Hookie

I played hookie from work on Monday and it was totally worth it. Lately that place has really been getting to me. It's one thing to hate your job and it's another to cry on your way to work everyday. So I called in sick and went for a four mile run (it was supposed to be three... I got lost). After that I worked on a picture I'm doing for the Art with Heart charity auction for the local humane society. It's pastel, which is something I'm pretty inexperienced at. I don't really like it but I think I was starting to get the hang of it in the end. The next one will be better. Howie dropped it off for me yesterday when I was at work and the lady there said it was "Beauuuutiful!". We're getting complimentary tickets to go to the auction/dinner. I hope it makes some money for them.

Then Howie had his piano lesson and I decided to go with him since the Borders is right next store. I hung out there for an hour looking at art books. After his lesson, we split a peice of carrot cake, then we went downtown to check out the art store. It just reopened after being remodeled and they didn't have much there. It still looked like a battlezone inside. It's the weirdest place, though. It's a combination art store/cupcake shop. Weird.

Next we swung over to the used bookstore. That place was crazy. It must have just opened because they're in the process of painting the outside with famous authors. A lady showed up to work on Shakespeare while we were there. And the guy who owns it is this crazy hippie-type old dude with a big beard. There were bad oil paintings hanging around (one was, I think, John Lennon) and it smelled like oil paint and old books. Such a good combo. The books were just everywhere with no order I could tell. I got a book on Surrealism/Dada, the James Beard Bread book and the most awesome find of the year:

The Mime Book!! It's the "definitive" guide to becoming a mime. I'm totally going to learn some stuff and be a Mime for Halloween. Maybe someday I can move to Disneyland and be a mime full-time. There are worse things I can think of.

To top off my day of not working, Howie and I went to Olive Garden and then to see Inglorious Bastards. It was actually really good. There was some nasty blood stuff in there, but not as much as you'd think. We went to a late show so we didn't get home until almost 11 and it was time for bed because I had to work the next day. But now it's my weekend. Yay!

Did you think I forgot to put some knitting in here? Never! I finished the Frankensocks! I love them and wore them to the Saturday morning knitting. It warmed up as the day went on and I had to take them off. I can't wait for it to get cold enough to wear wool socks. (Crazy, I know):


And started a new sock right away with my new Mini Mochi yarn. I've finished one sock already but all I have is a little teaser picture. It'll have to do until I finish the other...

...which might be pretty soon since I'm meeting up with Natalie at the coffehouse to knit tomorrow. Last Saturday's knit was really fun. Howie and I had breakfast there with the Wheelers and then Howie went off with them and I knit. Natalie got a little puppy (!) and they let you bring dogs in there (totally awesome). Then we went to the International Festival downtown, where all the venders were out and about and we wandered around a bit. And she was also able to bring her puppy into the yarn shop and the artist's co-op shop two doors down. Totally animal friendly. I'm going to train my cat to walk on a leash and bring him next time. In a fashionable handknit argyle vest. We'll be the talk of the town.