Dear Irene

I'm sure you're all tired of hearing about it, but we're prepping to be slammed by Hurricane Irene.  It's currently 93 degrees here, and I've just packed up the contents of four 72-hour kits, which were spread all over my floor.  I've packed a small suitcase for Alex and I with 3 days worth of clothes and a blankie each, and everything is sitting in front of the door just in case someone comes knocking and says that we need to head for the middle school.  I have charged my phone and added minutes.  I know where the candles are.  I've spoken to my mother and my Mother-in-Law.  I bought 2 cases of water, and have four gallons put into into plastic containers for the cat.  And finally, I've arranged a place to go if they should ask up to leave, but hopefully they won't because Dante is away at a Young Men's activity and Aaron is working a golf tournament in Mass so it'll just be Alex and I. 

I'm definitely feeling the calm before the storm, and I feel pretty good about finally putting together those 72-hour kits (that I've been hearing about for the last 10 years at least).  We're expected to lose power for up to 3 days (and I've got candles, head-lamps, yarn, and a gas stove so I'm good), so if you don't see any updates from me on facebook or twitter, don't worry. 

Now!  Knitting.  I decided to take the advice of my friend Sam, and start my socks over with the Sox Appeal yarn.  It's got elastic, so I think it'll be a better choice given what I'm trying to do.  This is a risky proposition because my pattern is scheduled for release on September 11th and I need to have the sample finished before then or the pattern won't make sense.  This isn't a standard sock, and it really needs a picture.  That being said, if I get to the leg and this one isn't working any better than the other, I'll just go back to it.  I put it on hold so it's still there waiting for me to finish it (and I just might finish it anyway because I like what it's doing, even if it's not what I planned). 

And I know this is slightly off topic, but does anyone else wish that netflix would put some sort of language warning on movies or shows that are listed as "NR" so I'll know ahead of time that someone might drop an F-bomb within the first minute of their show...while my 5-year old is in the room?  Or maybe the artist could say something right up front, like Craig Ferguson did in the stand-up special we started to watch last night.  He said straight up that he was going to cuss, so at least we knew.  Just sayin.