Animals, More animals, and Some Knitting

ALRIGHT! I'm back from another busy week of doing crazy things. This time it was in Atlanta, where my sister is currently moving to. She accepted a job there and needed help looking for apartments. They definitely call Atlanta the nickname of Hotlanta for a reason - an average high of 95 degrees + humidity the time I was down there! Whew!

I got a lot of knitting done in the car rides on the way there and back (yes we drove from Michigan to Atlanta). I got to make a stop at the zoo and get some neat pictures while I was there.





One of the best things about Zoo Atlanta: they have pandas! They're only one of four US zoos to have them. This is the momma panda, Lun Lun.



And here's the baby panda, Xi Lan! These pandas are probably some of the cutest things I have ever seen.



Also, they had a demonstration on training. They used otters to show how training can help in daily routines with animals. I knew this before, but it's really neat to see, of all things, otters doing little tricks with their trainers.



I also thought the turtles and snakes were really cool :)





I have a funny video of a gorilla catching food from a trainer, but unfortunately I can't figure out how to rotate the video :(. Oh well. It was a very wonderful day at the zoo!

Now it's time to discuss the results of the crazy long car ride to and from Georgia. On the way to our destination, I finished the 6th out of 12 squares I'm making to put together as a blanket! They're turning out very well so far and I can't wait to do some more squares.



On the way back home, I started on a sock (the pattern: Thuja) and got pretty far with it.



Opie approves, also.



Yes, He's actually in mid-meow in this second picture.



He's such a charmer... :P

Blue True Dream and Leaping Spirits

Here's a poem I like from E.E. Cummings:

i thank You God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky; and for everything
which is natural which is infinite which is yes

(i who have died am alive again today,
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the birth
day of life and love and wings; and of the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing seeing
breathing any – lifted from the no
of all nothing – human merely being
doubt imaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake
and now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

Picturesque Felines

Some random pictures of my kitties - Izzy (brown) and Opie (orange and white) :D







I wish I could sleep like these pictures...




Speaking of sleep, goodnight all! ZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz

Perfection

The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.
- Anne Quindlein

Gagafied

Ok, ok. I apologize because I don't have any crafts to share with you right now, but I swear I'm working on them! I've been out of town many times this past month and haven't been able to spend as much time knitting/crocheting/whatever than I have before. The break has been both good and bad - good in that I am able to avoid burnout and bad because now I feel as if I have a ton of catching up to do. With that said, here's another random post featuring a group of youtube videos :).

Whether you love her or hate her, you have to have an opinion on Lady Gaga. Sure she's a pop machine, but maybe the point of all her music, crazy antics, ridiculously creative stage performances is that the pop music culture has become too cookie cutter and predictable. Her music may fit the sound of pop music, but her performances, music videos, and fashion are what keep people talking. I have a prediction with Lady Gaga that once her Gaga persona gets to be outgrown or grow cold, it will be "killed off" in favor of a newer, fresher one (a la Madonna). Who knows. I can't help but be fascinated with Gaga.

As an example, here are some of her music videos. Most of her videos are so over the top, that you just can't help but watch them for the first time and think "...what the hell was that" (at least that's what I tend to say to myself). With more viewings, they may not necessarily make more sense (well, maybe a little bit - if that's possible) but they are so innately creative that I can't help but keep looking for more.

Just an FYI, I am not responsible for the ridiculousness of these videos, so consider yourself warned! With that said, join me in saying "...what the hell?" as I post some Gaga-licious videos!

Alejandro (released today, June 8th, 2010)


Paparazzi (currently at 22 millions views)


Telephone (at 31 million views)


And my favorite, Bad Romance (now at 222 million views and counting)


In the random spirit of this post, here's a website featuring pancakes in various forms!

Bacon and Eggs pancakes!


A biplane pancake?


And lastly...TETRIS-CAKES!


In that vein, also head on over to one of my most favorite blogs ever, Cake Wrecks: When Professional Cakes Go Horribly, Hilariously Wrong! I can spend HOURS on this site, no joke, and still keep coming back for more.

Example. An adorably cute baby cake!


"What's so bad about this cake?" one might ask. It's the cutting of the cake that the problem occurs...

Anyone want a piece of a baby cake? I think I'll pass...

Alright, I'm done rehashing other blogs, haha. I'll leave you with a picture of one reason why I enjoy living near the Great Lakes! Taken from my camera phone.

Still Seeing in Double Vision

I just finished the next step of the Double Vision Blanket: I'm done with the 3rd "L"! This brings the total square count up to 51! I'm past the halfway point of the square making and am glad! I have 49 to go!



I need to add a black border on the one side of the "L" and tuck in the yarn ends. Once those are done, I will begin the home stretch of the project! It's starting to be a little monotonous, so I'm trying to put some other projects while I'm making this blanket. Ironically enough, one of them is another blanket (block of the month). Oh well.

Here's some videos I have from "So You Think You Can Dance?". These are four of my favorite dances they've had on the show that I've come across.

The first one is a more upbeat and intense routine that is a sort of a "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" dance.


The next two are both more similar in theme. This one is to "Calling You" by Celine Dion and choreographed by Mia Michaels.

And this one is to "Dancing" by Elisa. It features Lacey Schwimmer who was also on Dancing with the Stars.


Last but not least is "Time" choreographed by Mia Michaels. This routine is very touching and well done. Gives me chills, too. This also features Lacey Schwimmer.