the new speedy

May knits

I finished some knit items in between sock projects to get me jumpstarted. I like knitting socks but it takes me a while to really find that harmonious balance between the yarn, needles and pattern. It is not uncommon for me to start a pair, knit an inch or so then frog and retry something else. I was knitting a pair for Kat's dad but the yarn was not showing up in the pattern so I will attempt another pattern that will show off the yarn at its best.


Meanwhile I bought the book Stitch' n Bitch Nation for some fun patterns. I finished the spiderweb capelet in 2 days and most likely will keep this for myself. That could change real fast though. I'm also starting the cabled newsboy cap and if it's quick, easy and fun I might make this the Christmas grab bag gift. Over the year I will knit various hats and hopefully make enough to have relatives and friends select a hat at Christmastime. I'll see how much I get accomplished.

This was a fast and fun knit project. I think the lace pattern will stand out more after I do some blocking then I'll have a cute wrap for those cool evenings.

This project has been laying around dormant for almost a year. I originally wanted to make a Harry Potter type scarf for my friend Kat but it is extremely boring to knit. I did work on it a bit last week but it takes longer because I'm basically knitting a tube so it'll look the same on both sides. It measures about 30 inches right now so I'm almost halfway there. Like I said earlier that this was intended for Kat (a secret) but she mentioned that her dad wanted a Harry Potter scarf and fingerless mittens in the same colors so I told her that I was already working on one which I will switch over to her dad. Hey at least it will end up at the same family. I need to check and find out when the new Harry Potter movie comes out so it will be done by then. Ugh. Maybe I can teach Tyler to knit so he'll help me out with this one....haha.

New truck

Last Saturday Hector bought a new pickup truck. It's white and this will be the cleanest it will ever be again. I drove it the other day and the ride is soooo much nicer than the old one although the clutch is soft/mushy. It is a basic truck with AC, stereo, CD and that's pretty much it.

Nice day

Yeah, the weather is warming up nicely after our chilly Memorial Day weekend. Our Soak City passes are ready so I think we'll head on over there on Saturday and spend some time in the water. I found out that the passes are good at all their 3 locations like San Diego (Chula Vista) and Palm Springs but it would be unlikely that we would be out that way.

Tyler's playoff game was last night and they had to finish their tied game with the "Angels". The winner of the game would then play immediately the next team in the playoffs. It was a quick inning and we lost which was the end of our season. The kids weren't upset since we announced an impromtu pizza party at Rizzos. About half the team showed up with their parents and it was lots of fun.

Not much else is new although I'm excited about the new season of The Venture Brothers this Saturday night. It's been a 1 1/2 years since the last season so it's bout time! Also I saw a preview of a show called Wipeout which very similar to MXC on Spike. The games/events looked similar too but with lots more padding. MXC is hilarious because of the dubbing (Japanese show) and the lack of safety issues compared to the US. I'll still check out the show to see if it is as fun to watch as MXC.

The above pictures are from Playa del Carmen...beautiful beach...lots of tan people. Thankfully the man in the pink Speedo didn't turn around and show me his package.

Precious

I watched The Transformers movie and also The Bourne Ultimatum over the long weekend...I had to watch since they've been here at the house like forever. Who knows what is next on our Netflix queue? We also have Speed Racer (the original anime) and Josh has been mesmerized with that and anything involving Speed Racer. Before I left for Cancun, Josh was trying to earn a Mach 5 by cleaning his play area and listening to instructions. When they picked us up at the airport, Josh was waving his cool Hot Wheels Mach 5. Over this past week, he misplaced it several times and kept asking me to help him find it. We're trying to teach him to take care of his things but he managed to misplace it and we looked all over the house for it. Josh was sulking and upset because I wouldn't replace it but he looked so sad so we emptied out his piggy bank and he bought another Mach 5.

On Thursday he brought his "precious" to school for show and tell and I told him to put in back into his backpack when he was done so he wouldn't lose it. When the bus arrived Josh was asleep like usual so we got him off the bus and he starts asking about his Mach 5. Not in the backpack. Ugh. So we've been bombarded with questions on where his "precious " is and no we are not going back to the store to get another one.

Finally today, I was doing laundry and checking pockets and lo,behold a Mach 5 in one of his shorts. Yay! Josh was very happy and I tell him that it needs to stay home so he won't lose it again. Then later this afternoon, he comes home with his missing car that he left on the bus so he has his backup "precious".

I still need to take the kids to see Speed Racer even though I hear it is long and not that good.

Musical aspirations

Here is our conversation from the other night when we were driving.

Me: So Tyler, do you think that you would like to learn how to play the piano?

Tyler: No.

Hector: How about the saxophone?

Tyler: No.

Josh: How about......uh (thinking)???

Hector (interrupting): How about the trumpet?

Tyler: No.

Josh (still trying): How about....um.....?

Hector (chiming in): How about the oboe?

Tyler: No.

Josh: How about....? (he is really trying to get in the conversation)

Hector: How about the flute?

Tyler: No.

Me: Let Josh ask one!

Josh: How about.....swinging on a pole?

Tyler: No.

So to get this straight....Tyler will not be learning any musical instruments or swinging on a pole but Hector and I (especially) had a very good laugh. Hey, playing a musical instrument or pole swinging requires talent and skill! :)

America's Pastime

At the beginning of Tyler's baseball season we were dreading (a bit) of their long season (20 games) but here we are in the playoffs. It was a matter of time but Tyler made friends with his teamates and I met more of the parents which made the season much more enjoyable. I think Tyler enjoys baseball too although he still is unsure of playing next year.

Here are some photos from the last game...

He looks so cute in his uniform!!

More Playa

Look how huge my daiquiri is....it was definitely a head turner!! It was so hot even at night and boy this drink hits the spot although I was scared of getting brain freeze. Hannah and I took so many pictures of our food...the people probably thought we were weird. Our intentions were good but sometimes we were so hungry that we ate right away and then remembered about taking a picture. My favorites were the fish tacos and ceviche. Yum.

This is what we did every day...wake up, go to the beach, order some ceviche from our beach chairs and enjoy the day.

catching up

I picked up my DSLR after a brief hiatus and need to catch y'll up. I have photos from late April that have been languishing in the camera until yesterday when I took a storm of photos at Tyler's baseball game until the battery gave out.


So today I uploaded all 300 photos and will start posting them.
Here are some of my littlest cheeseboy...

Josh and Amber at the beach. I don't know why Josh looks so serious but they both look really cute.

Josh working on his smile for the camera or maybe he smelled something stinky (?).

Another exaggerated smile...

Flickr

Okay, let's see how this works....

click on http://www.flickr.com/photos/moodycheesegirl/
to see my latest Mexico photos.

Back In the USA

I arrived home last night after 6 wonderful relaxing days in Playa Del Carmen. My cousin Hannah was able to score a condo because her friend is the owner and we were able to get a very good deal.

Our trip started off great...check-in wasn't too bad even though we had to go into the Tom Bradley terminal which is the international section usually super crazy busy. We were directed downstairs to check-in and at one point our customer service guy disappeared for several minutes while he was helping us (more on that later).

The security checkpoint was smooth sailing and we didn't have to wait long for boarding. So we're standing there at the gate waiting for the business class people to board etc and I notice that our seats say 3D which was different than our confirmed seats. People start boarding for the tail end of the plane and finally we decide to board. As we get on the plane I'm looking for our seats and whaddayaknow we are in business class. NO WAY! We sit down but I'm half expecting someone to tell us that we're in the wrong seats but nope, a flight attendant brings us drinks and we are good to go. It was a great way to begin our trip. There was no movie but we had plenty to drink and eat.

We land in Cancun and get hit by the heat. Phew! It took us a while but we found the ADO bus station where we bought tickets to Playa del Carmen for $8. Bargain. It had A/C but my vent was broken so it was on full blast. Some Harrison Ford cop movie was on dubbed in Spanish. The bus ride took about 1 hour where we grabbed a taxi to the condo. By now it was dark and we had to drag our luggage up the stairs to the second floor. Hannah had to struggle with the key in the dark hallway but we finally got inside. Very cute condo....nice proportions and furnishings. Once the A/C was turned on, we started to revive our energy although we were done with the heat. The last tenant left some fruit in the fridge so we made a meal out of watermelon, papaya, chips and salsa. Yum.

That's the first day which is kind of boring since it was mostly travelling but here are some pics of the condo.

R & R

Okay, I'm packed and ready to head out tomorrow morning. I will be spending 6 days in Playa Del Carmen with my cousin Hannah. No definite plans beyond, sleeping, eating and hanging out by the pool.

I'll have my Blackberry with me but don't have any idea what service I'll have or how much it will cost me to receive my email etc in Mexico. I'm kinda curious which I'm sure will turn into shock when I see the bill next month.

Also after reading many forums and bulletins on whether I can bring my pointy knitting needles onto the plane I decided to play it safe and put all my projects in my checked luggage rather than risk having my hard earned work ripped off. Knitting needles are allowed on planes but it all depends on the security inspector to ultimately decide. And I've read that Cancun airport is pretty strict on their policy. I'm sure I can amuse myself by reading and listening to my ipod.

Btw, I just found out recently that She-ra and He-man are expecting a baby barbarian in November. :) yay more knitting for babies but I'm put out that they want to be 'surprised' so no telling what they'll have.

I'll be back next week with lots of pictures and stories...

Cuteness

After last Wednesday's baseball game, Josh and I headed over to our favorite noodle house to meet Tyler and Hector. As we got closer, Joshua noticed the Honda dealer across the street and said...

"There is the "H" store. That is where we buy our car."

Yes, we drive a Honda Pilot and it was so cute to hear Josh put these things together and then express them in his own unique way.

So yes Josh, we did buy our car at the "H" store.

Bathroom almost complete

Not exactly but it is getting closer. Hector finished painting and now that the paint is dry, the vanity was moved it and I helped place the top on just to get it out of the way.

Wow, the counters look pretty high and along with the backsplash there wasn't a lot of room to spare between that and the medicine cabinet. Hector put a cabinet in the wall to get the idea and there is about 1.5 inches to spare. Phew! Other than that, it will look nice. Tyler can use the sink fine but Josh will need a step stool. I think the blue color looks nice.

Everything is coming together and Hector mentioned how nice the feeling will be once the bathroom is complete that we did this ourselves.

I like to ride my bicycle

Today I dug Josh's bike out of the garage so he could ride it to school. And not only did he ride it to school, he rode it around the park about 4 times, ran around the play area with 2 other boys he met and then rode his bike home. He definitely got his exercise for the day.

The weather is still gloomy and cold. It'll be a big difference when I head to Mexico where it is in the high 80's.

Childhood Memories

Last night I was browsing itunes and somehow my search led me to Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot series. I remember this in movie form on channel 9 Million Dollar movie in the 1970's. The best thing was that the same movie was shown every night Monday to Friday. I had to beg my mom to let me stay up until 10pm that week so I could watch it every night. It was the best movie about a boy and his robot who fight the bad aliens, monsters and henchmen.

I thought since the whole series is on itunes that I should be able to find it on DVD. Unfortunately I found the VHS version and DVDs that people have transferred. I should face that any version will not be the best quality but I'm tempted to buy the series on itunes. I think my kids would like it alot. Hector and I used to joke that Tyler was the batlike monster because when he was a baby & got upset he would flap his arms in frustration. You know which one I mean, admit it.

planning stages

I'm such a doofus when I realize that I leave for Playa Del Carmen next Wednesday and haven't really prepared for it. Well, I did go shopping for some new clothes and shoes but I usually do more research on a place. All I know is that it is about 30-40 miles south of Cancun so the weather should very warm. Right now I'm looking forward to that since it is unseasonably gloomy here in SoCal. It looks like it might rain with some wind and today at Tyler's baseball game I was getting chilly then freezing.

Hector and I went to Cancun for our honeymoon where it rained for 6 days and 6 nights. Some pesky weather condition called a tropical storm. It finally cleared up on the day we left. We didn't get to do any sightseeing or enjoy the pool or ocean. So this time around I'm hoping the weather will be okay and I won't get sunburned. My cousin and I don't have any solid plans whatsoever except arrive and depart dates and we're going to play it my ear. Nothing to strenuous...wake up, eat, hang out by the pool, eat and knit. I'll bring the pair of socks that I've been working on for the last couple of months and maybe I'll finish them. I bringing another project for a baby jumper dress using that same Noro yarn I used for the hand warmers because my friend and his wife are expecting a baby girl in June.

My plans to download some Spanish podcasts a month ago was pushed aside so I'm downloading them now. We'll see how much (not) I can accomplish in 6 days. :) I just need to do it so wish me luck. Oy, I'm in trouble.

I still need to help Tyler with his famous person presentation and wouldn't you know it that it would be helpful to be in costume according to the teacher. That way it would help the child so I need a Christopher Columbus outfit...hmm...where can I find it? Maybe Party City? Nope, I have to make one. Oh, it's optional but this week's homework is working on the costume. Sigh. I'll find some black fabric and fashion a robe/cape looking thingy with a black funky hat. Something that I can glue gun together so it'll last for a 3-4 minute talk. Then we'll try and preserve it for several years until Josh has to his talk and use it again. :) Heh heh.

More Antics

Josh enjoys the Sit n Spin but a barstool will do just fine too...

Funny thing happened last week...I brought Josh's old backpack filled with toys to the park and I opened a pocket to put my phone in and guess what I found?? A digital camera that I thought I lost over a year ago!!! It was sitting in there all this time! Now the kicker is where did we put the charger? Who knows where it is? We might have thrown it away since I thought that camera was long gone. Anyway, Hector found a charger online so he can use this camera now....yay!

Antics

Yay..I finished another knitting project. I wish I had more hands to complete all the things I start but sadly, I get bored and have to start another project which will get all my attention. I seriously need to finish a pair of socks that I began a few months ago. I leave next week for Mexico so it would nice to get that off my plate to make room for more! :)

My latest project was Scrunchie Hand Warmers from the book 101 Designer One-Skein Wonders. I used my Noro Kuryeon Sock yarn for this because I wasn't sure if I would like the yarn as socks. The yarn has beautiful colors which had me eager to see what will come up next. I almost had the colors match up but I actually like that they aren't perfectly matched to make then uniquely mine. I definitely want these for myself and I think I have enough for another pair.
Some of the colors I would have never put together but it works out great. I must have started several times just getting used to the yarn. Lots of thin and thick spots which took me some time to get used to and I had to untangle snarls many times. The yarn feels rough but I read that it softens up after washing.

I love how thes came out and I came wait to wear them....

Homebodies

It feels like everything is going by so fast. I come back from my relaxing stay at Harrahs then have to hit the ground running to keep up with all of our lives. Tyler is doing his final oral presentation on Christopher Columbus (this is for the 2nd grade) and we've been reading books. websites gathering facts and notes. Then the notes are transferred to a poster where Tyler has to write down the facts along with pictures/drawings. Hector said he discussed with Tyler about what ideas would be good for the poster but baseball games and practice delayed the poster until Saturday where I helped Tyler draw and color a story timeline. Yes, it was a lot of work and it still needs more touches. And next week, we will be working on a costume!! Ha! I can see where this is heading....Hector will be working for 4 days at Centinela and I will be busy working on some kind of costume. At least it looks very simple that I can fashion some kind of robe and hat out of black felt and a glue gun. :)

Meanwhile the bathroom has slowed down a bit. Hector is in the process of installing the 2 medicine cabinets and scraping old paint off the wall. Hopefully I can start the primer and painting portion soon because I leave for Mexico on May 14th! What...that soon already? I changed my mind on the paint color because I kept hearing complaints on green so the paint is now a blue gray color. Hey it's paint....I can change it if the color doesn't work.

Last night we had some friends over for the De La Hoya fight....it was predictable and okay. Nothing spectacular or great knockdowns but okay. Thankfully it wasn't pay per view or I would have been upset. Just blah.

Okay I have to get back to that poster....I don't think that the teacher can expect a 2nd grader to draw or write in such a small space. My nephews came over briefly yesterday and mentioned that Tyler draws really well....Ha ha those are my drawing that Tyler colored. He wouldn't have been able to fit a scene depicting Queen Isabella giving Columbus money for his voyage in a 2.5 x 3 inch space. :)

Home Again

I'm back from a fun and relaxing time at Harrah's Rincon. I spent Monday to Wednesday with my friend Kat and her parents which was a total blast. Kat's parents like to gamble there so they've racked up a lot of comps so we had 2 rooms and severals meals comped.

First of all, the rooms we got were very nicely decorated and spacious. Carol and Buddy's room was ready and since we wanted 2 beds we had to wait an hour for it to be ready. Carol went to get out room keys and she peeked in to check it out. She said it was the same as their room but with 2 beds. More on that later....well, I packed up the PS2, Guitar Hero and 2 guitars to play during our down time. It's kind of hard to conceal the guitars which poked out of my bag so the bell hops commented on them,"COOL" they said. So that is what we did until our room was ready. By that time, Buddy and Carol were anxious to get to the casino so we decided to meet up with them when we got settled in our room. Our room was on the other side of the hall about 6 doors down and when we got into the room, we put down our stuff and I pushed aside the drapes to see what kind of view we had. OMG! We were on the ground level facing the pool and we had the most awesome enclosed patio with 2 comfy chairs and table. It had an iron gate which gave us a peek at the pool and the coolest waterfall fountain. Woot! We were so excited and just had to tell her parents that we scored the better room. Yay!

Here is the layout right outside our patio with wonderful loungers and a firepit with seating off to the right.

That patio made all the difference...we could open the sliding door and listen to the fountain. Oh and the pool area was huge. Just beyond the fountain was a massive pool with another big fountain and lots of nooks to hang out in. There were several hot tubs located around with one being for adults 21 and over. Then there was another huge hot tub that was the size of a small pool with a lower section and the upper section had a waterfall where the grotto was located so you can enjoy the backside of water.

We gambled at night which let us really enjoy the room and pool area. I wasn't winning anything until our very last day where I played video poker and hit 4 aces to pay out 480 quarters which brought my winning to $170. I took a break then played another machine which hit 4 of a kind to give me $50. Not bad for starting out with $20 each time. So in the end, I brought $300 with me and ended up bringing back $200 home. This was 3 days of gambling and food so I did pretty good. Yay!