Hey---Did you happen to see the most beautiful boy in the world?!

Here's a link to pictures of MICKEY!

So...tired...must post pics for friends...so...very...tired...

Oh My God!

This is Dad! Posting for Hannah!

Song of the week: Schooldays

Schooldays

Personally, I think a little Kate McGarrigle and/or Loudon Wainwright goes a long way. However, I can listen to their son Rufus Wainwright until the cows come home, and his sister Martha is no slouch, either. This is from a CD that features the whole fan-damily and several other relatives as well. It's a beautiful song by Loudon, featuring the McGarrigle Sisters and Rufus and Martha. Way better than Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road!

Why I'm not knitting right now...

Oh, well. The doctor says it will go away a few weeks after the boy is born.

Song of the Week: Tonight You Belong to Me

I just remembered: I still love NRBQ!

This week is a dedication to Sharbles and Mokky Wikky. Sharbles because we always liked the sappy songs by the Q and Mokky because a long time ago we spent all afternoon with our noses in dusty used 45s at Hymie's Vintage Records looking for the original single by Patience and Prudence. NRBQs version is quite a bit less strangely spooky than the P and P version, so I'm going with this one. It's just so dang sweet...

Tonight You Belong To Me

My first sacrifice (baby, someday I'll make you feel guilty about this)

I think I have mentioned here on the gnitter just how much I LOVE Ray Davies, but do you, dear reader, really understand?!

My life would bear much less poetry, paranoia, beauty and humor if my brain didn't have a little detour into Mister Davies Neighborhood in it. I was just telling my dear husband this morning that I can't wait to play the Kinks all the time for our little fella when he's born. Come to find out (thanks to the Treehouse), Ray Davies will be playing here on April 4th, and at First Avenue, no less! Ray Davies at First Avenue

Now, this is one week after our baby is "scheduled" to join us here outside the womb, and it pains me to realize that I won't be able to go...would it be child abuse to take him to First Avenue a week after he's born? Am I a complete Pollyanna for thinking I'd want to, having just had a C-section?! If I'm truly honest, I get the feeling I won't care what the f*#k is going on in the outside world for a while once I have that little bean in my arms.

Tonight is the last night of Arrested Development...?

Oh, and it brings tears to my eyes! I sure hope some network that has a lick of sense will pick it up, it's the funniest thing on regular TV. Thanks to Tony for the heads-up. Y'all watch it now! Here's a clip featuring Judge Reinhold (of Fast Times at Ridgemont High Fame) and that Korean guy from American Idol: clip of tonight's Arrested Development

Song of the Week: I Wanna Pick You Up

I Wanna Pick You Up
Well, as a mother to be, this song appeals to me because it's a sweet song about a parent who is really enjoying playing with his new infant. As a lifelong sicko with a morbid sense of humor, this song appeals to me because I imagine crazy drug addicted Brian Wilson in his giant in-house sandbox clumsily trying to figure out how to be a father. In a documentary I saw about Mister Wilson, his ex-wife said she finally had to pack the kids up and leave when she caught him trying to give LSD to his toddlers to broaden their little horizons. Who knows, Wilson Phillips may have been a much better band if Wendy and Carnie had taken the magic carpet ride. Well, I told you I was a sicko. Anyway, it's a sweet song and it's funny when the chorus of clunky fathers comes in to sing along with Brian.

In other exciting SOW postings, you had better check out Miss Sharblina Gordon's truly transcendent and uplifting pick for this week, especially if you're having a crappy day (make it a Happy Day!)

My Dearest Darling...

Crinch is up and running!

Huang Yong Ping Retrospective at the Walker

To kick off our New Years Resolution of doing things other than aimlessly wandering around bookstores (shopping) for entertainment, the old man and I went to see this exhibit at the Walker last week. I loved it! What can I say, it was right up my alley, it flipped my wig. A real wig-flipper.


Huang Yong Ping at the Walker
See the link for more info about Mr. Ping, but I think it's only at the Walker for a few more days so I don't know how long this link will work...

Song of the Week: Come On

Come On
Remember this one, Sharbles? It's the one where Chuck's had a really bad day, his car's busted and he can't afford to check it and he wishes someone would come along and run into it and wreck it!
Just a good song about having a bad day. I am also posting it to quote Gob from Arrested Development, in protest of the show's cancellation. Gob's new favorite saying when in a difficult situation is "COME ON"!

PS-no comments about Chuck's rather unpleasant fetish will be tolerated! This is good clean fun, as Chuck Berry's music was meant to be! If you don't have any idea of what I'm talking about, count yourself among the fortunate.

Rare Pregosaurus Spotted!

Seen here some time after New Years Day 2006, the Pregosaurus has crawled out of her wintery den early this year to peep at her beloved Minnehaha Falls. Could it mean spring has already SPRUNG here in chilly-willy Minnesota?!

make like a crafty gnitter

My immortal beloved subscribes to MAKE Magazine and I have to say, it's pretty dang cool---chock full of fun oddball projects to try (how to make your own PEZ MP3 player, for example). He mentioned that there is actually quite a bit of knitting stuff on their website, so I checked it out and thought I'd share the link here with you all.
Note: this crafty list is not exclusively knit projects---there's other fun stuff too!

link to MAKE crafts

Song of the Week: When the Fool Becomes the King

The Polyphonic Spree. What's not to love?! I just like the fact that there's this many people in the "band" and that they wear these robes! Beyond that, the group's leader Tim DeLaughter can evoke such emotion with his sweet (albeit somewhat hokey) voice, I was sold from the first minute I heard these guys (thanks Johnny E). The best elements of The Beatles and of Queen come through now and again, so like I said, what's not to love?! This is sort of a random sampling, you REALLY need to hear the whole body of work to appreciate them (you can find out more at their site, linked below). You really get the feeling that the Polyphonic Spree is not a band, so much as a way of life. And even though they refer to themselves as a "Family", they are, according to themselves, less of a cult than a "Broadway Revival". The message is so full of love, it will bring a wee tear to your cynical eye...

Warning: this file is gi-normous, the selected "piece" is 10 minutes long.
when the fool becomes the king by The Polyphonic Spree.

New Years Raz-olutions

1. Knock off the aimless "shopping for entertainment"

2. Resist that almost overwhelming temptation to JUDGE

I would like to find my entertainment in things that are a little more fullfilling than wandering around Barnes and Noble pretending that because it's a bookstore, it's okay. So I'm going to try to attend some more inspiring events around town and maybe report back here on the blawg...

Re the JUDGIE-NESS---I can directly gauge my level of spiritual peace by how quick I am to harshly judge OTHERS. So that's actually a selfish move on my part, a wily trick to get myself some more spiritual peace. My friends may have to find a new nickname for me, as I am known in certain circles as "Judgie".

ADDENDUM: I still reserve the right to judge others' musical taste as much as I want. ;-)

Song of the week is back! The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead

I've grown more and more fond of XTC in the last few years, I think they get better with age. I think their last couple of records (CDs, downloadable releases, WHATEVER) have been great. I heard this song on the radio today and it made me really happy, even though it's a little sad. It made me think of Paul Wellstone a little: "but he made too many enemies of the people who would keep us on our knees". Is it really so much to expect someone who's a politician to just be a good person? Now I guess I'm the mayor of simpleton for saying something as ridiculous as that! Anyway, here it is, The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead

Back to the reason why this is a so-called "Knitting Blog"

This is what I've started for the boy, in a lovely dark blue so that it will look like a little pea coat! I have to admit, I always choke a bit over the price of these Debbie Bliss yarns, but I'll be danged if they aren't truly a pleasure to handle. This is from the Debbie Bliss Baby Knits Book. Here's another view:

I'm not going to make the pants---I just picture them all saggy, with a big old dirty diaper in them!

I'm All Verklempt...!

For our friends who read Gnitter...

I just can't help myself, here's a portrait of our little BOY! If it's hard to see at first, it's just his face, his nose is pretty much smack dab in the middle...

Now send him your LOVE!

Bear with me...

Sadly, pregnancy is really taking a toll on the blog. Oh well, the five friends who actually read this thing are likely to tough it out with the Gnitter. Look at it this way, would you prefer long gaps between posts or long posts about what it's like to go maternity clothes shopping for the first time? Uh-huh, I thought so...

Song of the Week: Mmmbop

Mmmbop...
What?! Don't you ever just want a big piece of Bubblicious? The Archies had one or two good songs, The Monkees had many...Granted, I have no idea what these young fellers are singin' about in this song, but I can tell that they FEEL it, maaan! Bottom Line: I have a weakness for Hanson, especially on a sunny day, blasting in my car. So sue me.