(Ben wants me to post something so he can read it 🙂

This Gnarls Barkley video has been banned from MTV because it failed the Harding test. A quick net search explains “The Harding Test is the common name for the Harding Flash & Pattern Analyser developed by Cambridge Research Systems. The purpose of the test is to help determine broadcast flash patterns that may cause epileptic seizures in viewers.”

I’m surprised because the black and white doesn’t seem that bad. I found MIA’s Boyz video much worse, and there was no news of it being banned.

As a side note, who else is disappointed with the return of 90s fashion? Not so much because it was bad (although it is, and so is the 80s which we are phasing through) but because it lacks originality. Every couple seasons the fashion industry decides – yes, decides – that a decade is hip again. They reinvent the fabrics and colors, channeling the shapes. Blah. Why not something new? Will 2001-05 fashions be hip next year? Do I need to wait for three years for them to catch up with the current time? Or will they start over again with the 60s? You know, I read a few style blogs and more than anything they make me annoyed with fashion. I guess I read them so I can make sense of what I see on the racks.

Need a break? Take the Arrested Development Quiz. I’m ASHAMED I didn’t get 100% so I’m not posting my score. Seriously. Ashamed. I better start over again with episode one. After I finish Twin Peaks (Don’t tell me who killed Laura! I’m trying very hard to avoid spoilers).

Link

We had crazy Colorado weather last weekend. Saturday was 70 degrees and I think everyone in the metro area was out enjoying the warmth. We fought through the mountain bikers to hike up Green mountain. I took this picture of Ben and Jem in the same spot as the right hand picture, nearly one year ago.

Then Sunday we awoke to blustering winds and snow.

Sometimes you may hear me complain about Jem moping around the house. This is her waiting for Ben to come home. She stared at the door like this for 45 minutes.

I’m knitting a sweater vest. This is the biggest project I’ve done with yarn, more complicated than scarves and hats. Following the pattern will actually matter. I’m very excited about it. I used birthday money to buy the yarn and I want it to be put to good use, something I’ll actually wear. Miranda helped me pick out this lovely charcoal combination from the Recycled Lamb shop. I bought 6 extra large skeins.

This is the back piece of the vest, just before I realized I made a major mistake in counting inches. So I ripped it back to the light grey ribbing and started over again 🙂 I’m not too downtrodden, because I really really want to get this right. I’m more confident in understanding the pattern now and I think I have my gauge adjusted appropriately.

My sewing machine is fixed so when I finish this vest I can pick up my half-done sewing project. Apparently it just needed a thorough tune-up and a little tightening. It sounds beautiful now, no more clunking!

Tonight we indulged in a craving brought on by the snowy evening by going out to Woody’s in Golden with friends. I love their pizza buffet and giant sodas, especially on a wintery night. Now we have friends to play games and let the dogs play. I hope this gets Jem very tired so she just wants to sleep all day tomorrow.

Ben’s birthday present finally arrived! The XOPC is shockingly small. Ben is very excited to create programs for it. He plays with it almost as much as his xbox 😉

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

BLUE AND PINK DEVILLED EGGS, originally uploaded by the_moog.

Here’s another old recipe. This totally cracks me up! Does anyone want to hold a mid-century cooking party with me?

.flickr-photo { border: solid 2px #000000; }.flickr-yourcomment { }.flickr-frame { text-align: left; padding: 3px; }.flickr-caption { font-size: 0.8em; margin-top: 0px; }

Ham and Egg Combo, originally uploaded by Miss Retro Modern.

I love this flickr group! They cook recipes from mid century cookbooks and upload photos, with appropriate food styling and tasting comments!
http://www.flickr.com/groups/midcenturysupperclub/

And just like that I’m done with my online ethics class. Yup, shipped off my final essay over the intertubes this morning. Feels sooo good.

Now I can tippity type all the day long to try to earn some cash. Ben is home with a headache this morning. He didn’t really have to go into the office today so he’s working downstairs. That means I get to work in my lovely craft room, ignoring any strange noises coming from dog downstairs because she is not my responsibility! Maybe Ben and I can even eat lunch together 🙂

Shane was pretty funny. It had everything I expected to see in a Western – drunken brawls, quick draw shootouts, swinging saloon doors, covered wagons, smashing chairs on bodies, a guy getting shot and falling face first off a balcony, all that stuff. I’m trying to remember all the movies we’ve seen now. . .

• Sleuth – Brian
• xXx – Ben
• A Room With a View – Rachel
• Igby Goes Down – Trevor
• Cannibal the Musical – Nate
• Kill, Baby…Kill – Brian
• Keeping Mum – Cate
• Blood Simple – Shawn
• Marie Antoinette – Rachel
• Shane – Trevor

Hmmm, I feel like I’m missing one but it’s not coming to mind. Well, anyway that’s a pretty good list! And most of them are movies I wouldn’t have seen if we didn’t have the club.