Yarn Diet - Game On

Now I think I have enough yarn to make 6 pairs of socks!!! Today my mom stopped by (she lives 7 miles away and was driving from the suburbs to where she lives) to drop off a few things, including four balls of Norwegian sock yarn. OMG, it is gorgeous. Thanks, Mom (if you are reading).

Lehu and I are up late tonight watching the original Psycho which still completely freaks me out. Hitchcock was genius. I'm still afraid of birds, to this day. I think I saw The Birds when I was 10? I don't remember. All I know is that I'm freaked out by birds too.

Okay, back to the yarn diet - as proposed by Mandy. I'm in. I will go until February though. I will see what I accomplish in that time and since February is such a depressing month anyway, I am going to leave it open to "treat" yarn. And, gifts don't count. Oh, and I have a friend who wants to buy yarn so I can make her something so that doesn't count either (even though I'm helping to pick out the yarn).

Now, the story about the woman at Panera.

Me, groggy and needing coffee, walked into my local Panera.

"Hello, and welcome to Panera," a very cheerful woman with long salt and pepper (more the former) hair smiled at me and gestured with her left hand in the direction of the cashier where I was headed to order my coffee.

I got my cup. Now, at Panera I know that I have to go to the coffee station to complete that transaction. Only hitch was that I couldn't figure out where it was. Remember, I was a little pre-caffeine groggified. I went to the soda station and saw iced tea, splenda, equal, lemon wedges and little cups for water. Then I remembered it was by the exit.

"Hello, and welcome to Panera," she said to the customer who I crossed behind to complete my circle through the dining room to the oasis of caffeinated goodness. Okay, a little dramatic embellishment goes a long way, I know.

As I read the titles on the coffee thermoses (thermi?) something possessed me to turn and say to the cheerful salt and pepper hair lady, "I am glad I finally found the coffee, I'd forgotten where it was."

"Oh, I got mine as soon as I got here this morning. I've been here since 8:00 am."

"That's good." I was pulling the plastic lids apart so I could put one on my coffee when I was finished preparing it.

"Today is my anniversary with my boyfriend, we have been together for seven years." I decided to pump mostly House Blend Regular and a little decaf for good measure.

"Oh, that's nice." I wasn't aware that I'd engaged in a full-fledged conversation, but that soon changed. "Sweetest Day is coming up, are you doing something special for your anniversary?" I said, thinking of my first Sweetest Day with Lehu and the white carnation she gave me. I looked for the skim milk, reached to it and brought it closer to my cup and poured

"I like to eat out." It seemed innocent enough.

"Oh, that's nice." I tore open the Splenda packet and let the powder land in the center of the hot, rich caramelly colored liquid then I reached for a plastic knife and stirred. "Where do you like to go?"


"I don't know, I am going to call him and ask him where he wants to go."

"But where do you want to go?" I couldn't bridle the feminist therapisty me.

"Well, we usually go to ... [wait for it people] Mc Donald's [it doesn't stop here, people], but hamburgers there have been giving him stomach problems so we've trying Burger King."

I don't know if the shock showed on my face. If it did, she didn't notice it. I carefully popped the plastic lid onto the styrofoam cup (oh, dear, I am not very earth friendly).

"One time we even went to Kentucky Fried Chicken and they were having a sale."

"That's great. Have a great anniversary." I almost ran into a man headed towards the trash can.

She turned to him and practically grabbed his tray from him, all the while a smile plastered on her face, "I can take that for you.

The coffee was good.