Another year

And as the calendar turns to today, I celebrate my birthday.

It's been a modest day.  I enjoyed a partially free breakfast as I scheduled my pick-up of a free spicy chicken biscuit from Chick-fil-a for this morning.  (I paid for the coffee and mini hash browns.)  A quick web search turned up that Firehouse Subs gives you a free medium sub on your birthday, so lunch was mostly on them.  (I sprung for chips and a drink.)  I paid for all of supper.

Since I'm leaving for Toronto in the morning, today has been more about getting ready for the trip than anything else.  In previous years this would have been a slow day at the office, but there was plenty to take care of there.  Tonight at home will be packing and doublechecking that I have everything I need.  With my focus so otherwise directed, it's kind of hard to think of this as my birthday.

The trip to the film festival isn't a birthday gift I'm giving myself, but it does tie in nicely.  That I had my first meeting with a trainer on this day is also coincidental.  This is a free program with the university's student trainers, and I figured I could use some help mixing things up with my workouts.  Twice a week for the next three months or so I'll have someone else putting me through the paces.

It has been nice to see the birthday wishes come in, and overall the day has been a good one.  Has it been anything special?  Not really.  That's OK.  There will be plenty of fun in the days ahead to make up for a relatively quiet and business-like birthday.

9/7

-Michael Emerson, a.k.a. Benjamin Linus on Lost

-Mira Furlan, a.k.a. Danielle Rousseau on Lost

-the secret knitter

All of us share a birthday today.

While it would be nice to do something for my birthday, I'm content to spend the evening at home after having been on the road and on the go so much for the last month.

And with that, I call this a blog entry and settle in to watch the rest of the Reds game.

Happy birthday to me

Among those celebrating birthdays today: Michael Emerson, also known as Benjamin Linus on Lost; Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders; and me.

The effects of yesterday's athletic endeavor made me feel like a year was added to my age, so what better excuse was there to spoil myself all day? I had lunch at my favorite barbecue place in town and received a free piece of Texas sheet cake for my birthday. The sandwich and fries were sufficiently filling, so the cake came home with me.

I took a refreshing afternoon nap, knit a little, watched the Reds on TV, went for a walk, and watched the first film from one of my favorite directors. I suppose one could say that I pretty much do what I want every day, but I tried to treat myself today. Thus, I went and got a pint from Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams. If "splendid" is in the name, it has to be good. (And it is...but no, I'm not eating all of the ice cream in one day.)

I've always enjoyed that my birthday can fall on a national holiday, like it has today, so I've tried to observe it as a day of rest. It would have been nice to have spent it with family or friends, but with that not possible, getting the day off work and acknowledging it as my day has sufficed.

Happy birthday to me

Like the Miss America pageant, the first completely electronic television, the Pro Football Hall of Fame, ESPN, and Google's incorporation, today marks my introduction to the world. I also share a date of birth with Paul Brown, Buddy Holly, Dario Argento, Eazy-E, and the guy who plays Ben Linus on Lost. So there's the answer to the never-to-be-asked trivia question of what all of us have in common.

I suppose I'm at the age where birthdays are no longer remarkable. Sure, I was looking forward to it just because, but there's been nothing special about it. Watched the Bengals get smacked around like usual in a terribly boring and frustrating game. It tells you how bad they are that my interest had drifted by halftime of the season's first game. Defragging my computers may have been more exciting. There's always next year.

I knew I had a baby picture around here in the unpacked boxes from when I moved. I didn't find it--can't say that I looked that hard--but I discovered a couple boxes of old photos of me that my parents must have slipped into my possession when they helped me move in here.

It appears that I didn't like being photographed way back when. There must have been some controversy regarding my height (or length, in this case) as the book from which these photos are from have 21 1/2 inches and 20 3/4 inches notated. (Future biographers should note that the latter looks to be the accepted number.)

I'm going to attribute my night owl tendencies to my time of birth. Surely there's some junk science research study about this, right?

Anyway, happy birthday to me.

Happy birthday to me

The big day is here. How, you may ask, did the secret knitter spend his birthday this year? While you're welcome to imagine 24 hours of unfettered revelry, the truth is much more sedate. To jazz up the account, feel free to append "while wearing a lampshade" to the end of each sentence. Let's give it a shot.

I didn't go to the office, although I took care of some work from home...while wearing a lampshade. See, doesn't that paint the picture of a raucous celebration?

After lunch I went to Starbucks for coffee and knitting. The other day I searched for nearby coffee shops that aren't the Seattle-based chain but turned up none. I did go to a different Starbucks, though. I noticed that there is one a half mile from my apartment. How did I miss it until now? Easy. Today was the first day it was open.

The cashier recognized me, although I'm not from where she initially tried to place me. (She asked if I was a teacher at the local high school. I told her where I work, which happens to be where she attended college.) I had a piece of chocolate cinnamon bread and a tall coffee while I sat in a leather chair in the corner. Late 1950s-60s jazz instrumentals and songs--think Sinatra and company--played while the overeager employees gabbed. I got a little distracted listening, knitted a few stitches incorrectly, and had to undo them.

One customer admired what I was doing. We talked briefly about the needle arts and men knitting. Her husband pointed out that the former football player Rosey Grier knitted, which sounded vaguely familiar. If a big, tough guy like that can knit, who's to question it? My research shows that the member of the Fearsome Foursome was into needlepoint and macramé, not knitting, but the point still stands. He even wrote Rosey Grier's Needlepoint for Men.

I came home and played Ms. Pac-Man for a while. At Christmas I was given one of those battery-powered retro games. Lately it's become something of a mission to get farther than I ever have. I don't remember how well I did playing it at an actual arcade--not very well, most likely. I've reached the third set of boards with the banana, but I haven't been able to advance beyond that.

Thrilling stuff, eh? More? On Jenn's tip I signed up for International Scarf Exchange 5 and received confirmation that I'm in before the cut-off. I got dinner at City Barbeque, easily one of my favorite places in Columbus.

And that's pretty much it. Oh, there is one other thing. Coincidentally, today marks a blogging milestone. This is the 300th post I've made at Knitting Confidential. Assuming I keep writing on a daily basis, I'll have missed just a handful of days in the site's first year. (The blog's birthday is October 21.) Writing about knitting has been almost as important as the knitting itself. I'm amazed I've found enough to write about. Anyway, happy birthday to me and many thanks to you for visiting.

The dishwasher and the delivery

An entry in the infrequent but recurring series "Things I Love About My New Apartment":

-A dishwasher

I enjoy cooking, but I hate cleaning. I'm sorry to say that in my dishwasher-free apartment I lived up to the single man stereotype of a sink full of dirty dishes and kitchenware. I didn't feel good about it, but apparently I didn't feel bad enough about it to clean the stuff before mold made an appearance. It's shameful. Those days are behind me, though, as I bask in the wonder that is the dishwasher. OK, so the first time I flooded my kitchen floor not unlike Bobby Brady and the washing machine, but we'll chalk that up to inexperience. No longer do I wait until I've run out of plates or until the stack in the sink starts to smell. (Sadly, that's not an exaggeration for comedic effect.) Thanks to this glorious invention I am a reformed man on the matter of kitchen cleanliness.

-Package acceptance at the rental office

This is what spurred today's topic. I arrived home and found a sticky note from UPS on my door. They tried to deliver a package to me, but I wasn't there to sign for it. No worries. The delivery person dropped it off at the rental office, an option I didn't have at my last place. No more hassles of needing to be home at the right time or having to go to the shipping company's office. This isn't an issue except when awards season kicks into high gear. Then the packages requiring signature confirmation arrive regularly.

Earlier today I read that Fox Searchlight is already sending awards screeners, although I didn't think I was high enough on the list to be getting them yet. My birthday is in a couple days, so most likely this unexpected package was a birthday gift. Whatever the case, I love getting mail. I located the box with my name on it and knew from the address that it was a present. Since my birthday isn't until Friday, the package sits unopened until the big day.

Nah, just kidding. Of course I opened it, although I knew what was inside before slicing the packing tape and prying open the cardboard lid. The return address was a giveaway. My parents sent me the Knit Picks Options needle set. (Rather, I should say that my mom sent it as my dad probably has no idea what gift they gave.) I can't wait to begin knitting with them, and I have a project (or projects) in mind. I want to make log cabin blankets from Mason-Dixon Knitting for Christmas gifts.

Across the universe

After yesterday's lengthy, heavy post, I'd like to take some time to discuss Michael Vick and dog-fighting. No, no, just kidding. Enough is enough, as far as I'm concerned with that story. (Please ESPN, I just want to see my Bengals in their only preseason game of any significance.)

Before moving on to lighter fare today, I would like to thank everyone for the respect they showed me regarding that topic. I didn't expect anything else from you--thus why I wrote it, even if it could stand to be shorter --but religion can be a hot button issue. A lot of people struggle to wrap their heads around someone being able to be progressive and spiritual. Good grief, an offhanded comment in this piece led to some rather unpleasant assumptions commenters made about the writer. Opening yourself up in writing is a risky thing, and I felt bad reading the pig pile that built there. Those readers are a different crowd but still...

Above you see the Asherton Reversible Scarf that I'm knitting for the Red Scarf Project. (You have to join this Yahoo group to download the pattern, but it is free.) I've finished one repeat, most of which was done at picture time, and I really like how it looks. It's an easy knit, and I'll be happy to send it off to an unknown recipient.

Whenever this scarf is finished, I hope it gets to its intended location. It's been a week since I mailed the Texas dischloth to my brother and sister-in-law who reside in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. My brother says they haven't received a package from me. If necessary, I won't have any trouble knitting it again, but this marks the second time I've had a mailer containing a hand-knit item encounter some problems getting to its destination. In the other case, the item was intact despite the padded envelope being ripped.

Speaking of gifts, I need your feedback. I have a birthday coming up soon, and my mom asked what I want for it. I haven't given any thought to it, and I've been drawing a blank. I have been interested in the Knit Picks Options needle set. Opinions?

You say it's your birthday

I didn't want to resort to doing the meme I found on Jennifer's blog, but it's all I have the energy for after spending a good part of this evening unpacking and arranging CDs and books. (I get tired thinking about what to do with the DVDs.) Plus, I repacked the few things I'd unpacked in my office at work because the furniture company came to rearrange the layout per my request. I'll take the burst of unexpected housekeeping--I certainly should have done this before now--but it means the brain's ready to go into shutdown mode.

The rules:

Go to Wikipedia and type in your birthday month and day only. Then post 3 events, 2 births and one holiday that occurred on your birthday, then tag 5 friends.

September 7, here we come:

Events:
1927 - The first fully electronic television system is achieved by Philo Taylor Farnsworth.
1969 - Monty Python's Flying Circus records first episode.
1998 - Google was co-founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin while they were students at Stanford University.

Birthdays:
1533 - Queen Elizabeth I of England
1936 - Buddy Holly, American singer

Holidays:
Brazil - Independence day (from Portugal, 1822).

Wikipedia doesn't list it, but as I hinted in my eight random things entry, it is the last possible day for Labor Day.

Play along if you so desire.