This 'n' that, Part II

I'm at the bind-off of the first toe-up sock, and instead I'm sitting at the computer posting a blog entry. Why? Because I really want to use a tubular bind-off to make it nice and stretchy, and because I've never done tubular bind-off before, and it seemed like a great idea and check my on-line resources for guidelines (never mind that I've already got step-by-step instructions in a book on my bookshelf), and because I'm very easily distracted once I get on the web, here I am writing about why I should be knitting right now.

Hmm.

I got a call from MiniDisco while I was browsing. I had placed an order yesterday for a replacement remote for my MiniDisc player, and they were actually phoning to tell me they were out of stock for that remote and wouldn't get more in until Monday, so they wouldn't be able to ship my order until Monday. Now, I ask you, how great is that? I mean, today is Friday, and it wouldn't have been a big deal to me if they shipped it today or Monday, but they were thoughtful enough to let me know that.

I love my MiniDisc player. They're not very popular in the U.S., so anything I need to buy for it I need to order from MiniDisco. I was torn between buying it and buying an iPod for a long time. The iPod is sleek and cool and has a sweet interface, but the MD records digitally, and that was going to make it much more useful to me. That's how I was able to make the CD for the school choir. Record on the little unit, upload the sound into the computer via USB, edit, and burn a nice little keepsake. I also make rehearsal CDs for my adult choir with it. And a single 1 GB MiniDisc will hold up to 45 hours of music, either downloaded or ripped from my CD collection. The only thing I don't like about it is the software I have to use on my computer to transfer music to the unit.

On a completely different note, I was reading Real Simple magazine yesterday, and there was a question, "What was your most embarrasing fashion moment?" It got me to thinking. When I was a kid, and that includes my teenage years, I didn't know enough about fashion to realize if I was in fashion or out of it. Therefore, little embarrasment occured, since you have to know about your "error" in order to be embarrassed by it. But, my first year of college, "mall hair" was really big. In both senses of the word. (I've searched for images of this style, and I'm having a hard time finding one. This is why I need a scanner.) My roommate was much more knowledgeable than I in these matters, and she had humongous bangs (fringe) that, in that time, were just wonderful. She taught me how to achieve these bangs: first, comb hair spray through your bangs. Then, curl them up with a hot curling iron so that you have what looks like a sausage lying across your forehead, and spray them again. Let that sausage sit there for a few moments to set, then take a comb and, coming down from the top of the sausage, insert the teeth of the comb into the hair and twist your wrist back towards the top of the head. This usually resulted in a great globe of hair, which you then teased into more globularity (is that a word?), then sprayed it once again. Well, we did this every morning. One morning, I was sidetracked somehow between step 2 and step 3, and ended up heading to class with that sausage lying firmly along my forehead. I didn't realize I hadn't combed it into a globe until I had nearly left the dormitory, when, thankfully, I caught a glimpse of myself in the glass of the door. I ran back up three flights of stairs, shouted at Connee, "WHEN were you going to tell me my hair looked like this!?", and frantically started in with the comb. She hadn't noticed, of course, she'd never have let me go if she had, and we both had a huge laugh over it. In fact, she probably still remembers that. I should call her up to see if she does.