Off to Vegas

I think I've been traveling too much over the past decade or so as I'm leaving tomorrow morning for Las Vegas and I have yet to pack a thing. I got the suitcase out, but that is literally the extent of what I've done. I have a lot to do to get ready to go, too. I HAVE to paint my toenails. I refuse to wear sandals w/o painted nails and I don't bother in the winter as I wear shoes and socks constantly here in Michigan. And it'll be warm enough in Vegas for sandals which will feel quite decadent in March. I like to let my nails breathe the winter months. I also want to finish the red mohair scarf that I'm knitting for my friend Lisa. It's close to being finished, I think.

Last night I did the dishes that were sitting in the sink. I refuse to go on vacation and leave dishes in the sink. I figure it would be bad form to do so just in case the plane crashes. The apt. is enough of a mess, they don't need stinky, dirty dishes in the sink, too. I should vacuum since Anna, Schneider's wife, will be taking care of the kids while I'm gone.

Over the last two weekends, I got the majority of the yarn stash organized into plastic tubs that I picked up from Bed, Bath & Beyond (made in the USA) using my multiple BB&B coupons. Did you know that there are people out there who don't know that they never expire? Tragic.

Lent started a good month ago and I never shared with you what I was giving up. Along with the usual junk food deprivation (absolutely no cookies, cake, chips, etc., except for Knitting Night because angel food cake isn't junk food) for the forty days, I've also given up buying yarn, books, CDs & DVDs. SK was not pleased when I said I was giving up yarn buying for Lent because she wanted to go to The World's Greatest Yarn Store. I told her that I would go with her, but she thought that it would be too cruel to have me go to TWGYS when I couldn't buy yarn. I told her that I could buy patterns, but she said, No. I thought that was awfully sweet of her…that and I think she's pretty well aware that she could give up yarn buying for Lent, too, if she were Catholic and not Buddhist. ;-) I.e., she has an even more impressive yarn stash than I have.

Let me put it another way for you. If, for some reason, money were to become worthless and we had to resort to some other form of currency and if that form happened to be yarn, I'd be the Bill Gates of the yarn currency to SK's Warren Buffett.

I've decided also (for now, we'll see how long this lasts) that I can't buy yarn unless there is space in my plastic tubs (meaning I have to knit from the stash and free up room), except for one last order from knitpicks that I have to place once Lent is over – specific yarn chosen by a friend for whom I said I would knit a scarf, and this sock yarn that I wanted but wasn't available until Lent had started. And then that's it. I better do a ton of knitting over the summer if I want to be able to go to Mary Maxim for their massive end of August/Labor Day Weekend Sale.

We have specific plans for Vegas, our trip out of Vegas proper this year will be Death Valley. HRH has a burning desire to go to Death Valley. The really funny part about this is that HRH simply hates being out in nature – but maybe our trips to Zion and Valley of Fire in the past year have made her slightly less queasy about it. Nature gives her the heebie jeebies. She just asked via e-mail if we want to go to Red Rock Canyon on Thursday and I questioned that she wanted to go. She said not really. She would go to the Red Rock casino while we went "snake-hunting." That's what she calls being out in nature – mostly because we hunt for things that will skeeve her out. ;-) What are friends for, if not to laugh at your fears and encourage them? Hell, the LB took a picture of a snake somewhere when he was out hiking and mailed it to both of us and even though she was sitting in her office in TO, she was still freaked out. Wuss. ;-)

Oh, I also need to update the iPod before heading out. There are songs I need to take off and other stuff (I:Scintilla) I need to put on. When will I find the time?

This all means that LL will only have to put up with catblogging this Friday at Fermicat's place as I won't be taking my computer with me. Enjoy it while it lasts, LL!