Maybe this will be the solution....

Uploading one image at a time... If I have more than one thing to show in a day, that would-of course- mean more than one post.... Much like this.

Above, find the weather here today. We had somewhat of an ice storm yesterday. I knew when I saw the sun behind the trees this morning that it wasn't going to last very long, so I ran outside in my pjs and snapped some images. I love the sunlight sparkling through the branches.... Now we are hearing the steady drip and plunk of melting....

Snag number one- with knitting photos!

Ok, so I have hit a snag with the new computer, and I can sum it up in one question: What the F*&$ is DEP???? I tried to upload photos to Flickr this morning and my computer is saving me from that malicious program by sending Data Execution Prevention into action. There are instructions for disabling that for a given application that sound oh-so-easy. Lies!! Nobody can tell me what program to choose from the list to disable this diabolical security feature for. So, back to the elaborate schemes for getting photos uploaded!

Step one- import the photos to the computer.

Step two- email them to mom.

Step three- look in mom's email only to find that the email didn't go through on her computer because they were attachments. (Goodness knows we have to be saved from ourselves.)

Step four- Open MY email and find the attachments in my sent email.

Step five- open the attachments and discover that Nero, the only photo viewer on my mom's computer, doesn't allow you to SAVE the stupid photos.

Step six- choose save instead of open.

Step seven- search in vain for the photos in any of the folders on my mom's stupid vista machine.

Step eight- discover if you right click on the download screen, it will let you "open the destination folder."

Step nine- drag the photos to her desktop.

Step ten- FINALLY upload to Flickr.

Seriously, ten steps just to get these photos to Flickr. I am already exhausted.

Here is my sequence of photos from this morning's finished Rivulet photo-shoot. (And I just discovered that this stupid new thingie won't let me REARANGE photos that I upload. WHY did they have to "improve" windows???? I tried Firefox, too, and still can't drag the photos beyond what I can see on the screen, which means that I can only re-arrange them in the TINY window that I can see. AHHHHHHH!!!!!)

Anyway, enjoy the steps of the doggie filled photo-shoot that started this whole thing today!

I got my computer, I got my computer....!

I am so happy!! Right now I am recovering backed-up computer STUFF to my new, shiny HP..... It is so fast, I can't believe it!! It is zipping through MP3 files like they were nothing.... I can't wait! Tomorrow, the photo uploading begins! Whoopie!!

In short:

1. I am wearing my finished Rivulet Socks right now. That is the first time I have ever worn a pair of socks that I have made. (I don't know what I was knitting them for before I wore them....)

2. Instead of picking up a WIP when I finished the Rivulets, I started Citron in a pretty green laceweight (sans tag) that I got at Stitches South last year. It is not lacy, but I am quite proud to be knitting laceweight yarn successfully for the first time.

3. I ordered some Dream in Color Baby in Butter Peeps for a gift-knit for a friend who may or may not read this blog. More details later, but I am very excited for it to get here!!

Is that not the best color name ever? To your left you can see a sample of the variegation.... If it is too varied or too bright for this purpose, I am sure that I can find something else in time to knit a present for June.... And it won't kill me to have yummy Butter Peeps laceweight laying around!

4. I am ready for February. Nothing in January (except the aforementioned socks) has worked out like I want it to in January. Here's your hat, what's your hurry?

Knitting Content- Please don't die of shock.

Remember these, the Wendy Knits Rivulets socks? On the left is Wendy's own version, and below is a less-than-photography-degree snapshot of mine in progress. I know, it surprises me, too, to see a picture that I actually contributed to the blog myself!! The Mom and I came up with a roundabout solution to the whole "Jennifer doesn't have a computer and therefore can't upload photos" issue.... I have seriously enjoyed this pattern and this yarn. It is Knit Witch Celestial Bounce, and the stripes are way less dramatic than they appear in the picture. And the pooling less obvious, too! I got this one at SAFF with no plans for it, on sale at the Knit Witch booth.... Who could resist a name like Celestial Bounce??

I have to say, however, that I am ready to move on to new knitting. One of the upsides of this pattern is that I have completely memorized the chart, off center though the motif appears to be in the large size..... The downside to completely memorizing the chart is that I am now feeling pretty bored with the actual knitting and have begun to long for something that I HAVEN'T memorized!! I know, I am so fickle....

Listen to the lengths I had to go to to get the picture on there, and you will be mighty impressed that I pulled it off at all! First, I had to use The Mom's snazzy little camera to get the picture made. Then we uploaded it to her computer. Then we uploaded the picture to my Flikr account. Then moved it over to my Ravelry project page. Then I called it up on my work laptop. Then I saved it to the local memory here. THEN I was able to upload it from there to blogger. I am impressed, anyway! Sometimes I am so clever I can't stand myself....

I am off tomorrow and Sunday. I was supposed to have plans with a boy, but fate intervened and the plans fell through. I am very disappointed, but decided not to cancel the days off since I really needed a break from the nuttiness that was going on at work! Hopefully, the boy will reschedule and I can get over being sad....

Anyway, that leaves me with lots of time to contemplate getting some knitting done.... I have been developing some serious lace-lust recently, but I am trying to be a good little girl and focus on what I have on the needles.... (It is very hard, and another thing you should be impressed by is my fortitude in the face of Victorian Lace Today and A Gathering of Lace, recent additions to the household library....) Anyway, that leaves me working furiously to finish the socks before my willpower wavers, and considering which sweater-in-progress I want to try to finish up in the next few days. Shall I break out the Cosima for which I managed to knit two right fronts? Or should I give the Minimalist Cardigan a good whack, since it has been patiently waiting for me to finish Christmas knitting? The Cosima would be faster, but the frustration level with that one is still pretty high. Minimalist would be happier, but I still have a good bit to go. (Like I have said in the past, this is my favorite kind of dilemma!!) Oh, and another point to consider is that the Minimalist has longer sleeves, so I might be able to get more wear out of it if I finish it earlier. Considering that it was almost 70 degrees today, I think it is likely that we are nearing the end of the cold weather for this winter! Decisions, decisions.

Oh, and go see Up in the Air. One of the best movies I have seen in a long time.... Loved Avatar and Sherlock Holmes, but this is in a league of its own!

I kid you not...

The National Weather Service has issued a Hazardous Conditions Warning for this area because tomorrow it might snow. The first half of the entire local news show was filled with warnings about checking fluids and breaks before you leave the house in the morning.... If you have regular breaks, be sure to pump them and if you have anti-lock breaks, just apply steady pressure.... There will be 300 DOT workers patrolling the area overnight to keep an eye on the situation.... My mom's school is delayed 2 hours, and it is only 6PM the evening before.... You know, we just don't know how to handle snow here in the South. People panic, picturing being snowed in for days at a time, cut off from the basics of life. I bet there isn't a loaf of bread to be had anywhere in the greater Florence area!! We have to brace ourselves, because we are expecting SNOW, that's right folks, Florence might get.... wait for it....

.27 inches of snow!!

You read that right. That is one big ole' quarter of an inch of snow. I wonder if it is too late to stock up on staples?

It is true. I AM actually grown up!

Today, I made a very mature decision. Today is the sign-up for the Rockin' Sock Club. Oh, how I wanted to sign up this year. Who wouldn't?? Look above at just one of the offerings from the website. And I read blogs of people all excited to get their STR packages, joyously knitting up their socks.... Last year, by the time I was knitting socks and knew about it it was full. I had a computer reminder set to remember to sign up.... But the fee is 289.00 USD, and has to be paid up front. I actually went to my bank's online transfer page and was ready to transfer my ENTIRE savings to checking so I could do it. At the last second, I came to my senses.... Man, does being a grown-up SUCK!

Instead, I will be paying that 289.00 on one of my credit cards. Have I mentioned "sucks" yet? Big plans are in the works, though, and one of those big plans is getting as much paid off on my credit card debt as I can this year. NOT a resolution, I am not making resolutions. Just a plan. Plans are open to revision....

Another plan that is NOT a resolution: I started Weight Watchers this morning. Weight is one of the things that I have let get away from me this year... Good news is that I weigh ten pounds less than I thought I did for this mornings official "after-I-pee-and-before-I-shower naked weigh-in." But it is still an appallingly high number: 172.0. That is right, one hundred and seventy-two pounds. And I am not tall! Time to do something about that. Good thing that I love Weight Watchers recipes so.... The Pepsi is going to be the hard habit to kick. Sigh.

Here is to a skinnier me in the new year, and with a better credit rating!

I think I am going to buy a skein of Socks That Rock Lightweight as a reward for not spending 289.00....

In which the Nerd fails to buy a car....

So, I tried to buy a car today. They wouldn't finance me without a co-signer. The credit bureau is working out to be my arch nemesis. Everybody needs an arch nemesis, right? Oh, well. Plan B, I guess. (What is it that they say about starting the year the way you intend to go on....? Bodes well....)It was cute, though, huh?

I am having a GREAT New Year, so far, despite the lack of cute new car. I am back to my Socks from the Toe Up knit-along, and I started the Rivulets sock yesterday. (The picture is from Wendy Knits herself, since I am still having the computer issues that keep me from uploading pictures!) I knit half a sock yesterday! I am completely amazed!! We sat down and watched a couple of movies as a nerdy holiday celebration, and I got my knit on. I am using Celestial Bounce by the Knit Witch that I got at SAFF, which I am very impressed with. I had never used any of her yarn before....

Next, since we know how much I hate finishing anything, I will move back to my two-right-sides Cuzco cardigan.... It is too fantabulous to let languish any longer. I have to just figure out how I REVERSED the reverse-shaping directions and ended up with two right sides.... Unbelievable.

Ok, so I apparently lied about this one being about Christmas knitting. I am just happy to be blogging!!

Happy New Year! I am off to procure chicken nuggets, having gotten the traditional dinner under out belts!