Nina: April 2008 Archives

So Friday I got to hang out with Baby Dean, and he was a very good baby.  His mom got to get her teeth cleaned and run some errands, just getting out of the house.  That gave me some time to stage another photoshoot with the little man.

First things first:  Dean modeling the things I crocheted for him.  (I'd love to tell you that he's smiling because he loves his hat so much, but actually he was filling up his diaper.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here are the booties.... 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also worked on getting some more shots of features for the BW Montage:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He's a cute little guy, and I managed to get a few more decent shots.  I have to say, though, it's a little easier to take good photos once babies are past the newborn stage.  With my youngest nephew now 2-1/2 years old, I'm a little out of practice with infants.  They stay asleep quite a bit, which makes it challenging to get photos with their eyes open!

Here's one more....

 

 

 

 

Sometimes there is just nothing that can improve your outlook as much as spending time with a new life.  I got to do that this afternoon, and it definitely brightened my day.

My friends Lynn and Greg have just welcomed their first child.  Baby Dean made his debut on Friday, 4/4, at 9:41am.  He was 37 weeks, 4 days, weighed 8lbs, 4oz, and was 21 inches long.  He spent two days under special care with very mild respiratory issues, but all is well now and they are home.  Lynn is recovering both from the C-section and the intense stress of those first few days, and Dean is thriving and putting on weight as fast as he can chug his bottles.

Today I popped over for a visit, camera bag in tow, and we had the first of what will probably be quite a few photo sessions.  Is it just me, or are baby feet about the cutest things ever?  Kinda makes the fingers itch to knit a baby sock or pair of booties, doesn't it?

 

In the spirit of general snarkiness going around these days, especially on the topic of relationships, I humbly offer the following for your reading amusement.  It's a journal entry from 2006 in which I laid out the play-by-play commentary of the almost instantaneous implosion of a fledgling dating situation.  Enjoy!

 

Friday March 31 at 7:37 pm

[First date with Bradley...dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. We meet there.

He seems nice. Good first date.]

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Friday April 7 at 6:30 pm

[Second date with Bradley...dinner followed by a production at Theatre on the Square. He insists on picking me up. Once on the Square, he seems threatened by one of my MDJ customers, a deli owner, who greets us as we walk by. Mumbles something like, "That guy didn't seem to like that I was with you" as we are being seated. (hhmm) As opposed to the first date, he seems nervous and awkward.

 

Dropping me off at my door, he says he has something to tell me. As I stand waiting for whatever it is, he loses his nerve, changes his mind, mumbles that it's probably not the right time, and says to never mind. Since I'm supposed to be meeting friends out dancing, I let it go and say goodnight. He asks to do something the next Saturday--besides a class in the afternoon, I may have something that night, so I say I'll check my schedule.]

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Sunday April 9 at 9:30 pm

[Bradley calls, and we discuss doing something.....he really wants Saturday instead of Friday night so he 'won't be so tired.' Saturday the 15^th is busy, but I have time in the morning. He doesn't want morning--he seems fixated on afternoon or evening, and a several-hour window after my class and before the evening isn't enough time. We agree to meet for coffee and a walk at the River Park.]

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*Tuesday 4/11 11:42 am - Bradley calls, but leaves no voice mail

(I noticed he called, but was in the middle of a busy day and couldn't call back....besides, he didn't leave a message so I had no idea why he was calling)

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EMAIL Wednesday April 12 1:37 pm Bradley wrote:

Hello there!  I hope that you had a good time last Friday night.  When I asked you to go out this Saturday, and you said you needed to check your schedule, and then you said that you already had plans, that we'd have to meet in a 2-hr window, I thought to myself....is she putting me on the backburner or does she plan on going on a date that night or is she meeting friends?  I am just thinking this because I'm wanting to know where are relationship is going, etc. Hope you are having a great day-

Bradley

P.S. do you like to talk better over the phone, or do you like email?

*Wednesday 4/12 5:44pm - Bradley calls, but leaves no voice mail

*Wednesday 4/12 8:56pm - Bradley calls again, but leaves no voice mail

(when he called I was on the phone with my sister discussing how to respond to his email)

EMAIL Wednesday April 12 11:37 pm Nina wrote:

(I sent him an email, which apparently failed in delivery...he didn't receive it)

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EMAIL Thursday April 13 9:00 am Bradley wrote:
...still you don't email me back.

Anyway, Libby the dog's birthday is today!  She is turning 4 today (28 in human years).  You're more than welcome to come and visit her - unless you already have plans.  This is my last email to you, either you don't reply to people's emails, you're too busy to check your email, or you are busy seeing someone else.

Hope to hear back from you-

Bradley

EMAIL Thursday April 13 at 10:40 am Nina Parker wrote:

Brad,
I sent you an email last night, but judging from your email this morning it
did not arrive. I'm sorry you feel slighted--that definitely was not my
intention. This week is magazine deadline, and I've been both very busy
during the day and staying late at the office. I don't have personal email
access during the day at work, and if I'm with customers I can't always talk
on the phone. It's usually best to leave a message so I'll know you called
and why you are calling.

Your email yesterday (and this morning) was very candid, so hopefully you'll
understand that my reply will be, as well. We have been out twice, and are
just starting to get to know each other. I do not understand why, at this
point, you feel entitled to question my schedule and imply that I should not
be spending time with friends or other dates. I doubt most people would
think such a brief acquaintance merits the kind of accountability you seem
to be expecting. As to your statement this morning that the email would be
your last to me, that is probably best. It's too bad that you are prepared
to discontinue getting to know someone because they their response time
doesn't meet your expectations, but that is up to you. I think we have very
different ideas about dating, boundaries, and communication. So while I
wish you the best, I don't think we should go out anymore.
Take care and good luck,
Nina

EMAIL Thursday, April 13, 2006 2:13 PM Brad wrote

I see I have struck a nerve, and I apologize.  The only reason that I used such strong words as - "this is my last email" was to get your attention.  It sounds like you are dating around, which is what I really meant to ask you, but me, being a guy, obviously asked you the wrong way.  I too am dating around, so that is not a problem with me right now.  I hope you can forgive me for asking you the wrong way.  I'd like to go out with you again, but I'm more for looking for someone that is willing to spend more time in a relationship and according to your schedule, you are obviously too busy with work and friends to invest in a dating relationship.  Oh well, if you really want to not see each other anymore, then so be it.

I aplogize again for my strong words in my earlier email, I just have a hard time communicating (like most guys do)  God bless you in your endeavors-

Bradley

EMAIL Thursday, April 13 2:57 pm Brad wrote:
I'm sorry.......Please forgive me.

EMAIL Thursday April 13 at 2:58 Brad wrote:

I truly apologize for the harsh words....I had no idea you sent an email last night.

*Thursday 4/13 5:44 pm - Bradley calls, but leaves no voice mail

*Thursday 4/13 8:56 pm - Bradley calls, leaves a voice mail: he didn't mean to hit a nerve, he's sorry that I'm mad, etc. he wants to talk and make sure we are still on for Saturday

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*Friday 4/14 8:12 am - Bradley calls, leaves a voice mail wanting to "talk about things"

EMAIL Friday April 14 at 9:00 am Nina Parker wrote:

I appreciate your apology. At this point I really don't think another date is a good idea.
Take care,
Nina

EMAIL Friday 4/14 10:30 am Bradley wrote:

Okay.  I understand (I think).  I hope we can still be friends.

Have a great Easter weekend

-Bradley

*Friday 4/14 11:50 - Bradley calls again, but leaves no voice mail

EMAIL Friday 4/14 at 12:30 Nina Parker wrote:

I got your voice mails, and I understand that you want to talk, but further conversation is unnecessary. If I haven't made myself clear enough already, let me do so now: I'm not interested. Please stop calling.

EMAIL Friday 4/14 at 2:00 Bradley wrote:

Wow, you really are brutal.  OK, I understand that you don't want to be friends with me either.  I hope you forgive me, and hope you have a great weekend with your family.  Goodbye.

Generally I am not much into those mass forwarded emails that either ask you to do something and "don't break the chain", or waste several minutes of your day reading or viewing something cutesy.

 

However, my mother sent me something this morning that I thought to be worth sharing.  The title was "Why Dogs Bite."  It wasn't what I thought.  Instead of a cautionary list of things to do like avoiding eye contact if approached by an aggressive dog, or taking a stick with you while power walking, this was about cause and effect.  As in, if you put these RIDICULOUS outfits on your pet, they simply cannot be blamed for defending themselves and inflicting serious harm on both the costume....and maybe said owner.

 

Some were worse than others, but being a knitter, I had to pause in particular horror over the hand knit contraption.

See for yourself....

dogs in knit.bmp

She's baaaaacckkk!!  Stephanie Pearl-McPhee swung back through Atlanta to promote her latest book, and the Snarkies came out in force to welcome her.  We met up at Steph's house, and then headed downtown to Knitch.

Sherrie, Laurie, and Nicole got a little crazy in the back of the minivan (maybe it was motion sickness!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jilly tried to take it all in stride, but she seemed a bit.......stunned.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, we made it down to Knitch.  We checked out the store, got our books, picked up a few other little necessities, and decided to grab a bite to eat before Yarn Harlot took the stage. 

 

We found a cute little place right across from the venue and were settled into a comfy little corner with soft chairs, lots of natural light, and heck, even our own bathroom! 

The hostess came around with a basketful of minimuffins....yum.  Laurie taste tasted them for us while Nunmaker blazed ahead with the knitting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Because the memories of the day are, overall, quite positive, I'm going to skim over the issue of the long wait and sub-par service and go straight to the food.  First of all, mimosas.  Actually, bottomless mimosas.  Yeah, two times for me, baby.  And when the food finally came, it was YUMMY!  Nicole wasted no time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

But before long, the clock was tick tick ticking, and it was time to get over to claim our seats.  Before Stephanie took the stage, there was a drawing for goodies.  The fabulous ladies at Knitch had amassed a veritable king's ransom in raffle prizes.  This is where I must introduce you to a new member of the cast.

A skein of someting very, very special was included as a raffle prize, and the winner was.....our very own Katey!!  The fabu prize was a skein of Vicuna, which is THE MOST EXPENSIVE fiber available.  Known to man.  Something like that.

Here's info from the YarnMarket site: 

"As the ancestor of the modern-day alpaca & close cousin to the guanaco, vicunas are known as the "bearers of the golden fleece" for good reason. Vicuna is the rarest & finest hair fiber available in the world, & these animals live only in the upper altitudes of the Andes Mountains. Since each animal produces only about 4 ounces of harvestable fiber each year, that also adds to its rarity."  Wow.  And check out the price tag.

 

In very short order we realized this was not just.....yarn.  This skein had an identity.  He was dubbed....EDUARDO!

Eduardo immediately began making friends with everyone in the vicinity.  He was friendly.  He was soft.  He gave neck rubs.  He was....special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More about Eduardo later......    Stephanie Pearl-McPhee came on and entertained us in grand form for about an hour.  Poor thing, she was in her traveling clothes, having experiences a very disconcerting alarm clock snafu followed by lost luggage.  But she was spunky and funny and uniquely Harlot.

Afterwards, it was time for food.  (You can see where our priorities are, can't you?)  This also allowed us to escape the first mad rush of folks standing in line to get books signed.  I'm happy to report that the food was good AND the service was....better.  (He began strong and faded at the end)  Yarn Harlot's new book and Sherrie's sock-in-progress seemed to be having a good time..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As did Eduardo.  He especially enjoyed the Peanut Butter Chocolate desert...ummmmm!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner completed and tummies full, we headed back over to Knitch to get our books signed.  Our timing, I must say, was perfect:  we rolled in right as the line dwindled down to the last few people.  Only the volunteers and Knitch employees were left.  Yarn Harlot met Jilly Bean, who was in utero the last time she was in town.  Mutual, I'm sure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New books in tow, and possibly too much yarn budget blown, we piled back into the van and headed home!  It was a good day.  I can't wait to try my new sock needles!!