Math for Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving, you and your husband are having 4 guests. Because of various preferences and requests, you end up preparing 4 desserts. This equals how many desserts per person? Solve for x.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Listing

Random nonsense on a Monday evening...

• Rufus had an appointment at the groomer this morning, so I killed some time at the mall while I was waiting for him. I picked up a Christmas present for my sister and then I wandered around, ending up in Macy's, thinking it might be fun to pretend we can afford to shop in Macy's. I was in there long enough to fall in love with a red fancy-pants designer argyle sweater. Damn it.
• Then I remembered that I can knit my own fine gauge, red argyle sweater whenever I want, hooray!
• Rufus's groomer put a bandana on him that has little turkeys and harvest pictures on it. Hahaha. Poor Rufus, he tries so hard to be manly
• Rufus tried to shoplift a package of treats while he was waiting for me, so the groomer let him help himself to the doggie treat bowl. I love her.
  
• I'd like to get the Super-Excellent Groomer a gift for Chrismas. Ideas? I'm leaning towards a big tip, maybe with a bag of my dad's famous belgian waffles (they are actual cookies, not breakfast waffles and they are so ridiculously good.)
  

Pavlov's hamster

Hamwich has learned that I'm the Giver of Food, so when she sees me near the cage, she runs over and mooches.

"Food?"



And then I give her food because I'm a sucker. She mashes her face through the bars and I give her seeds.

"Food?"



Yes, Hamwich. Food.

"FOOD!!??!!!"



Weirdo.

Temptation

What was on my Target shopping list:

1. Mr. Clean erasers
2. Bathroom cleaner
3. A new shower curtain liner
4. A night light

What I actually bought at Target:

1. The 4 items on my list
2. Coffee flavorings (my in-laws are visiting next week)
3. Sticky rollers (take that, dog hair)

What I wanted to buy at Target:

1. A snowman fleece blanket
2. Holiday-themed doormats
3. Various Christmas decorations
4. A new set of dishes
5. Dog treats (don't be sad for Rufus, his treats take up half of a shelf in the closet)
6. Peppermint-vanilla Method hand soap

Finished Stuff Friday: Margot

Stockinette in the round always sucks that life out of me, but I'd say the results were well worth it:



Pattern: Margot, Knitty Fall 2009
Yarn: Cascade 220 Heathers, colorway 2422
Modifications: Lots. I fall squarely in between sizes, so I used Teh Math Skillz to resize it for me and yes, I could have just tried it on as I went but I could not bear the thought of putting all those stitches on waste yarn and then putting them all back on the needle. As usual, I lengthened the torso and shortened the sleeves.

Which brings me to...the sleeves. Every time I knit a sweater I remember how short my arms must be. The pattern is written so that the sleeves will be bracelet length.



Not a bad length, right? They're about the same length as the picture on Knitty. Except that if you're Captain Short Arms like me, you have to shorten the sleeves by a full two inches. Oh well. It saves yarn!

I say this about almost every sweater I finish, but this is one of my favorite things that I've knit. The endless slog through the body was worthwhile and I will be wearing this a lot!

Every dog needs a hobby

There is nothing that Rufus loves more than tromping through the woods. If he can combine tromping through the woods with getting absolutely filthy, that is all the better.



Pro: Rufus knows what "go get in the tub" means...
Con: ...because when it's wet and muddy outside, he ends up in the tub every day.



Look at that water! Blech. The mud was extra muddy on our hike that day.

Rufus is very good at getting filthy and The MWP is very good at getting him clean again. I am very good at documenting the hilarity and drying him off (Rufus, not The MWP).

By the way, The MWP is sweaty in the top picture from hiking, not washing the dog, just in case you thought washing Rufus is hard labor.

No, maybe adult diapers are the answer

I am not a germaphobe and will use public bathrooms with wild abandon (I even *gasp* sit on the seat!) but when there is urine on the floor of the stall, all bets are off. How does that even happen? I mean, fine, some women hover above the seat and then pee all over it (also a deal breaker for me, don't turn the seat into a water park, ladies) but on the floor? The only scenario I could imagine was someone trying to plop a toddler on a toilet seat and accidents happen, but were they also spinning the hypothetical toddler around in circles? Yuck.