Weekend Wrap Up: Disneyland and Beyond

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The Bearded One took Friday off and we made a split-second trip to Disneyland and California Adventure. On 5 hours of sleep, we covered 17 miles, walked over 35,000 steps, did everything we wanted too, and somehow didn’t get sunburned. We rode Space Mountain 3 times and even got to see the inside of it during a shut down. With the lights on, Space Mountain is even more impressive. Later in the day we tackled The Tower of Terror, which was even more fun than I remembered, and California Screamin’.  Only got to ride it once but Screamin’ is definitely my new favorite roller coaster.

August Break 2014 also kicked off Friday and I had fun looking around for interesting details to capture. Forgot to pick a photo for the first 2 days but I think I’m finally getting into the swing of a daily photography project.

Sunday, after a week and a half break,  I was finally able to get back to my spinning. My shoulder and wrist are back to 100% so I finished the first Color Bot single from Tour de Fleece. Spinning the second single is on this week’s to-do list. Going to use this technique again and also trick myself into a decent spinning posture to spare my shoulder from the pain of poor spinning. You know, so I can spin more and not hurt myself.

August Break - Week 4

Where did the month go? August and this project is almost over with only 2 more days before September. 

I’ve really enjoyed taking daily photos and completely ignoring all of the suggested prompts. Spending August getting reacquainted with photography was wonderful. Taking daily photos has become a fun log of my days even if they just capture a little slice of everything that’s going on. I’d like to keep the project going but mix it up a little bit so I don’t get bored. Maybe a theme for next month?

Follow the remaining days as they happen on Twitter. 

Or check out the last few weeks. Week 1. Week 2. Week 3.

From the ride home.

The beach is the perfect place to rest my legs in the middle of a long bike ride.

I have a penchant for finding the knitting books first in any library I visit. Handy skill.

I took tons of photos yesterday (August 27th) but forgot to post one for August Break. Time to fix that.

Gummi bears are an appropriate afternoon snack right?

August Break - Week 3

Week 3 complete! I’m happy and just a little surprised that I’ve kept up with the August Break Project so far. I’ve really started to enjoy this project, not just because it makes me keep my photographic eye open, but also because it’s a mini journal of my days. Looking back, I’m reminded that I did those things and explored those places and watched those waves. Taking daily photographs is starting to become something precious. 

For the daily feed, follow me on Twitter. 

Wondering what I got up to the past few weeks? Check out Week 1 and Week 2.

Writing a lot in analog tech these days.

My bike and I are going places today. 

Love the feel of this yarn, Cool Wool.

Skipping the digital version and writing my lists down on paper.

My Stripe Study Shawl gets a little bigger every week.

Walking on the beach might be my new favorite hobby.

I love walking on the beach during low tide.

August Break, Not

No worries. I’m not taking a break for the month of August. I already had enough of a blogging break during May and June. August Break is a photo-a-day prompt by Susannah Conway. The idea is that for the month of August, you skip the words and let a photo do all the talking. I liked the idea but skipping posting for a month didn’t sound like a great idea. So, I took the photos to Twitter instead. It’s been a nice change. For the last week, I’ve ignored the prompts but went on the look out for interesting details to document from my day. Things that I would ordinarily pass by with a smile, got a little more recognition.

For daily updates, follow me on Twitter. 

My favorite spot for summer knitting.

Doing a different kind of spinning today.

Sometimes, this is what designing knitting patterns looks like. 

Making tiny, adorable mini skeins!

So far, reading subtitles while spinning singles has not been a bad idea.

Another day, another walk on the beach.

Found a beautiful shell at low tide. 

Zen in the Fog

 6 days out of 7, the weather along the coast of Los Angeles is gorgeous with perfect temps, cool breezes, and clear skies. That seventh day, though, makes me feel like I’m on another planet. The fog rolls in off the Pacific and covers everything in a fine mist. You can barely see the sun in the sky let alone 100 feet ahead. I love walking the beach in this kind of weather. The grey mist, the sound of the waves, and wet sand under my bare feet combine in the perfect moment of zen. Still, I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if Cthulian monsters walked out of the depths or zombies slowly shambled into view. 

On the Road and the Beach

This was what last Wednesday looked like. The dashboard and miles and miles of open road as the Bearded One and I took a much needed vacation to Savannah and Tybee Island, Georgia. Sock knitting and colorful yarn also played a large part.

After awhile all the miles and trees and exits started to look the same.  The sock-in-progress did too but it was much more interesting than the ever repeating mile. The humble little sock, if anything that bright could be called humble, also taught me a neat trick. When the light was just right, I could see my reflection and my knitting in the passenger side window. I got to keep an eye on my knitting and the outside world without having to choose between the two when something interesting - that river for one - came by.* So long as the pattern is simple and repetitive, such as stockinette or ribbing, knitting by reflection shouldn’t be too hard. I wouldn’t want to try it with fair isle though.

Eventually, we made our way to Tybee Island and the beach. The waves were small but there were dolphins, shells, and nice weather. Also, painful, stinging jellyfish but they were few and far between. 

I also managed to avoid my traditional beach sunburn.  85 SPF sun block is apparently the way to go.

I’d also recommend watching the sun rise over the Atlantic Ocean if you get the chance. It was a nice start to a day spent wandering Savannah and local yarn shops. More on that later.