Here’s what you missed, Mel and Isela.

Both watershow performances went off without a hitch. My synchro team is ready to go kick some Parisian butt next week. But before, I head off to start an international conflict, I want to thank some wonderful peeps for coming to see me practically naked:

• Ernie, Min Jung and Cindy—you guys came on such short notice and made my Wed. night!
• Jenny and Harold (2/3rd’s of Stash and Burn, my favorite knitting podcast)—we will hang out in June
• Susan, of Crystal Palace Yarns and her husband (who’ve heard of us for years, but never had the chance to see us wet in person)—I can’t wait to try the new sock yarns!
• Annie, a lovely friend and next-door neighbor who also attended last year
• Fabulous co-workers, spouse, child and former Stanford Synchro teammates thereof: Allison, Dylan, Marilee, Mars, Stephanie, Rachel—be kind when you tell stories about this at the office
• and, of course, Mr. Man, whose photo you see here.

It’s a joy to have people see what I spend hours preparing for at the pool. For my many local friends who didn’t hear about this, I apologize for not being on top of it. The SF show almost didn’t go off because of pool closure and my work life has been so filled with work, not leaving much time for emails to y’all. There will be another show in the late summer/early fall before Nationals in Tuscon… and I’ll be doing a solo at that one. I’m really, really sorry for not letting people know about this personally.

Hey, Paris Aquatique! We’re gonna get Namaste on your ass at IGLA.

Speaking of which, I’m all ears if you have any Paris suggestions for food, wine, yarn, art, running, more food, shopping, urban exploring and stuff. I’ll even visit your friends, if you know people there…

My swim team is having two performances before we head to compete in Paris at the end of the month.

If you’re in San Francisco or the Bay Area this week, come on by!

• 8:00 pm, Wed. May 9, 2007 – Martin Luther King Pool, 5701 Third Street, SF, CA
• 6:00 pm, Sat. May 12, 2007 – Mills College Pool, 5000 MacArthur, Oakland, CA

It’s a sliding scale of $5-20, to benefit the team and help cover pool rental and coaching costs.

(Pardon the reposted photo of Knucks made for my coach.)

I’m sorry.

I’m curled up in an intellectual fetal ball, hiding from my Internet responsibilities of writing about so many wonderful things (BMFA sock camp with my Mom, Scout’s Indie Swag first shipment, my finished Monsoons, Ravelry—see, I’m so busy I don’t even link anything!). I’ve also been a terrible friend, not replying to emails, or calling or letting people know I’m drowning in work stress and unable to get back to them. (Not a cry for help or pity.)

To make matters worse, I don’t foresee a break to this silence for at least another month. It’s two weeks before a two-week vacation to France, doubling as a synchronized swimming competition. As a gesture of apology, I’m handing you this sunny, candy-coated clip from a French movie (not set in Paris), starring a 24 year-old Catherine Deneuve with a small role (and lots of dancing) by Gene Kelly.

Les Desmoiselles de Rochefort (1967).
If only my life had this much song and free-wheeling spirit! More to come…

In lieu of composing my own travelogue, I bring you something from my favorite t-shirt site:

I’m trying to distract you with sheep graphics so you don’t notice my lack ‘o writing.

An update on my whereabouts and the past week’s activities will have to wait a few more days. While I had planned on writing an account of recent adventures, I hadn’t planned on spending 4+ hours in the emergency room tonight.

What we have here is an example of the dangers of synchronized swimming. My front tooth punctured my lower lip (entering and exiting) against the shin of a teammate. So far, the highlight of my 34th year…

This is what happens to naughty knitting. After finishing the second sock, I noticed the first toe was knit obviously while unconscious or oblivious to the pattern as written. It was a crazy pyramid from decreasing every other round. Fine for fine-toed, pointy-shoe-wearing peeps, but not for me. Now it’s re-knit and looks handsome on the fabulous sock blockers from Scout.

Other highlights on the fine Sunday:

• finished my 100 miles for Runagogo
• resisted buying a pair of $380 jeans
• dined with SG (who took photos of my ass, my nose, and my love of chips and salsa

I was also discovered online by my upstairs neighbor. She, too, is a knitter and has a lovely blog. Her chunky tunics and dresses are further proof that guys get the short end of the stick when it comes to design. They look gorgeous on her! Here’s hoping we get to knit together before she moves to NYC in the summer.

In her honor, I leave you with a photo (by the Man) that made me think of her. Happy Q2, all.

Did you know it was Scout’s b-day today?

Neither did I!

Please go tell her how much you love her. She’s an incredible mother to two beautiful children, a one-woman yarn dying force of nature, and And if you’re in the mood, check out a her shop to experience some of the best customer service on the interwebs!

Let’s all raise a martini glass to her (filled with your libation, notion or yarn of choice)! Happiest day to you, baby!

I’m so embarassed. There’s no need for an Amber (and cherrywood, black, and rust) alert any more. I found the sock. Right under my nose.

No, Tricky, it wasn’t on my foot. (But that was a great suggestion!) It was on the spare chair at the kitchen table, safely tucked against the wall. In a fit of cleaning off the table for guests, I must have stored it on the seat, out of sight, out of mind and out of harm’s way.

All of my fears about having left it in Austin, or work, or in my car, never to be seen again were unfounded. My entire day was out of whack, wracking my brain as to where I left this little bugger. I want to thank the kindness of y’all: Trish, Adrienne, Scout, Michelle, and Elemmaciltur. Your compassion knows no bounds.

I think I’ve learned a lesson from all of this… I gotta finish what I’ve started. In addition to socks, there’s a scarf, a Knuck, a pair of felted clogs, and two sweater (and a third that’s been zipperless for years!) that are begging for attention, and a handful of promised designs. Add to that a stash that needs to be cataloged, my knitting is stressing me out.

Feel free to call me out if you see me start anything new. And I’ll do my best to tend to my socks.

I’d like to introduce a new concept to the knitting world. We’ve all heard of S.S.S. (second sock syndrome), the ennui that overtakes a knitter upon compling a sock and prevents her/him from starting (and finishing) the second. I’ve also heard of the converse, F.S.S. (first sock syndrome), in which a first sock takes forever to complete and the second one flies off the needles.

I’m currently experience accute symptoms of M.S.S. (multiple sock syndrome). There’s a higher occurance of this nowadays thanks to the sock obsession sweeping the nation, fueled by wonderful indie yarn dyers (Scout, Lisa), podcasts that celebrate said yarn makers and designers (Stash and Burn, Lime & Violet) and elaborate schemes to create an addiction (BMFA’s Rockin’ Sock Club).

I arrived at my own diagnoses seeing the number of works in progress I have… four pairs of socks in various stages of completion. I never thought this was a problem, especially since three of those pairs already have the first sock completed and the heel turned on one (despite the above photo of a ripped out heel flap). Sure, in my last post I presented four delicious cakes of sock yarn waiting in the wing, but it’s not like I couldn’t stop whenever I want to!

I hit rock bottom this morning. I’m experiencing an advanced case of M.S.S. No, I haven’t cast on a fifth pair or socks; and after what I’m about to tell you, you’ll see why I’m coming to terms with my M.S.S.

I lost one. I can’t find the sister sock to the Lisa Souza Mars Quake sock in the photo. I know I knit it. It travelled to Texas with me and was shown off at a knit one one class. I’ve been thinking about ripping back the toe to finish it in a less pointy manner.

But it’s gone.

It’s not in the knitting bag(s); it’s not with other half-finished friends; it’s not in the stash; it’s not even saliva-encrusted laying in Janie Sparkles’ lair. I’ve checked in my suitcase, between couch cushions, behind book shelves. inside drawers, all over the house; all to no avail. And now I’m late to work.

Feel free to print out the image and hang MISSING posters in your neighborhood. I just want my baby to come back home. I know it’s my fault. I only looked way for a few inches on a foot and casting on a toe-up. I should be charged with negligence.

I’m so sorry, handsome little sock. Please come back to Daddy.

Here’s my “to-do” skeins, freshly wound up. The bright multi-color Fire on the Mountain STR will become baby gifts. The Monsoon greens and grays are a sock for me, courtesy of the Rockin’ Sock Club. The blue/white/brown Scout’s Swag “Sea Bunny” is a disco’ed colorway I poached from photo Scout posted on flickr.

I’ve been meaning to post an Austin summary of my SXSW adventures, but it’s not happening. Head over to my flickr photos to see images of Ernie (of little yellow different) rocking the Pat Benatar at very empty gay bar’s karaoke night and a big bowl of cheese, known as queso. There’s nothing better than a big bowl of fat when you’re eating late night by yourself in a strange town. Can I get an amen?

Other socks are progressing, but pretty pictures will come later. My first Yarn-a-go-go sock from knit one one is ready to be bound off. And, despite multiple ripped out pattern repeats or sections, the second Lisa Souza “Mars Quake” sock’s heel has been turned. More sock-related news to come.