September 13, 2004
Transmogrification Complete
(Note to self: Do not apply chapstick to lips just before combing dog. Ptooie.)
Remember this pile o’ oak from my June 30 entry?
It is now this:
Amazing, no?
When The Mysterious K finished the clock, she brought it into the house from her woodworking shop, ostensibly to acclimate it to the indoor temperature and humidity, nevermind the fact that, it being the middle of September, the indoor and outdoor temperature and humidity are exactly the same, but let’s not tell her. She put it on top of the entertainment center and, I kid you not, it—and its gently swinging pendulum—transformed the whole house, infused it with a tranquil and soothing “heartbeat” that hadn’t been there five minutes before. Theoretically, we were supposed to be watching TV but most of the night our eyes were a little above the TV and to the left, watching the pendulum. (Some of my looooooooooooooooooooooooooooongtime readers may remember my entry on "sprinkler watching". Same thing.) Anyway, this lovely clock is soon to be given away, so we are enjoying it as long as we can.
Knitting Knews
The gay knitting group on Sunday ended up being the perfect mix of straight and gay women, about ten all told, including a woman who was so eager to join the group she came despite the fact that she hadn’t knit in 25 years, had a broken leg, was on crutches, and had had to bum a ride from a friend because she couldn’t drive. That sort of enthusiasm puts the rest of us to shame, don't it?
If you don’t include the unsettling moments when an addlepated and odor-challenged homeless gent decided to wander in, help himself to water from the water cooler, and reach across everyone to the middle of the table to help himself to some M&Ms, I think this first meeting was a great success. I’d love to see more people at the group, especially more guys (preferably not addlepated or odor-challenged), so come on down if you can! The next one is Sunday, October 10, 2-4pm, at, again, the Fiber Gallery. (Also, if you haven't been to the Fiber Gallery, I recommend a visit. The owner, Mary, carries a lot of rare and unusual yarns, including bamboo !)
TMK has really broadened her woodworking horizons...wow! I am sooo impressed.
Ryan, I swear, we occasionally toss various places we would like to live eventually... and Seattle has gone up several notches because A. Ryan lives there. B. There are knitting groups there. C. There is now a gay-friendly knitting group there....sigh. My envy knows no bounds.
:) L
Posted by: Lisa in Oregon on September 13, 2004 10:49 AMOh! Lovely clock!
TMK has become quite the master.
I too, envy the knitting group.
(love to you both)
Posted by: Anne on September 13, 2004 10:58 AMpoor homeless guy was no doubt the husband of an obsessed knitter who had driven all into a life on the streets with compulsive yarn shopping- my husband has on occasion looked at the price of purchases of wee bits of fiber that left him mumbling incoherently but of course he is far too polite to just help himself to the m&m bowl contents!
what a beautiful clock- the back-and-forth of the pendulum and the tick-tock is really relaxing- we had a real beauty that belonged to my g'mother which was lost in a fire a couple of years ago- we couldn't replace the clock but i missed the sound and sway so much that i occasionally set the metronome in motion in moments of stress- yes, i really do need a life!
stay happy-
Posted by: barb in texas on September 13, 2004 11:13 AMtmk is a master!
did anyone eat the m&ms after the gent helped himself?
Good question, Vanessa, but, fortunately, the M&M's were all in small "Halloween" snack packs anyway so no harm, no foul, even if someone did eat some after his departure. Oddly enough, though, now that you mention it, very few people were eating the M&Ms anyway. A tableful of women and no one was eating the M&Ms?!!
Lisa, oh, my goodness! StalkerAngie talks about moving up here; you talk about moving up here. Behold, the power of blogging!! (Still reading yours every day, btw, or whenever you have a new entry. Which reminds me, I need to add it to my list...)
Anne, so good to hear from you!!!
Barb, love your theory about why dude had gone to la-la land...
Posted by: Ryan on September 13, 2004 11:52 AMMissy TMK - geeeeeeeze! It's fabulous! Quit your day job!
Missy Ryan - I'm pretty sure the next meeting at Fiber Gallery is the 10th, not the 2nd - didn't Mary say the 2nd Sunday of each month? I thought it was a great meeting. Very mellow atmosphere and nice shop.
Linda "K"
Posted by: Linda "K" on September 13, 2004 12:21 PMNote to everyone: LindaK is right! The next meeting at the Fiber Gallery is October 10, not 2nd. Thanks, Linda!
Posted by: Ryan on September 13, 2004 12:40 PMGood god, TMK, that's fabulous! And what are you thinking? Give them a nice crystal vase and keep that for yourselves. It's lovely.
Posted by: Rachael on September 13, 2004 01:03 PMIt took me 10 minutes to be able to post a comment...I was struck completely dumb by the clock. Even now, since I have dual monitors on my desk, I have the clock on one side and the comment box on the other so I can gaze at it. It's just breathtaking. She really made that??
TMK....can I be you when I grow up? No, really. I wanna be a combo of you and Ryan when I grow up. Or maybe that's just the stalker in me. I shall go into a corner and weep cuz I've been working on the same bedspread all year (yeah, it's intricate, so??) and in just a few months TMK made a freakin clock that rocks.
Oh and I still wanna move up there, I just haven't found a way to tell my hubby we have to move thousands of miles away so I can join a gay knitting group.
Hope everyone has a great day!!!
Posted by: Stalker Angie on September 13, 2004 02:49 PMNow, see, Angie, in deference to TMK's feelings, I deliberately left out the details about exactly what kind of trauma it took for TMK to make the clock. Let's just say, it got to the point that whenever she walked into the house with a certain slump to her shoulders, I knew (a) her router had gotten away from her, (b) she had made a kind of cut in the oak that had never been seen in the annals of woodworking before, and (c) she had to go get another $14 piece of oak.
But I think she would agree it was worth it. The clock is beautiful, even prettier than the photo shows. And we appreciate that you appreciate it, dear Stalker!
Posted by: Ryan on September 13, 2004 03:00 PMSee, now, I'm totally going to put forth a conspiracy theory here. All day today (well, make that yesterday, since it is now 15 past midnight -- I know, because I looked on TMK's AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS clock, or is that that dumb little computer clock I'm looking at. One or t'other.) and THIS POST WAS NOT HERE. And it says you posted it at 10:29 a.-freaking-m. And I'm upset because I wasn't among the FIRST to see that amazingly piece of craftsmanship. It's not THAT far from WA to VT. Cripes, it's like your posts go up to some satellite that's taking the long way around to Vermont, via Russia and then Australia. Oh, please forgive me. I'm off on a tangent. Love the clock. Have I mentioned? Of corse I haven't. My better half collects clocks (his are usually old and don't work) and have I also mentioned our whole house is outfitted in oak? Get over to my blog and put a haiku in my comments. One of my readers has given me a challenge and I want to blow her away. My daughter even did one! How cool is that? Sorry. My comments are longer than your post, almost. XOXO. We're all turning gay so we can move to Washington and live in a commune with youse two.
Posted by: Norma on September 13, 2004 09:33 PMthat would be "amazingly BEAUTIFUL" and that would also be "of course." I shoulda proofread that thing before I pressed send, but I was just so wound up I couldn't think straight. I mean gay. I mean straight. Hee!
Posted by: Norma on September 13, 2004 09:36 PMK,
The clock is so beautiful! I really,really love it. We have one and when it is not wound and therefore doesn't chime,it feels like something is missing in the house. Are you building another for Ryan?
Damn she's good! I agree, keep the clock.
By now I'd probably be packing to move Up There too, if it weren't for the fact that I cannot imagine moving one adult, one 3 year old, one entire house full of items, and one elderly cat 3000 miles while simultaneously finding a job that pays enough to have a house which I would then have to find. All of this all by myself. Whew. But if I had a staff of 5 I'd be there already...
Posted by: CarolineF on September 14, 2004 09:04 AMThe clock is exquisite. I'm very impressed. Heck, it even looks like a real clock! I say, give TMK 2 options: A) the clock stays put, or B) the clock goes AFTER its replacement clock arrives.
You're right - there's something wonderful about the way the tick-tock of a clock fills the house. I really like the sound of our Grandfather clock in the hallway.
Posted by: Samina on September 14, 2004 10:53 AMDur...sorry about that blank comment. Anyway, I've been meaning to get to the Fiber Gallery for a while. Can't wait to check out the bamboo yarn (do they have soy yarn also?). Hmmmm...I may try to make the next knitting group...
Posted by: Ara in Seattle on September 14, 2004 12:48 PMAra, I'm not SURE they have soy yarn but I think I overheard the owner, Mary, saying something about it. Hey, come on to the next meeting anyway, hokay?
Samina, the clock actually doesn't have a tick, or a tock, for that matter, but the silent pendulum is even more mesmerizing, I think, than one that makes noise.
Posted by: Ryan on September 14, 2004 01:02 PMI'm so glad you had a good time on Sunday. I had a great time too. It was a nice size group for the first meeting.
The Fiber Gallery does have several soy yarns as well as hemp, nettle, recycled cotton, recycled silk as well as organic cotton and alpaca. (I don't get paid by comission. :) )
Posted by: Jessica on September 14, 2004 06:19 PM