Yet Another Jersey Jaunt

A fantastic Saturday.

I started my day with a meeting of some "like minded" fiber addicts in Morristown, NJ. The meeting was fantastic and friendly and oh-so-informative. Granted I knew the basics for needle felting; however, I was really looking forward to the demo on rug hooking. No, not latch hooking; old fashioned American folk art rug hooking. Turns out I have the necessary items at home to tinker with this technique, so I think I may have a new addiction in the making. Perhaps I should invest in one of those stripper machines to cut clothing into uniform strips to be recycled into hooked rugs. I'm jazzed.

Unfortunately, the husband and I both got new cell phones, and mine doesn't have a camera feature, so sadly, I don't have pictures of the rug hooking demonstration. Also, this phone is the least user-friendly POS I have yet to own. All my other cell phones I was able to figure out in no time--this one, I couldn't even figure out how to turn the bastard on.

After the meeting, around 2, I headed off to gas up, and then to the Indian grocer in Caldwell to pick up a few basics and some fresh "drumstick," which I'll clean up and trim and cut, and freeze what doesn't get cooked this weekend.

Then it was off to Montclair for a quick solo lunch. At this point it was close to 4. Lunch was at Raymonds (a BLT w/avocado, and copious amounts of coffee and water). Then I headed to Spice It Up, a spice boutique on Glen Ridge Avenue I've been meaning to check out. Spices are expensive enough as it is, and the quality I get from the Indian grocer or Penzeys is top notch, I don't see the sense of "boutique prices," for what I saw was a less-than-thrilling selection. Subtext: I walked out empty handed, and miffed at the sales person's indifference to my presence.

I walked next door to the Book emporium and got myself a cookbook on simple Thai food, and then I headed to SnS, my favorite LYS, my "Montclair Home Away From Home." I hung out a bit with the gals before they closed, then headed next door to the tea shop to make a purchase and hit the restroom one last time before heading northbound. I'll be back at the shop soon once my yarn order comes in.

It's a good thing I gassed up, and emptied my bladder as there was a horrendous car accident about two exits beyond where I hook up with the NYS Thruway. Just beyond exit 14B there was a car fully inverted, and from what I could deduce from the site of the impact, the driver had to have been driving in the opposite direction at a high rate of speed, hit the steel barrier, bent it, and continued on the trajectory, landing fully inverted. Doubtful if the driver walked away from that.

As a result of the accident, it took me about one hour to drive less than two miles. We crept along barely an inch at a time. I could have walked home faster than the cars were moving on the Thruway. I sat and called my mom. Then I skimmed the Thai cookbook and dogeared a few pages for potential meals to try out. Fortunately I had a few balls of yarn in my bag, which did double duty nicely tucked in the small of my back to alleviate stress of being seated in the same position for nearly two hours in transit. I then whipped out my crochet, and started working on the picot edge for a head band I am doing in a fan motif with Noro cotton/silk in a yellow/orange/red/green colorway. I got quite a few looks while reading and then hooking in transit. What else was there to do? Road rage? I was doing anything in my power not to think about the agonizing pain and inconvenience.

GAH!

Came home and the husband had moved my recumbent bike out of the den into the living room, reorienting the living room in a way that I approved. The A/C was cranking. He had the Yankee Candle burning. It was about as pleasant of a way to arrive home if there ever were one.

Next weekend: Husband's birthday festivities;
Weekend after: CGOA Knit & Crochet Show & Classes in Manchester, NH;
Weekend after: Friend from my "army days" (oy, 23 years ago) and daughter will be in for the whole weekend;
Three more weekends, then it'll be Labor Day weekend, and the end of summer...

Where IS the time going?