M's and 30 icy squares!
Portia: Whatev's. You left it on the counter.
Me: Don't you learn? You were sick as a... well... dog!
Portia: I see no correlation between eating my weight in chocolate at noon and barfing chunks at 3 am. Two totally separate events.
Me: That's another thing. You threw up in your brother's bed!
Portia: Whatev's. It's not like he was in it at the time.
Me: So not the point, missy.
Portia: Is this going to take long? I have to go out. I ate an entire loaf of bread this afternoon.
Me: Gasp! Sputter! What?
Portia: It was in the Portia zone. I assumed you wanted me to have it.
Me: Bad dog! Very bad dog!
Portia [looking around]: are you talking to me?