BlogSpot Woes
I've gotten a few queries from readers asking why they can't get my blog to load completely. I'm sorry to say I don't have an answer except that BlogSpot is a good program in theory, but stinks in execution. Even I can't get my blog to load completely onscreen unless I maximize my Internet Explorer 6 window to completely fill my screen, then minimize it back to my normal operating size of 930x685 pixels. Stupid, but it works. I queried the Blogger Support Group on Yahoo Groups, but no one had any insight into the problem. I think I'm going to migrate the blog over to my ISP and see if the problem clears up.

Trudie Marches Along
Almost to the last row before starting armhole shaping:


Mission Falls 1824 Cotton is such a strange little yarn. My gauge was a bit wobbly until I got used to the nubbyness of the yarn, after that it was clear sailing. Normally, I don't care for knitting with cotton at all. It's got a dry, dusty feel that reminds me of picking potatoes out of the ground. This yarn doesn't have that, a big plus in my book.

Get Yer Bic Lighters Ready ...
After more than 12 years, Judas Priest has reunited with their original lead singer, leather-lunged (and clad) vocalist Rob Halford. A new album and tour are due in 2004. RockStar (my 14yo stepson) is ecstatic. DH and I introduced him to Judas Priest when he came to live with us last August. He's become a hardcore little metalhead in the ensuing months ... does my heart proud, yessir! You see, my very first concert was Judas Priest. I was 15 years old and I've never forgotten the sight of Rob Halford, wearing his best leather-daddy duds, riding a Harley onstage in Portland, Oregon in 1977. I was hooked, baby. I've been a Priest fan ever since. I remember hopping into my temperamental little Triumph Spitfire ragtop right after work on a Friday night in the summer of 1983. I drove straight up to Vancouver, British Columbia from Portland, Oregon to spend the weekend with my boyfriend, who was working under-the-table as a Christmas tree trimmer (yes, that made him an "illegal alien"). I played Priest's "Screaming for Vengeance" over and over to keep myself awake on the long drive. I vividly remember the puzzled look the Border Patrol agent gave me. I'm sure he hadn't seen many cute brunettes in convertibles wearing halter top and shorts crossing the Canadian border at 1:00 am. Ah, memories.