Nerdy Knitter

Look what I did!

Well, I didn't really do it; someone in the world of computer programming did it, but that's not the point, now, is it?

My friend, Maia posted a link to this cool thing that makes graphs of your blog. Don't know what standards they use, but here's my bloggy-blog:



Cute, no?

posted by Nerdy Knitter @ 8:28 PM 1 comments

What a genius I am!

Okay, so I love taking these ridiculous online tests, even though I KNOW they don't mean a thing in real life.

I just took an IQ test, and my results are impressive:

Congratulations, Judy!
Your IQ score is 135

This number is based on a scientific formula that compares how many questions you answered correctly on the Classic IQ Test relative to others.

Your Intellectual Type is Visionary Philosopher. This means you are highly intelligent and have a powerful mix of skills and insight that can be applied in a variety of different ways. Like Plato, your exceptional math and verbal skills make you very adept at explaining things to others — and at anticipating and predicting patterns.

Of course, they'll tell me a lot more if I buy the whole multi-page report. Yeah, okay--so I have an IQ of 135, but I'll get sucked in and buy the bogus IQ report?! I don't think so!

More news later--just had to share my results with the world.

posted by Nerdy Knitter @ 9:10 PM 1 comments

quick update on the pooch

I know you've all been worried sick about our poor little guy, so I thought I'd lay your fears to rest: he either bruised or sprained his tail. He's' on anti-inflammatories and painkillers for the next 5 days. He's already pepping up and his tail is at about half-mast, which is a big improvement.

The worst part of the whole trip to the vet's office was listening to the caterwauling when they clipped his nails. Sheesh--I've never heard anything like it from our poor, pathetic pooch!

It's a good thing they're used to all kinds of critters with all kinds of issues, because he left an awful lot of pee in his wake...

So that's it--a bruise/sprain and some drugs and we're good to go.

Thanks for your concern. Henry appreciates it. He'd really appreciate a few cookies, some cheese, maybe even some pepperoni...

posted by Nerdy Knitter @ 8:55 PM 2 comments

Brooke Shields and me, me and Brooke Shields

This post could be titled "Why I love visiting our friends in Maryland."

When I arrived after having gone for 6 months (or so) without seeing our pals, the first thing out of Nerdy Hubby's best friend's mouth? "You look great!"

His wife? She tells me there's something "different" about me...what could it be? My glasses? My hair? No...something less obvious. "I know! It's like Brooke Shields...she looks better now than she ever did. Some people just look better older. THAT's what it is. You look great now." So, people--get ready for an ego trip. I, your little nerdy knitter, am just like Brooke Shields. Yup. Who would-a thunk it?

Okay, so I didn't attend an Ivy League school...I didn't appear in a major movie before I was 18...and I don't have outrageous eyebrows....

But other than that--Man, I'm Brooke Shields, dammit!

Boy, I love going to Maryland!

Now for some sad news: our little guy (Henry, the pooch of our dreams) had a really tough day in Maryland. Something happened to his tail, and now he can't lift it very high or wag it. The poor guy even whimpered when he ran to catch up to me yesterday. His tail is just hanging there, kinda crooked. He's tired because being with all of the guests at the Super Bowl party was stressful for him, and we drove late at night and he didn't get to bed until close to 1am, but his non-wagging tail makes him look so pathetic, you just want to cry.

I can hear all of you animal lovers out there asking "Aren't you going to take him to the vet, for pete's sake?" Yes, we have an appointment, but it's not until tomorrow morning (there was an appt available this afternoon, but Nerdy Hubby would have had to take him solo, which is difficult at the best of times). We're hoping it's a gland "issue" that the vet can unblock, but we won't know until tomorrow. Meantime, Henry's lounging on the couch, napping, etc., being a sick pup.

In knitting news (oh, that's right--I am a knitter, aren't I?), on the trip to MD, I started a project from One Skein...it's an itty-bitty baby hat. I finished it yesterday, and here it is on the model:



Cute, no? That's the 2nd baby for our best friends, and he's a luscious, adorable peanut, with or without the cute hat.

And now I'm starting on a secret project for a pal. I can't tell you what it is, because then my pal will figure it all out. But here's a taste of what it looks like in its early stage:




Now it's time to go back to work. Sigh. Mondays stink, no matter how you look at it.

posted by Nerdy Knitter @ 3:56 PM 6 comments

We saved a pooch today, and I feel good

This beautiful, sweet pooch came crawling/whimpering to our house yesterday. The temperature that night had been in the teens! We fed her, let her wander around the house a bit, then put her in Henry’s pen to get her away from his play-with-me antics, and left for 15 minutes. When we came back, she was gone—we figured she jumped the fence. We put out more food in case she returned, but she didn’t...

…until this morning, at almost the exact same time! This time, we brought her inside and she ate a HUGE bowl of Henry’s food, then went right into Henry’s crate. She curled up on his bed and acted like she was there to stay. She stayed in the crate for most of the time we had her, even though we didn’t force her to. She wasn’t comfortable going into the “real” house (the living room), and stopped short of the carpet every time she wandered around.

She’d had puppies recently, so I was worried about calling Animal Control because I didn’t want her pups to be alone. I took her out on a really long leash to see if she would lead me to any pups, but she was really unhappy leaving the house, and once we got outside, she just sniffed and drank out of the stream, then just wanted to head back inside. The animal control officer told us that she had weaned her pups so that made me feel better about the possibility of infant pups starving somewhere.

Henry missed his "friend" the minute she left even though she never gave him the time of day. He crawled in the crate with her, tried every gymnastic feat he knows to get her to play with him, and tried to sniff every last inch of her. Her tail wagged a bit here and there (when Henry approached, I mean—she wagged her tail a lot when we were around), but most of the time she wanted to get away from Henry & his enthusiasm. The crate worked out well—she felt safe in there. But then Henry tried to get in with her (he’s so persistent, it’s hysterical), and she finally growled at him. He deserved it, so it didn’t upset us. Unfortunately, Henry is just clueless about dog body language, so he didn’t stay away for long. She let him stick his head in the dish while she ate, she let him go into the crate a few times (until she’d just had enough). She was very patient with him considering how upsetting being in a new place was to her.

Anyway—the pooch went to the Charlottesville SPCA this morning. I called at noon and verified that she was there, and they told me she was sleeping. I’m going to call the shelter again tomorrow because I know someone who works at the front desk. I want to see if they’ll let us name her. My friend suggested Cricket, which I think is such a great name for her. I hope they’ll let me give it to her.

She’s very sweet, so I hope someone will adopt her. We feel good that she’s in out of the cold—she was shivering so much the first time we saw her, it was enough to break your heart!

We live in hunting country, with a lot of red-necks, too, so I truly believe that someone used her for her puppies, then let her go. I've heard too many horror stories about hunting dogs being neglected once they're proven "bad" at their "jobs" to believe that this animal just got out by accident. She didn't have a collar on, either, and hunters usually keep really good track of the dogs who are good hunters. People can be so cruel.

So that’s our story. Know anyone who wants a sweetie-pie hound? She’s right here in Charlottesville, waiting for someone right now...(Well, she's not in the system yet, but she'll be there soon...there's probably a delay of a few days while they test her temperament, have her checked over by a vet, and all of that.)

posted by Nerdy Knitter @ 7:57 PM 5 comments