I'm now more then half way through Uncle Tom's Cabin and I'm really enjoying the book. It's hard to believe that this book was written during the time of slavery and by a free black woman. I guess the view I have of slavery in my mind is different then what she portrays in her book. The story line is great and it's interesting to see what happens to these poor people. Right now I'm just dying to find out if Uncle Tom does get to go back to the plantation where his wife and children are. Can't wait to see how it ends.

But knowing that I'm likely to finish this book very soon, I'm starting to think ahead to the next book. I have six books to choose from and I'm having a hard time deciding. My choices are Ulysses, Madame Bovery, Brave New World, Lady Chatterley's Lover, Moll Flanders and Candie. I don't really know anything about any of these books so I think I'm going to have to do some research to help me decide. Right now I'm leaning toward Brave New World just because I like the title. I know you shouldn't judge a book by the cover but what else do I have to go on right now?! lol

And now for another finished object.

Pattern: Primivera Socks by natalja

Yarn: Patons Kroy FX in Cameo Colors

Started: 12/10/09

Finished: 12/17/09

I cast on for another pair of socks in addition to the several other projects that I currently have on the needles. Hubbs actually asked for a pair of hand knitted socks, so I'm working on that for him. I took me a while to find a pattern that I thought wouldn't be too girly for him and that would have enough staying power that they wouldn't fall down if he wore them to work. I'm hoping to finish them before the end of the new year to bring my total for knitted socks to 19. My original goal was 12 so I think at 19 I'd pretty much accomplish my goal.

The only problem I have with knitting is that there are so many things that I want to knit and only so many hours in a day. If only I could afford to quit my job and knit all day.

This is my 100th post. My goal with the blog was to post once a week for the entire year. And while I didn't always post once a week I feel like I've made my goal since I did post 100 times (counting this one) and I still have a week to go before my blog-aversery. I started writing this on 12/31/08 and have been going strong for the last year. Out of the 10 or so goals I had for myself on 12/31 last year I think I've done well. I haven't stashed any yarn or fabric, I completed my sock challenge and I blogged. I think for me who never finishes anything has done pretty well.

So far my list for 2010 is as follows at this point: 1. Read all 10 books on the list of Top 10 Banned Books, 2. Learn to knit a toe up sock and 3. Knit something with Alpaca. My list is very short but I still have another week to decide (or not) to add something more to it. Hopefully I can come up with some more things because 3 things seems like an awfully short list to me. Is it sad that I can't come up with more things? I don't know but some times it's nice to have a short list instead of a long one that you know you wont be able to complete. So for now it's 3. Later it will be more.

Hubbs and I got to take off for the day yesterday and enjoy another day of snow wheeling. We headed off and meet up with some other club members and a few other friends for a day on Iron Mountain. The snow wasn't as great as it was last Monday but it was still a great day in the snow.

Hubbs and good friend Jason's Rigs. When I jumped out the snow was up to my thighs.

Pretty snow covered Bush. The snow looked like it was decoration for Christmas.

Pretty snow covered trees.

Hubbs was having a good time.

And then we got stuck. It was off camber and I have to admit that I got scared and had to get out. I'm really scared of the truck rolling over so when it gets off camber I get out.

I tried to ride Marlon's snow shovel down the hill since no one remembered to bring a sled for the kids (i.e. me).

The views were, of course, amazing.

And at the end of the day it was all topped off with a little lasagna, some garlic bread and some white wine.

It was a great day and I would have loved to stay out longer but as usual work got in the way. We had to come home and great ready for work today.

I'm still working on reading Uncle Tom's Cabin. I never seem to get more then 10 pages read before I drop off to sleep each night. I'm going to start taking the book to work with me so I can read it on the train in the morning and afternoon and also on my lunch breaks. Hopefully I can get a little further into the story. So far it's a great one. I'm not even 100 pages into it and all ready there has been a great escape by one of the main characters, Eliza. The other slaves and the lady of the farm are helping her escape by keeping the man that is looking for her off the roads by delaying his departure from the farm. Some of the hi jinks that the other slaves do to keep him from leaving is pretty funny. Seems like even though people at that time thought that slaves were stupid and unable to learn, these slaves are smarter then the slave hunter. They pull some pretty good practical jokes on him. Can't wait to see how it's going to turn out.

There has been knitting. I've finished up one sock and am about half way through the second sock. I'm sure I'll be posting up pictures of the 18th pair of socks that I've done this year.

Right now I'm also working on a list of things that I'd like to accomplish for the next year. The list is pretty short right now, but I'm hoping to have at least 5 things on the list before new years. I don't normally do new years resolutions but I think it's good for me to have a list of goals that I want to accomplish every year. Most of them are just for my personal betterment and are meant to challenge me. I never vow to lose weight (but it's always a goal) or to donate time or money. These are things I'd like to do but I need smaller goals. I like to think my list is also open ended. I can add goals as I go or decide that one isn't something that I want to pursue. I'll be sure to post my goals here. It helps keep me on track and honest about it, even though the only person I have to be honest about it with is myself.

I got it! Finally! The computers at the library finally came back on line yesterday and I was able to get my library card and the first book on my list of the Top Ten Banned Books. I choose Uncle Tom's Cabin by Herriet Beecher Stowe. The book is due back to the library on 12/30 and I'm hoping to finish it by then but if not, I'll have to renew it. I'm pretty excited about the book.

Proof of library card and book! (Yes I know I look terrible and am all mismatched but what do you expect for the day following a Metallica concert? For Pete sake, I didn't even start my day until noon! lol)

This last week has been a very eventful week so far. Monday we played hookie and went snow wheeling, Tuesday was Metallica (\m/, rock on baby!) and today we went out to lunch at BJ's Brewery. They brew their own beers and Hubbs and I got to try a couple of new beers. Hubbs likes the dark stuff and tried the Tatonka Stout and the PM Porter. I'm not much of a fan of dark beer so I went with Piranha Pale Ale and also tried a sample of the Nutty Brewnette. I think next time we go I'm going to get the Nutty Brewnette. It was really good but thick.

The beer was great and the food was awesome but the company was even better!

The food was sooo good at BJ's. I'd heard great things about it from friends but every time we go by there it's either packed or we're not hungry. We were actually headed to another restaurant when I suggested that we try it out. I figured it couldn't be that packed on a Wednesday at 1pm. Thankfully it wasn't packed. Hubbs got a BBQ steak sandwich that was really awesome. The beef was tender and the BBQ sauce was out of this world. Very tasty and tangy. I had the Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. The chicken was really tender and the sauce was very creamy. Every thing was great and our server was awesome.

The last three days have been really good but sadly I'm back at work today. It's a one day work week for me since tomorrow is a furlough day. On one hand I'm glad that I only have to work 4 days a week but on the other losing a 25% of my pay sucks. If and when they decide to go back to a 5 day work week I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm loving being off at 3:30 everyday and getting to spend more time at home but I'm going to miss having that extra day off. Not sure what I'm going to do when that day comes but for now, I'm enjoying spending more time at home with Hubbs and having 4 day work weeks.

Metallica was awesome last night. My ears are still ringing! I'm not up to much today so enjoy my two grainy cell phone pics from the concert.

When we go there last night I went to grab my camera and realize that I left the battery pack on the counter at home. So mad! but at least I got a couple on my cell phone. Our seats were awesome and we could see the stage really well. It was so great. More later.

Hubbs and I decided to take an extra day off yesterday and headed up to the first snow of the season. We had a major storm roll in on Sunday and the area has been totally blanketed in snow. We had a few fat flakes here at our house that stuck for a while but is wasn't substantial. We're at about 23 feet above sea level here so we knew it wasn't going to be much. But it was enough for us to decide to play hooky from work and head for the mountains. This is the road in front of our friends house in Shingle Springs. Their house looked like a Christmas cottage with all the snow. I almost expected Mrs. Claus to greet me at the door with cookies and cocoa.

Winter Wonderland but there were trees down all over the place. There was so much snow in so short a time that it cracked huge trees, sending limbs and whole trees all over the place.

So pretty.

On the Second dam. The snow was just powder and up to my knees.

In my brand new jacket that we just bought on Saturday on a whim. Thank goodness we did, it was perfect.

Hubbs had a great time.

Nick found a huge mud hole under all that snow. Thank goodness for 4-wheel drive.

A bunch of rigs all lined up to help recover a vehicle that went off the road, rolled twice and landed (on its wheels) at the bottom of a 40 foot ravine.

Some blue sky that last for a bout 5 min's before it started to dump more snow on us.

Our rig.

I convinced Hubbs to shake a tree he was standing under. It resulted in a huge "avalanche" of snow off the tree that coated Hubbs and left him with a white goatee. It was too funny. I couldn't believe he went for it. I have to thank Nick for his participation in egging Hubbs to shake the tree. I don't think he would have done it if it had just been me.

Huge granite bolders covered in snow.

The sun setting behind a very snow tree.

It was a really great day. Totally worth staying home from work for. Tonight we're headed off to the Metallica concert. It's my first rock concert and I'm so excited for it. I just need to get in a nap this morning and then run some errands before Hubbs gets home at 4pm.

First Finished Object of December! Nutkin Socks

Pattern: Nutkin by Beth LaPensee

Yarn: Patons Kroy Stripes in Cascade Colors

Started: November 26, 2009

Finished: December 3, 2009

Mods: I did a standard toe instead of the toe that was called for in the pattern.

Now I'm off to work on my vest. Hopefully I can finish it this weekend and get it blocked.

First of all, isn't my local library cute?! It's the tiniest library I've ever seen. Super cute.

I know the question that's on everyones mind is whether or not I actually got the card. I didn't. But!!! I have a very good excuse. Their computers were down today so I have to come back. I'm hoping that they will be back up tomorrow otherwise I will have to wait until Friday to try again. I'm not sure I can wait that long!

In other good news, I took my car in to get a smog done on it today. I don't normally take it myself. One of the reasons that I got married was so that I wouldn't have to deal with automotive stuff or take out the trash. lol But really Hubbs normally takes care of this kind of thing for me since it stress me out really bad. Hubbs had to work late today so I had to handle it myself like a grown up girl. Thankfully my old girl passed her smog test with flying colors and now I can pay the state the crazy fees they charge to keep her on the road. Dang old DMV. But at least it's handled! Go me!