Maybe you should rename the entry with "calling in sig" instead of 'sick'. *LOL*

I wish I know someone like you around here...then I think I might have more courage about being alone.

Wow! What a party! Logan's run, chair massage, and coolocity compounds? Can I come live in that compound, too? Or just by asking am I not cool enough...oh no...it's JR high time. ;-)

Hehehe about LA and The Rain. I used to live there so I understand the drama. Now I live in Portland Oregon and we have the same "batten down the hatches" mentality when they forecast even a possible Snowflake might fall nearby.

LoveLoveLove the Blue Sky Alpaca yarn. I just made a bunny out of the Blue Sky sportsweight. Oh-so-soft to knit with. MMMM MMM MMMM. Though I'm jealous, I think ours cost more like $18.50 a skein up here for the type you purchased (the bastards!).

Okay, I'll stop babbling to strangers now. No, no ... really.

You took the question right out of my mouth, Trixie. Maybe you n me can form a spin-off "not quite cool enough" compound.

So, Laurie, you probably already know this, but here in New England we have *snow*. (This might explain why you went northwest instead of northeast when you left your ancestral home?) We can be fairly wimpy about it, as in, 2 inches of snow in forecast, must immediately join 17 million other panicked grocery-store shoppers. But at least rain doesn't worry us.

The party sounds great! As does the scarf.

Here, I found this on the web:

A Sig Alert is defined by the California Highway Patrol as "anyunplanned event that causes the closing of one lane of traffic for 30 minutes or more, as opposed to a planned event like road construction, which is planned separately." Sig Alerts are issued by the CHP and are posted on their Web site, broadcast on radio and television stations throughout California, and signalled to motorists via electronic billboards on the freeways.

Sorry, I grew up in LA and a drop of rain = death on the highways...it's like people "forget" how to drive...sigh...now I'm in Tahoe, try SNOW...fun.

I am sooooo PROUD to be a woman.
Chicks are the coolest!!!
Girls rule, boys drool (over us).
Or was that a sprinkle?

I heard...through the grapevine (no - no the traffic one that is alwasy congested) that SIG alerts were named after a radio announcer "Sig" who started reporting the traffic and coined the name "Sig - Alert" after himself when he would tell people which freeways to avoid on the commute to or from work....

Were those tiny cheesecakes made with vanilla wafers on the bottom?? I make Regal Creams (tiny cheesecakes in muffin cups). It's very easy. Drop me a line if you want the recipe. The cats might like them too!

OMG I just got back from The OC (pondered stalking you.. just sayin) and I had to LAUGH at the Stormwatch! just for 15 minutes of sprinkles. The guy actually said not to go out if you don't have to. WTF? The morning before I left, they kept cutting in on the commercial breaks with BREAKING NEWS: "Its cold out there! Be prepared!" The horror..

http://www.sigalert.com/

The above is a necessary site for anyone living in a major metropolitan area in California.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sig_alert

And of course there is the handy definition of what exactly a Sig Alert is from the lovely folks at Wikipedia.

Meanwhile, it has been raining here in the SF area since yesterday. Sometimes it's just a few drops but mostly it has been a true downpour. I am truly looking forward to heading out later today -- NOT.

Oh, how I miss So Cal and the "STORM WATCHES." And Paul Moyer. Love to hate him.

I do NOT miss the havoc sprinkles wreak on the commute from the OC back to the IE. I'm trembling in terror just thinking about it. Yep, I'll stick to my 10-minute drive to and from work here in North Florida. And when they say storm watch here? Yeah, they mean it.

Um, can I come live on your cool compound? I cook and clean, and think you rule. Do I qualify??

Q What are Sig-Alerts?
.
A. "Sig-Alerts" are unique to Southern California. They came about in the 1940s when the L.A.P.D. got in the habit of alerting a local radio reporter, Loyd Sigmon, of bad car wrecks on city streets. These notifications became known as "Sig-Alerts." Later Mr. Sigmon developed an electronic device that authorities could use to alert the media of disasters. Caltrans latched on to the term "Sig-Alert" and it has come to be known as any traffic incident that will tie up two or more lanes of a freeway for two or more hours.

I read your blog and thoroughly enjoy it. One of these days I am going to drag myself over to the Farmers Market for your weekly SnB and meet you face to face. I go to Culver City on Monday.

We have the same problem here in Seattle when the rains first come in September/October.

It's like people forget, during the really nice part of the summer which lasts about 9 1/2 minutes, that it actually rains here.

And that we're all a bunch of friggin idiots.

Don't even get me started on what happens when it snows. *sigh*

I live in SC and it rains here all the time! The people can not drive at all! They ride your ass drive 80 all the while I'm in my cavalier getting no respect and cursing them all because they are shitty drivers and I'm scared to death.

I ripped out about 5 rows of a baby blanket I'm making! the yarn looks awesome!

I can relate to your ripping out the scarf. So many times I've been knitting with friends, and I just start talking blah blah blah, and then when I pick up my project the next day I'm like "what the @%@# did I knit here??" :0)

Um, Hi. I actually did not go to work today because it was raining and I didn't want to drive there. Wow. I am a huge weenie. It stormed all night here in Northern Cali, my lights went out and my cats are hiding - there was no stinkin' way I was getting in my car today. Now, sun is breaking through and I'm running out of excuses. Are there any yarn events on March 10-12 in the LA area that you know of? I'm in Long Beach that weekend!

I like that bulky yarn!

What a wonderful evening.

Here I am commenting twice...must be my day off...

I lived in Hilo, HI for about 2 years. 130-some-odd inches of rain a year. LA gets about 4, I think. I not only did not own a car, but rode my bicycle around everywhere. Getting wet became a way of life. I had towels and an extra set or three of clothes stashed in my classroom for the heavy weather. It makes me laugh when my mom (who still lives in LA) talks about the "storms" they're having. Unless there's a mudslide involved (LA winter of '92-'93) it's just a little bit of water hitting the desert.

Logan's Run was "one of those movies" for me. At the time, interesting...now that I'm OVER 30! YEE GODS how could they do such a thing :).

Love Blue Sky yarns. What stitch are you using, it's nice and flat - no rolling edges.

Wow. I'm starting to believe the stories about Los Angelites and weather. I have a friend who just moved from L.A. to Des Moines (my lovely home) and had the following actual conversation with her mother last week.

Mom in LA: It's so cold here, dear. We're talking 50s.

My friend, Jen: Mom.

Mom in LA: It's really been tough to go outside.

Jen: Mom. It's five below here.

Mom in LA: Jennifer, stop exaggerating!

More than half of Michigan had freezing rain last night. No one called in sick because of it, and I actually drove 68 m.p.h. on the freeway instead of my normal 76 m.p.h. when it's dry.

In an overpowered rear wheel drive vehicle.

Come on... it's the only excitement we northerners get this time of year, besides playing Euchre and bowling. Oh, and knitting.

Yeah, grey clouds = weather emergency in So.CA.
I would love to knit with you sometime, sounds like you have a blast!!!!!

It's snowing here. Trade 'ya... ;)

It's snowing here. Trade 'ya... ;)

I know where-of you speak. Granted, Austin isn't as bad as LA when it comes to drivers freaking over rain, but it is close.

If you've never heard it, check out "Fairweather Town" by James Lee Stanley - great musician friend of mine who lives out there and wrote a pretty cool song about the phenomenon. :)

heh, that list of subjects would fit in with our recent Wine & Knit... ours included a story about a play-doh penis = some kind of sexual mood ring. And this was when we *weren't* drinking...

What? No syphillis jokes from Faith?! I'm disappointed!

The stitch I'm using is just knit the first and last stitch of the row, and in between I do the yarnover then knit two together thing. I cast on eight stitches. I don't know if I like it yet. I may put this on a stitch holder when I get home and try a drop-stitch or something with the second skein of yarn, for some reason I am not in love with this pattern on this yarn.

Or maybe I just have knitter's ennui LOL.

Monkey -- she did indeed tell us all about the syphillus awareness campaign LOL

hee heee... Maggie said "euchre".....

Aaaaack rain! Orange County is even less prepared to deal with it than LA. I luuurve your yarn. Although don't you think maybe you have one too many scarves for LA? Not that I'm judging or anything... Of course what else are you going to knit? Socks? They would be wasted under Ugg boots - the official footwear of this downpour-in-waiting Southland!

woolfairy, I give away almost everything I make because I don't have a lot of need for wool handknits here LOL. But this scarf I was thinking of taking with me on my vacation to paris, where it may be kind of cold. Or not. We do not know.

Libby, I remember Seattle's total lack of snow preparedness. I lived there in Feb 2001 when about 12 inches of snow fell overnight. The city came to a screeching halt. The City of Seattle owned ONE snowplow (!), and the buses were all late because they had to put on chains, drive extra-slow and stop at every corner. I got to work and discovered I was 1 of 2 people who braved the weather. We went home early and I joined the neighborhood kids who were tobogganing down my street. :)

I'd move anywhere the news DIDN'T freak out over minor weather...

The proper term is "massage therapist", we're desperately trying to get away from the "masseuse" title, just so ya know! But funnily enough, marriage proposals are so funny to get! I even had a woman propose to me once (saying "If we were both gay and I wasn't married, I'd marry you right now")

Cool scarf, be careful it doesn't get WET in the MONSOON or it may melt into a puddle of fiber!

Not "masseuse", nor "masseur". If you're not french, my muscle-soothing body guru informs me, call them all "massage therapists". Or, muscle-soothing body guru tends to be taken well by everyone. It's all what you prefer. :)

You have so eloquently expressed my feelings about a few sprinkles becoming "STORMWATCH"!! Like woolfairy, I'm in the OC and the storm prep is terrible, you get a few drops and the street gets flooded, this could very well be why there is high drama on the news over a few sprinkles. The Germans have a saying that I feel translates very well into English: making a thunderclap out of a fart.

Great yarn by the way.

Good to know that somneone else in CA laughs at those who freak out over the Weather. Up here in "Nor Cal" (Those annoying teenagers with their slang for Nothern California ha ha)the news is all over "Storm Watch 2006" with their concerns on flooding and how it compares to New Orleans.

Oh and the scarf-in-progress looks lovely too!

euchre is the best...you gotta try it, Drew!

Why is bacon ahead of porn? Or are those in no particular order?

Great new scarf beginings!

Your blog is just fabulous- it makes me smile, or feel like i can commiserate -- almost every time I read it. Thanks for showing the scarf pics because I LOVE that yarn choice and will be looking for one for myself ASAP. Thanks again!

I LOVE the Stitch n' Bitch crochet book; I stood in Books & Co. the other day and read the whole thing. Now I am only waiting for payday, so I can go back to Books & Co. and use my member card AND my member coupon AND have just been paid so I can totally justify buying a new yarn-oriented book. :)

For once, it is neither raining nor snowing where I live. Hurray for a spot of sunshine!

I bet somewhere someone in LA will drown because they were standing there staring at the water falling out of the sky.

I think you're supposed to say "massage therapist" because "masseuse" and "masseur" imply sexual favors (at least that's what an LMT friend once told me.)

I think you're supposed to say "massage therapist" because "masseuse" and "masseur" imply sexual favors (at least that's what an LMT friend once told me.)

Love the scarf! Gorgeous yummy yarn you picked out.

We have Storm Watch 2006 up here too... but it actually applies... most of the time. My power likes to go out at random intervals, storm or not, and, I kid you not, when the tornado (yes, tornado in California!) was 10 miles from my house, and the sky was black, and hail fell from the sky the size of golf balls, my power did not go out once.

Random story for the day! Have a good Monday!!

What would they do in LA if it snowed????

I'm going to try your stitch on some bulky cotton chenille tape yarn I have. I knitted it straight stockinette and it's curling on the edges. I sort of knew it would do that, but hoped it wouldn't because it's a really bulky yarn.

At around noon it rained in Santa Barbara!

I was out in LA last weekend (my first time) during the Winter Storm of '06. I thought the world was coming to an end. It did rain quite a bit the first two nights and the temps did drop into the 50's (even snow in the mountains!) but I was still shocked to see little old ladies wearing full length mink coats out and about. I love La!

The garage in my building is always almost empty on weekdays (apparently I am the lone unemployed person), but today it's at least half full. I think everyone's staying home because of the drizzle. Wusses.

Also, hi! I miss you!

When I was working in Las Vegas they would literally cut into their radio programming to announce that it was raining on Tropicana.

Of course, Vegas is full of LA transplants.

Frickin weirdos.... :-P

Over here in Nashville, it's the mention of frozen precip that closes schools, cancels church services, and run the grocery stores out of milk & bread. Personally, I love a good "snow day", but coming from the gulf coast, I can't help but laugh at the scaredycats in CA who freak out at rain. What would they do if a hurricane was on the way???? One shudders to think.

PS I'm sooooooo jealous of your knitty friends!! I gotta get me some 'a those!

Just a thought; since you mentioned that you give away most of the things you knit, have you ever thought about charity knitting? Neonatal ICUs will take hats and little blankets (and you can use *gasp* acrylic yarn and save $, plus they're quick to do; see Carewear website) or as you're into wool, there's Afghans for Afghans; they happily take wool hats, mittens, sweaters (no scarves, no acrylic clothing) but they will take afghans/blankets of any type of yarn. For A/f/A hats you don't even need to particularly bother with The Math, as a hat is bound to fit someone...Other listings of knitting charities can be found on WoolWorks, Knitpicks, The Ships Project, Bev's Country Cottage (TONS of free patterns there), Carewear...I even found mention of a local (for me) Coalition of the Homeless that is looking for supplies for homeless women to knit or crochet, it reduces stress and gives them a feeling that they're still able to provide something for their kids. I believe Woolworks has links by state, or you can Google charity knitting. Knitty.com also had an interesting article by a women who started knitting for charity.

I forgot to mention I just ordered the SnB crochet book- The Happy Hooker- ha! Porn mention du jour!

Thanks for the info, Sue!

I'm so proud of Faith, she has a pattern in the Happy Hooker book! Hers is the crocheted welcome mat, too cute.

hey' it's raining here. I even see a small puddle in the street down by the corner :)

Ooooh, it's raining here too. I'm going to be on the bus for five thousand hours going home. *sigh*

I love the crocheted welcome mat!! And the Jolly Roger sweater. I like pirate-y stuff. Laurie...tell me you're knitting Clapotis for your trip to Paris! :)

Hey Laurie, did you visit Pink is the new blog today? Trent and Erik SPLIT UP?!?!?!? I am marking my 1 month of being separated today and now THAT news. what a crappy day. On the upside.. it is WARMER in nebraska today than it is in Cali and only SUNSHINE here today.. that makes NO sense.. 70 something here today in FEBRUARY *usually we are in the - degrees!

Trust me... the crazy drivers are everywhere.
It's raining, here in Boise, right now and on my way home from work I watched a guy almost rear end a SEMI but, as luck would have it, the freeway was so wet that when he hit the breaks, he spun into the median instead. That is the second time I have seen that happen in less than a month!!

Laurie -- welcome to LA and its crazy fixation with/aversion to rain. There's nothing like the "Storm Watch" updates on the news . . .

Here's a link to the Caltrans page, where they explain the birth of the term "sig alert." Knew that you wanted to be in the know: http://www.dot.ca.gov/hq/paffairs/faq/faq18.htm

PS -- fabulous yarn for your scarf!

Hmmm...let's see. Would I rather:
a. Not get my hair wet.
or
b. Let the rain wet down the vegetation and maybe prevent one of those big brush fires?

Nope, can't do a. My hair appointment isn't until Thursday. But those fires hardly ever happen.

These people would probably freak if they came to Tennessee. Here, if you don't like the weather, wait. It should change in a couple of minutes. That's why all the shops carry those lovely day-glo plastic ponchos. Ponchos are in style now, right?
;)

Thanks for the plug for my mat Laurie!!! Love you.

Reading all these posts about people losing their minds on the highways when a drop of rain falls: I thought that only happened in Atlanta. One drop of rain results in gridlock on all major arteries into and out of the city. I'm encouraged to learn that this is a nationwide phenomena. Now, snow: grocery store lines multiply exponentially according the the forecasted depth of snow. Bread and milk disappear from the shelves in seconds. It's crazy.

Laurie, I hope that you have made it home by now, and didn't spend eleventeen hundred hours on the bus. And if you did, that you at least had your scarf to knit on. And it's always better to have something warm, "just in case".

Ooh, are you talking about the Wizard of Bras store in Monrovia? (At least, I think that's what it's called.) It is the best store ever.

official request for mini-cheesecake recipe.

Seriously, it took me twenty minutes to go two miles AND.

I wished I had anti-frizz hair products today.

And I forgot my umbrella.

Fritz did NOT t

hahahaha.

He did not tell me it would be like this.

Premature post.

God, I'm a dork.

Sounds like NC/SC/GA snow dramas.

I prefer hurricanes to quakes. At least you can see them coming and get out of the way.....

The party looked fun. I am so out of the S 'n B loop. Trying to teach English and have any semblance of a life is impossible.

BTW - on my way home from school this afternoon, businesses all up and down Foothill Blvd. were CLOSED! The rain must've melted them away. There were like maybe 20 cars on Foothill and nobody could figure out how to drive. It took 15 minutes to go about seven blocks. It's days like today when I actually miss Chicago!

Maggie and Drew, Euchre rocks! Must be a Midwest thing and perhaps specifically MI. I learned how to play it from a friend in MI. Hope you're staying dry, everyone!

Can I just say... I love you... and not in a wierd stalkerish way. I seriously just spit soda out of my nose. Want something fun? Where I work... they're considering having a late start tomorrow because of the rain! IT'S RAIN PEOPLE!!! I would seriously hate to see what would happen if a freak snow storm came through.

Although Los Angelians are a little strange...I'd rather be here in the drizzle than in PA in the snow.

Do you do that scarf pattern on both sides or purl the other side?

This blog is amazing. I have been reading without comments for a short while now, and I just figured I'd finally write in that you rock. :) Keep it up.

Man, those LA dudes/dudettes would die here in Colorado. :)

you want some great , kinda bulky, wool yarn that's tre soft??? check this stuff out:

http://www.yarn.com/yarns-knitting/malibrigo.html

i'm so nuts for it that i sold a couple beanies on ebay so i could afford enough of this yarn to make a cozy afghan. you really should try this yarn!

Someone sent me your blog from the day of your divorce (the picture with champagne and snickers). My court date was yesterday, culminating a year of separation after 18 years of marriage. I went out afterwards with a girlfriend for champagne and chocolate. It worked for me!

Where are the cats?

Love it! I remember living in LA - having come from Texas - and laughing hysterically at the "Storm Watch" whenever someone spit on the 405. And the fact that the Weathermen were named "Dallas Rains" and "Johnny Mountain" just cracked me up!

What's weird is our Sunday SNB had a very similar list of Topics of Conversation - throw in the cartoon "Gem" with the Afterschool Specials and it's eerily the same...

Hi! De-lurking to giggle over the rainy storm warnings. I'm up in Montreal where our windchill was -31C or -24F and we're expecting snow every day this week, so I imagine the weather folks down there would consider this to be Day After Tomorrow end of the world conditions. :)

I love your site and figured I should finally tell you that instead of reading quietly. *waves cold hand*

So. Cal is a wacky world unto itself...as a NY transplant, and having to move back to NY Thursday...aack..I get a huge chuckle out of the weather thing here. I too have wondered the def. of sig alert, but knew it was the thing to avoid at all costs. And your discussion of porn and the effect it has on mens expectations is something I wax eloquent on. Huge pet peeve. I have had nothing but fabulous hair days for the 6 months I have lived here...must go back to the land of flat, lifeless hair...wimper...

it really cracks me up to hear about how the Los Angeleians (huh?) scurry for cover when the mighty drops of water fall. i learned how to DRIVE in 3 ft of snow.

All hail the Michigan Lake Effect!

hehe, maggie and drew said Euchre. Drew, you are showing your Michigander (duck) roots!

Oh, for cryin' out loud..... ;)

My BIL got married in LA. they had a MAJOR crisis b/c they were predicting rain for his wedding day. ended up moving locations 2 days before the wedding. I guess it never occured to them that they might actually need a tent or something. oh yeah - It didn't rain! it was 75 and sunny!

As an Angeleno transplanted to the Midwest, I think it's funny that the sound of the tornado siren seems to be the signal for everyone to go into their front yard & look for the funnel cloud. But that's just me.

I love that scarf! Love the color!

Great blog, by the way. I always visit but never comment...I guess I'm intimidated by how many comments you get!

(And your horoscopes are awesome. I printed mine out a few months back and posted it to my locker at work b/c it described me perfectly!)

Micky, they have the same saying up here in New England that if you don't like the weather, wait a few & it'll change. Didn't know Tennessee has the same thing!

Laurie,

I'M THE ONE who called in sick. I call it a rain day and make an actual holiday out of it. :) Being from Texas - and missing the thunderstorms and flash flood watches - I have to make do with the sprinkles we have out here. So I induldge. Check out the picture at the top of my website to see how the Rain Day Holiday is done.
http://westcoastintelligentsia.blogspot.com/