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Ewwww Goya >.<

Ok.  As far as I understand it, Paleo (in its original incarnation) was all about cutting out processed crap and eating things in their most natural state.  So why on earth do paleoers have such a huge anti-dairy rage boner?  Milk is one of the best things out there!  And I don't just mean because it is delicious, but because it is full of vitamins and fat that our bodys need.  But a lot of paleoers put milk on their Bad List and go out of their way to substitute it by any means possible.

Hey, I love almond milk, trust me.  But it isn't milk!  It can be substituted in some situations to achieve a similar effect, but it will never replace milk.  You can make almond milk by blending blanched almonds 1:3 with water.  Ok, I can put that in the "natural" column; I'm perfectly ok with blanching.  But coconut milk/cream/water?  Guys, when was the last time anything in those cans was ever actually part of a fruit (nut?)?  How much processing had to go into those poor coconuts to create these concoctions?  And how many preservatives had to be added before canning?  How long ago were they canned?  And how far did they have to travel?  See my issues here?

I mean, I'm perfectly ok with the idea of coconut stuffs, and though I haven't tried them yet for this purpose, there's a chance that I'll like them.  But unless you live in Hawaii, where you can make all this from scratch, on what planet is coconut substitutes paleo?

Am I in crisis?

I'm not sure.  I have been putting a lot of thought into many of the choices I live my life by as of late.  It's been three years since I cut off my hair and started doing the dirty hippie thing, two years since I started derby, and a whole year of keto, and three months since I finally started dating a fantastic guy.  Are these choices still right for me?

Well, I'm not dropping out of derby, that's for sure.  And I'm not switching leagues again!  But I am very far from content with the current state of things, so I plan on running for an executive board position this week.  I'm going to make this league better if it kills them!  It is driving me into poverty, though.  I have an interview for a barista position at Sheetz tomorrow at 7:30 am  -_-;;

Keto?  I just did a full blood panel two weeks ago.  My cholesterol is stupidly healthy.  It is the best I have ever had in the seven years I've been testing.  I love my diet, and I love bacon, and cream, and eggs.  But I can't stop fantasizing about pancakes and Chunky Monkey.  I went to Grange Faire for my birthday and ate myself into a coma.  I enjoyed every single bite, but was in so much pain for the next two days purging the sugar from my system.  I keep going back and forth.  Do I really care what I look like or not?  Is all the bacon in the world really worth not eating 95% of the menu?  Will popcorn really kill me?  It's a thing of willpower, which I have significantly less of on some days.

Dirty Hippie.  This is something I have always classified myself as, and always will, but sometimes I wonder how much the "dirty" part matters.  I finally managed to bleach my Rogue streak again after five or so years, but decided to Manic Panic it red temporarily since I wasn't able to bleach it white all at once and didn't want it to look like piss.  I'm enjoying the red streak (though I liked it better when it was darker), but it seems to have sparked a bit of vanity in me.  I caught the nail polish bug from Cephalogal and did that for a couple of weeks, and even started wearing eye liner.  And then I freaked out Burn.

Burn is a fantastic guy, he treats me very well (unlike my previous relationship), and feels eerily perfect.  Is it wrong for me to be paranoid?  I mean, I thought the last dude was decent, and then I realized the hard way just how much of a scumbag he really is.  And to make matters worse, I didn't realize this until a couple of months after I broke up with him (though I did decide to because i realized he was less than fresh).  Is my douchegauge broken?  How was I able to put up with shit for so long?  Is there anything said broken gauge is missing in my new relationship?  I highly doubt it.  Burn is a bit distracted, but I feel he honestly means well.  So why am I having such a hard time getting past the deception when I have no reason to interact with it again?  I don't know.  It's that Lack Of Self Esteem thing again.  At least this is a decision I have no intention of changing any time soon.

But I digressed.  I've been having attacks of vanity.  Since I visited my mother in August and Had to look good, I've been considering washing my hair, using real lotions instead of coconut oil, and pretending to be an adult.  I don't know why.  The idea of using prefabricated body products terrifies the ever-loving crap out of me.  I hate how they feel on my skin and how they irritate it, but now that my hair goes down my back, I'd like to be able to pass my fingers through it.  And the only way I know how to achieve that is by using a shitload of paraffins and chemical products.  I mean, my hair is very healthy, but that kind of "silky" is always artificial.  The idea just feels so… wrong.  Like I'm cheating myself out of my values.  Would I be?  Is there any way to manage that level of chemical pleasure with natural, home made products?

Yeah.  My head hates sitting still.

Oh!  And I am currently in two swaps (which I should remember to make posts for -_-;;) and am going to a wedding in December for which I need to have two sets of baby gifts.

Back to the Skew

As always, now that I've finished knitting everything for everybody else (yeah, yeah, I'll post about it this weekend, maybe) I'm picking up the damned skews again. Unlike previous times, where I'm constantly wearing Docs, today I was wearing espadrils, which I quickly removed at the busstop (where I do most of my knitting) and tried the sock on.

Well... It fits my foot perfectly, but it's a bitch to pull on. There are notes as to how to make the ankle larger, but I've already done 50 rows past that point, and I really just want to get them over with! Ugh. I'm so conflicted. It's my first Wollemeise, and It feels really nice, but I'm starting to be afraid I'm never going to be able to wear them :/

Crafter's guilt

As is stated in the title of my blog, there is so much crap I want to make, and have purchased materials for, and I'm never going to get around to it! I'm currently angeling a swap at Odd Ducks, and am finally only a couple of rows away from finishing my handknit. And it's only taken me two weeks! I am quite proud of myself. Especially because I'll finally be able to increase my knit total! I mean, I swear I've been knitting, but I don't feel I have anything to show for it. Especially because I love knitting for other people :/ So hopefully, I'll finish this shawl and I'll finally be able to finish those damned socks. Ha.

As far as purchases go, I'm still waiting for my Woolgirl Sock Club delivery which I was supposed to get before going to MDSW. Communication has been near impossible with her, so when she sent out the announcement a few weeks ago for this month's package, I responded, and she said all my previous emails had been sent to the trash. Now, the problem is, I really want the kits! They are really high quality! And the very, very rare times she has managed to respond, she's been very sweet about it, and promised to send out replacements for the AiW and Mad Hatter kits that I never got. So now I am waiting. Again. People have been receiving their Queen kits for a week now, and I don't know when to expect it. And I don't want to be that annoying person that keeps on writing and complaining.

So yeah, still waiting on that one. I also have all the stuff I bought at MDSW that I haven't gotten around to even touching, plus the stuff that I have bought locally. And now I want to join a RHPS SAL that EverimprovingMe is holding and a Zombie/Apocalypse Odd Duck swap. Decisions, decisions! And guilt :/

So if I do join the RHPS SAL, what character(s) should I chose?

Oh! Also! I got a cool email from Blogger this morning. Apparently, now you can see how much traffic, and from where, your blog is getting. My Alice doll seems to have been linked several times on free ami sites ^_^

ETA: So of course, the moment I decide to complain to the world, a box is left on my doorstep. I'll post about its awesome, awesome contents in the near future. I hope.

[swap] Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog

As awesome as I felt about the previous post, I feel completely inadequate about this second swap package. At first I was very excited about knitting the Dr. Horrible doll, until it started to look lopsided, and the head wouldn't stay on. I really don't like the pattern I used (Some Assembly Required) as it had many superfluous steps that involved binding off and casting on and kirchnering. I want to try it again, but I'll definitely try to crochet it instead.

I also sewed up a project bag, included 3 oz of the fawn colored alpaca, and some sour babies, along with a cool letter I wrote referencing an application to the E.L.E. being processed and torture. Oh, and the pattern, which was on her list.

Harumph. It's one of those things that looked good all through the process, and then I saw the other packages in the Thank You thread, and even the other one I made, and I really dropped the ball. I should look for some way to remedy this. I was going to include a second coat and gloves, but I really, really was hating the pattern when I was done. And I would have had to wait several more days to send it out.

Misanthropy, Movies and Me.

I had another one of my "I hate people" moments this weekend, when four separate people bailed on me within two hours of us going to the Dam to canoe. At least I have a very stubborn roommate and we ended up going anyway. It rocked! We rowed for a good hour, saw a lot of dogs, and I got a lot less sunburned than I ever would have expected to (as in, none). This also made me remember that I should probably place that Zinc Oxide order already!

As far as the no-poo, I think I've got it down! I'd yet to feel my hair as clean as I would with shampoo, until last friday night. I did a tbsp BS in 1C water on dry hair, brushed through, and then dunked my head in the tub that I'd let fill while the water was warming and I was doing everything else. I then rinsed with 1C straight vinegar, followed only by cold water. There was a faint smell through the night and part of the morning, but had completely disappeared by mid afternoon. I don't plan on doing the vinegar every time, or at least halving it with water and maybe rinsing with warmer water, but my hair did feel completely clean, without feeling dried out. Also, dandruff is completely gone!

The hair sniffer, though, has had minimal txt contact on friday, past midnight, for which I have lost all patience and hope. Le sigh. I managed to keep myself distracted throughout the week by watching many movies:


Prince of Persia (aka Parkour, the movie): Disney movie, based on a game, staring a very ripped Jake Gyllenhaal. It was a blast! It was very well done, and very entertaining.

Toy Story 3: Holy shit, did I cry! I did children's parties in college, and would constantly do a TS2 puppet show, so the story is very close to my heart. There were very few predictable moments, probably because I'd seen them in a preview, and it was completely awesome!

Knight and Day: We didn't make it to The Killers in time. It was Tom Cruise doing what he does best: be batshit insane. They never managed to get Cameron Diaz in the proper angle, for which she constantly reminded me of the doll from Saw, with the huge, protruding cheeks and detachable jaw. If you want to be constantly thrown through a loop, over and over again, this is the movie for you! It made perfect sense, in that it made no sense at all. It was quite enjoyable, just for how ridiculous it was.

The A-Team: "No, they are trying to fly it." This is by far one of the best action movies I have seen in quite some time. I was laughing so hard the entire time.


I promise to post this weekend about the two swaps that are coming to an end. I hope I mange to finish everything >.<

Damn you Erika!

I just spent $25 thanks to you (not counting the other $40 in books that I had to get at the same time). I'd already given up cross stitching fifteen years ago, but no, I just had to pick up yet another hobby. The list of projects I currently have going:

- New cross stitch Black Eyed Susans
- Skew socks 50%
- Vampire BF socks 25%
- Wedding shawl (for wedding this saturday) 25%
- Sweater, 2" to be frogged
- purple spinning 75%
- new green spinning
- Swap #2 project, purchased
- Swap #3 project, purchased

not to mention the lotions I have to research.

[review] Knitivism

So I went to a club meeting on thursday for a group called Knitivism. Activism through knitting.
I love knitting, I have a strong hippie bend, I've always wanted to be more active. Sure, I'll give it a try.

Now, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you hear Knitivism? What could they possibly be doing?
- knit blankets and scarves for the shelters
- knit cardigans for the battered women, to help them feel better and get the drive to work through it and get their lives back in order
- knit something for the old folks, let them know people still care
- how about those boobs they need for teaching nursing?

I don't know, I figured it would be using knitting for good. What I actually found was a bunch of dirty, 5th year sophmore hippies that are all about Darfur and Thon, who sit around and pretend to move their needles which they just bought at walmart.

The guy running the meeting was all "I want to be, like, umm, a vegetarian, because like, umm, the environment... and... ummm... like, yeah, umm, it's healthy... did I say the environment? Oh, but I don't think I'll keep it up for Thanksgiving. I might try to pick it up again after the holidays, because like, I like turkey, and umm... like the food is good... did I mention the environment?"

Dude, srsly. Have you ever heard of a thing called a conviction? I have met many, many vegetarians since moving to the US; only a couple of them were actually serious and did research deeper than that horrible PETA Whale Watching campaign from this summer.

I'm still on their listserve, and I plan on keeping an eye on them. Maybe they will decide to actually -knit- for something, rather than just be "activists" who pretend to move their needles.