Last weekend the Emperor and I went down to Not Too Far Medium Town to take a look at their Highland Games. We were impressed! There were several pipe bands, lots of athletic competitions, tons of booths, sheep dog trials, and even a British car show. It was pretty darned cool.
We had planned to have lunch there, and I had bangers and mash that came from a ranch not far from us that raises Highland Cattle -- those big, sweet animals that look so distinctive. They make great sausages, too. We were also curious about the legendary dessert of modern Scotland -- the deep-fried Mars Bar. So, the Emperor ordered one.
To be honest, it was pretty disgusting. The coating was bland, and it diluted the Mars Bar. I'm not a fan of Mars Bars anyway (if I had to choose a candy bar, it would be a U-No Bar) so this was mostly an exercise in "what the heck are the Scots thinking?" Well, it's something you do once.
One of the things we were out and about doing was hunting for a quiet food processor. I was forced to purchase a new one about a year ago, because my old one (as in, at least twenty years old and we got it used) fell apart in a way that we couldn't glue it back together. The new one was so loud I had to put on ear protection whenever I used it! Soon I found that I was avoiding making things that needed to be processed, because I didn't want to deal with the noise. Finally, when we got ready to move I packed it up and donated it to Habitat for Humanity. Now that we're settling in at our new digs, I'm thinking about making some pie crust dough and freezing it for later, and I keenly feel the lack of said processor. Not only that, it makes throwing together salsa a snap, and grating carrots for a carrot cake, or grating zukes for zucchini bread...
We didn't find a quiet food processor, but next week we're heading to the Large Metropolitan Area for my professional conference, so the hunt can pick up there.
I'm still knitting away on the Atle Beret, and only have about two inches more to go on the crown before beginning the decreases. It's going to be cute. I also started the Emperor's Secret Christmas Socks 2012, right in front of him. He picked out the yarn about three months ago, but it so closely resembles what I've been knitting socks with that he hasn't noticed them.
This week I learned that my new boss is a knitter. She brings her knitting to work with her, and grabs spare minutes to click away on simple knits. I've been urged -- urged -- to bring my knitting, too. I did, but have found perhaps five minutes all week to knit at the office. That said, this might be a good place for me to peck away at the Christmas Socks. I can stay a little after I've finished my work, turn on some music, and get a little knitting done every day. It's a thought.
Oh, on top of all of this, for some reason I'm thinking about putting together a Regency-era outfit for myself. I don't have anywhere to wear it, and don't know of any other Regency afficianadas in the immediate area (there are some a few hours north of here, however). But I find myself trolling the Web for patterns, ideas, etc. Have you seen The American Duchess? This great site not only has some wonderful information, but it has great links to other similar sites. Well, research is free and it has to be done before I can do anything toward making the outfit. My friend K-- gave me some gorgeous sari fabric that would be perfect for decorating a ballgown. Like I'd have a ball to go to. But heck, I'd rather have the gown and no ball than a ball and no gown. I don't have a fairy godmother to sew for me!
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