Weekend Update

It is Saturday.

I am working.

[SUMMARY: Despite the Four Seasons thing,% I plan on currying sympathy.]

Well, blogging, but at work. Y'all know. And I plan on starting back up on the work thing any minute now.

The client wanted me for two weeks,† but I couldn't swing that, so I agreed to stay for the weekend and work all day today and part of the day tomorrow.

It feels lovely, though, because all week I've been in heels and skirts and war paint and today I'm just me, Marin, in jeans and cleavage‡ and bare face. Well, and curls untamable by man, mousse§ or ponytail holder.

Last night I had a spectacular seafood dinner@ and the client drove me through River Oaks, a subdivision of architectural excess and old oil money.

I couldn't get pictures, what with not wanting to drag the client into the blogdorkness that is your dear ol' AntiM, but I can report there is a new fashion in massively expensive outdoor holiday lighting y'all& should know about.

First, let me hip you to the fact that I don't believe I have EVER travelled in December. Not beyond Cheyenne, Wyoming, in any case. Christmas lights around the world is kind of a new obsession for me.

And decorated airports.

That digression leads us directly to the set-up for this bit.

Y'all have probably seen, right in your very own cities and towns, the trend toward wrapping the entire trunk of a tree and its lower branches in lights, creating a night scene of bare fairy forest when done right.

Well, River Oaks has gone one better.

The trunks are still wrapped, and that wrapping continues to the lower branches, but now there is a fall of light from the branches. Every six inches or so, the wrap stops and the string of lights is left to dangle. Then the wrapping of the branch picks up with a whole new string of lights for another six inches and the lights hang again. Each tree looks like a weeping willow of light, a veritable waterfall-cascade-rain of light.

I lost count, but I figure a minimum of 100 string of lights for a medium-sized tree.

And in a yard the size and consistency of a forest with a budget similar to my annual income, it is breathtaking.

I have a tiny fruit tree out back by the garage...

[SUMMARY: Lights: $600. Electricity: $350. Look on neighbour's face when tiny, shared fruit tree collapses under the weight of $600 worth of twinkle lights: priceless.]

But back to my hair: have you checked the weather in Houston?^ It's 80 degrees and, I dunno... 112% humidity or some damned thing. It's like walking through a carwash with those long strips of wet felty stuff smacking you in the face with every step.

[SUMMARY: Holy fucking cats, are we¶ really talking about the weather?]

No, no, let's talk about knitting. 'Cause I've done some. The ultra super-special Family Christmas Party Project is knitted. It took me one night in the hotel room.

Now to felt and embellish.

[SUMMARY: Felt and Embellish would be good names for pet alpacas.]

I have been working madly on Brother's Father's Day$ Socks. They look a lot like socks now, and are almost ready for the Arrrgyle portion of the program.

Pray for me. End-weaving isn't my strongest suit.

[SUMMARY: KNITBLOG!]

And on another happy note, Kate texted me yesterday# to say they tracked down a yarn shop in downtown Houston, only four miles from me.

I'm pretty sure I can get there by tunnel.


%FOOTNOTE (percented): Did I mention I'm staying at the Four Seasons?

†FOOTNOTE (crossed): For those of you scoring at home, that means I'm now missing out on TWO FULL WEEKS of Four Seasons. If you're a glass half-empty person, I mean.

‡FOOTNOTE (double-crossed): What? You don't consider your cleavage part of your wardrobe?

§FOOTNOTE (swerved): Moose!




@FOOTNOTE (atted): On expense account, which tastes all the sweeter.

&FOOTNOTE (ampersanded): Particularly Cheryl. It should also be noted, Cheryl, that, if you allowed far-distant travel in search of contest-winning Christmas display, I would so win after last night. But I abide by the rules...

^FOOTNOTE (careted): Because I know y'all are sitting around wondering "What's Marin doing? How's the weather where Marin is? What can I do to strengthen my spiritual bond with Marin today?"

¶FOOTNOTE (paragraphed): And by "we," I mean, "I."

$FOOTNOTE (moneyed): *cough2007cough*

#FOOTNOTE (pounded): And used the term "emergency yarn."

††FOOTNOTE (ddouble-ccrossed): Aren't knitters the best? And the most monomaniacal?